1. Today at Mass, as usual, during the consecration of the gifts, I was watching them. (As if I’m going to *see* them change into the Body and Blood — I know, I’m silly, but I still think it’s fascinating.) As I’m watching, I was thinking back to (here’s where I’m not sure exactly where I read it) when they say that if you look at the face of God directly, you will die, and how everyone was afraid of that.
Why were they afraid? And why would God have them die?
My unofficial hypothesis that I thought of:
a. ‘Seeing the face of God’ may = ‘knowing God’ — as in truly knowing, not knowing about.
b. ‘Dying’ = ‘going home to God’
Thus,
c. If you ’see God,’ all of Him, and truly know Him, then what attachment would you have to this world?
None.
So, then, it makes sense that you might detach from everything here, and just go right home to Him in heaven. Isn’t that the point of everything? To go home? Then, ‘dying’ after ’seeing the face of God’ isn’t some bad thing, but actually something that we might want, or should want.
Just in case anyone wanted to know what I think about during Mass…. :)
2. This one got me odd looks from my coworker. I just came into the church last year, baptized and everything, and have really fallen in love. So, at work, they are coming to think that I am some type of freakish uber-Catholic. And I’m okay with that. I don’t mind being full of zeal for the right things. Even if they think that I’m odd. I do tend to get carried away with things — I know this.
So, what got me the odd looks was my next Big Idea. (Everybody say, “Uh, oh. What now?) I have this clothesline in my backyard that my dad built a while back. Well, one of the poles fell down and it’s been years since it was actually used as a clothesline. So the only thing remaining in my backyard is a … you got it … large wooden cross.
What are you going to do, Jenn? Again at Mass, earlier in the week, I got this idea: I am going to ‘dress’ my cross for Lent. I am going to go to the fabric store and get a length of purple fabric and drape it like the crucifix is draped in the chapel.
So, am I completely nuts, or is this a good idea?
3 responses so far ↓
1 Kin // Feb 15, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Hi, I was just surfing as I came across stblogs and I saw what you wrote in on the top. As for the “cross” in your back yard, I say go for it. Lententide is full of rich signs that remind us of what Christ did and is doing for us in our lives. Through the cross he opens for us opportunity of Life Eternal. How many times I wished that I had done some little things to remind myself of His great gift. This lent I was thinking of making a Way of the Cross through the winding road were I live, but am often intimidated because I know there are many non-Catholics there. I think you have given me a bit of encouragement to show more outward signs of loving Christ, even if I appear to be completely nuts. May this Lenten Season bring us all closer to the Church and to Christ.
2 Kasia // Feb 16, 2008 at 11:55 am
Re: the cross in your backyard, I would totally do it. There’s actually a house along…um, not sure if it’s Talbot Rd or Huron Church at that point, but in Windsor en route from the 401 to the bridge that has a cross down near the road with a purple cloth and it says “Only Jesus loved this much.” I love it.
Not sure about the “face of God” thing, but your theory makes as much sense as anything I might’ve heard before, so…
3 jean // Feb 20, 2008 at 5:50 pm
First, I LIKE that cross!
Second, I agree with you about the “Face of God” - in fact, St. Thomas Aquinas said something similar. He stopped writing because he had a vision and realized that everything he wrote was nothing compared to what God showed him. And he was a Doctor of the Church and a prolific, gifted writer.
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