Indulging My Every Whim

I just opened a piece of Dove dark chocolate.  I am generally amused by the little messages.  Like “Happiness looks great on you” or “Your smile lights up a room” but sometimes, the messages make me think that Dove (ironically which image represents the Holy Spirit) talks to me personally.  Yes, I hear you, one must awfully full of themselves if she thinks the Holy Spirit is talking through her candy wrapper.  “Lay off the Ignatian Spirituality sister…cause you’re sounding a little crazy” Well, hear me out…there may be something in there.  (Because really, I kind of agree with that assessment!) But just now I got a message “Indulge your every whim.”  So, since I bite my tongue a lot,  here I go.I have been mulling over some going’s on in the Social Network realm on the heels of the Pope’s interview.  Some reactions have been truly nasty and quite representative of our problems as a Church.  Some has been really thoughtful but has gotten some questionable reaction.  “So what about women!”  “Sure, he says that but he’s just another man in a patriarchal blah blah blah..”  “He is wrong to not talk more about abortion blah blah blah.”  “Our Holy Mother Church (always a favorite qualifier of mine!) blah blah blah”  I have found a lot of this just plain annoying.  I am sure I am not alone since the majority of people reacted joyfully, positively and hopefully.  But what is with the people who are so willing to focus on what they don’t like?  I read an article/blogpost today where the person (a hard-tellin’ Catholic Christian…as in; by his post it was hard telling he was Christian) said he wanted to and I quote, “wretch” at the positive reaction that this interview has gotten from the “left”.   Yes, wretch.  Because seeing people filled with hope, for some people, is simply sickening.  Because for some people, hearing about love and being told repeatedly that we are required to love, is simply nauseating.  Because being directed at what real love requires of us can sometimes make us hurl.  I admit, sometimes it makes me sick…like when I see images of children who are left for nothing, starved, diseased, alone.  Sometimes it makes me sick when I enter a place that is neglected and the smell is repugnant. Sometimes it makes me sick when I read those kinds of hate-filled words and then I realize that he has a much bigger platform than I do.  I mean let’s face it, people LOVE to stir the pots from the comforts of their own homes.  And moreover, they make money doing it.  It is SO very true, the readings from yesterday’s Gospels, you can’t serve two masters.  You can’t serve your ego and your Savior. But at times like these, I notice there are a whole lot of people trying…and maybe at the moment I am one of them.   Now, don’t get me wrong, I am one of the people who repeatedly calls for reform.  I believe in order to serve Christ we must change.  We must.  We cannot serve two masters.  But, I just think…gosh…wouldn’t it be swell if we could stop and take a step back and look at the bigger picture here?  Look at the man of Pope Francis?  Look at the effect he is having on people who have all but given up on the idea of church or on God.  People are responding to his love.  People are responding to his humility.  He is moving us…as fast as he can.  But he is wise enough to understand that we must go back to the beginning. Love.  God is Love.  God is the beginning.  Go back to the beginning.  Have patience (and believe me, I am with you in the lack of patience dept) and most importantly, believe! Believe!  Believe that God hears us.  Believe that God wants all people to know that first and foremost they are loved.  No following the naysayers.I want to be a person of YES.  Which means that I cannot always indulge my every whim.