The Pocket-Size God by Griffin Robert F.;Baker J. Robert;Moran Dennis Wm.;

Author:Griffin, Robert F.;Baker, J. Robert;Moran, Dennis Wm.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press
Published: 2016-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

UNDER THE DOME, MOST OF IT SEEMS TRUE

Patrick had just come back from a year with the Holy Cross Associates, and he surprised me by talking about his spirituality—an old-fashioned word with a bad reputation as something phony.

I admire and respect Patrick; he is young, confident, vital, and beautiful. Like any seminarian, he knows the jargon of the vocations that take God seriously. He has struggled with temptation and doubt.

But hearing him speak with great innocence of his spiritual life, I suspected his Catholic faith has never been tested. He has never had his back to the wall, or seriously failed, or had the cards stacked against him. He has never felt like a lamb led to slaughter, or spent time alone, fearing the cosmic indifference. He hasn’t survived those crises when he will wonder if his religion is harmful, like an addiction to opium.

Vietnam veterans, trying to describe jungle warfare, pile up obscenities not found in the dictionary. Christians, having their faces shoved in bitterness from arm-wrestling with the Devil, would feel naive, like apprentice nuns, using textbook words to describe their ordeal in darkness. Patrick, pleased to have a spiritual life to tell me about, is still in boot camp, far from the foxholes of battle. He’s proud of himself as a young Christian, and I want him to stay on as a member of the Catholic team. He would be discouraged if I told him he was still wet behind the ears.

Patrick represents a lot of the old grads who come back to talk. I meet them after a game or at the reunion in June. Or I meet them on summer nights, when the moon cruises the sky over Manhattan, as those of us who have spent time in the Emerald City gather for a cook-out. As Domers, many have had all the Catholic advantages.

I’m too old to be shy about asking them if they still go to Mass, or if they were married before a priest, or how soon they intend to have children. Nor are they shy about telling me they’re bored with institutional religion, or they think the pope is out of touch. A number of them say they hang onto the Faith because they hope it’s true; but they are waiting for something convincing to happen.

I don’t lay burdens on them if I can help it. I offer them my help if I think they need it. The church can show them unforgettable kindness, like relieving them of guilt in confession. Sometimes they don’t have the courage to ask a priest for the church’s grace. I try to let them see I’ll be kind, because I know from experience how hard it is to admit sin.

Patrick said he was having a misunderstanding with his father, who felt the year with the Holy Cross Associates wasn’t as worthwhile as a real job would have been.

I asked, “Is he religious?” Patrick said, “He is very religious, in his own way. But he doesn’t go along with all the doctrines of the church.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.