I love this little section of today's first Mass reading 2 Corinthians 6:12ff:
We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things.
I cannot think of a better epitaph. To be misunderstood by the world by living for Christ. Better still, I guess, would be to have the humility to desire that this NOT be my public epitaph, to be recognized and/or admired for living through this friction with the world, but to die without regard, to hear "Well done, my good and faithful servant" only in God's voice.
3 comments:
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see our real epitaph some day? Not the one our family puts on the stone, but the one that captures Jesus' key thoughts of us.
P.S. If you react in dread to that idea, as if God would have to think for hours to find something good to say about you, you're ignoring the data.
No, I was actually trying say that it would be extra-good if the WORLD had to think for hours to try and say something good about me. That I would be so "dead" to the world in my loyalty to Jesus Christ and Him Crucified that I would essentially become laughable and "useless" to the world. THAT would be the goal, wouldn't it?
Way too lofty a goal, but nice view up there, I'm told.
I'd like Luke 1:41b:
"Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit"
(That's my name.) I feel it, but I'm not sure anyone else can see the shekinah glory overshadowing me. Ah well, I don't have it to impress, but hopefully it motivates me to mitzvah.
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