Hey Scarlet, Don’t Play Games With Your Soul

You know those little games we tend to play in everyday life? Like when the van is running on fumes because we were tired and had already been to the grocery and the mall and t-ball and Mass and the drug store and we just couldn't bear to pull up to that pump? So we play the ‘can we make it home and back to the pump’ game and most of the time we make it. There are many similar ways that we sometimes often play games in life – at least that’s how I roll. Many of us have those Scarlet O’Hara moments when we resolve to take care of x, y, z – just as long as we can wait until tomorrow. But is playing these waiting games a good idea when it comes to our souls?

I made a little visit to Jesus today. Having taken a long list of intentions from friends and family, I settled in for some time before the Blessed Lord in the Eucharist. As providence would have it, I was the only one there and was blessed with total silence. No clicking Rosaries or rustling pages or squeaking kneelers, no fidgeting teens, and no whispering tots – just Jesus and me! What a treat it was – especially once I realized that I could pray the Rosary and speak those intentions out loud. It felt like such a blessing to have this conversation – not internally, but audibly. And so I communed with Our Lord and let the needs of all of my family and friends flow freely from my lips.

As I was heading home, still basking in the glow, I ruminated about the goings on in our country (and world) these days. Flagrant glee for the murder of innocent babies in the womb, rabid pontificating about deviant lifestyles, upheaval at the Vatican, a government and society quite literally gone mad – all of this is weighing down on the faithful. Questions resonate: But where shall we go? To Whom shall we turn? As the apostles realized, we too have a tangible option. We need not flee in fear nor hide our heads in the sand as if these atrocities don’t exist. Our Lord Jesus Christ is listening. He is biding His time – waiting for us to come to Him with our trepidations, failures, and hopes for a better tomorrow. For now, we have this option, but some day it will be too late. We mustn't toy with this reality.

How blessed are we to be Catholic! Everything we need is at our disposal. All we need to do is repent,

confess, adore, and receive. What a wonderful gift we have been given! The only caveat is that no one will (or can) do it for us. There will be no substitutions or pinch hitters. When tumult hits our world and our souls are in turmoil, all we have to do is make sure we're not running on fumes – doing the bare minimum. Let’s not allow our inner Scarlet O’Hara to put off for tomorrow what needs to be done today. Tomorrow may be too late and this isn't a game we can afford to lose. Let’s use the Sacraments. Jesus is waiting in the confessional to hear the repentance of our sins and offer forgiveness. He waits in the Eucharist for us to spend time with and to consume Him - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Face it; we need to fuel up our souls by worthily receiving the Eucharist often – not running on fumes. If we run on empty, the evils prowling the world seeking souls to ruin will have easy prey. Let’s fuel up our souls and make it all the way Home!