The Litany of “I Still Can Believe. . .”
A reflection for All Saints’ Day
On bad days, I still can believe. . .
That convenience is an intrinsic good
That inconvenience is an intrinsic evil
That ease and comfort are the ends of life and the means to heaven
That eating, exercise and entertainment could be all-fulfilling
That earthly success reflects spiritual merit
That he who dies with the most toys wins
That hell is empty (and neither I nor anyone I know will change that)
That, really, Martha had the better part
That her sister Mary Magdalene got the easier deal
That what I do is more important than what I am
That when Jesus said “My kingdom is not of this world,” He was kidding
That because He was kidding, we can make everything in this world perfect
That bourgeois suburban values are deeply Catholic
That self-giving is for others
That more money would make me happier
That more fame and recognition would make me happier
That more power and influence would make me happier
That a hidden life is a failed life
That intellectuals know more about reality than shopkeepers, landscapers, construction workers, and plumbers
That truth, beauty and goodness are nice words but impossible to know
That I can win the lottery without buying a lottery ticket
That a college education is the key to salvation
That my soul is in great shape
That I have suffered great trials, tribulations and crosses
That venial sins don’t matter
That Satan is a fiction
That spiritual combat was just for earlier centuries
