Time

Passes constantly, an invisible friend and enemy at the same time, unmerciful companion of our life, unjust dispenser of seconds and years. When we are children, we long to be grown up. When we are older, we look back and are sad that the youth is gone forever.
When did all those years go? It was only yesterday when... Well, everybody understands that.

There was a terrible, terrible accident this last winter. Somebody very young died tragically. The family was left without explanation, with guilt, with everlasting grief, with an impossible task to put things right. This young person would be 15 today.
What do you do to give comfort, to help? What can you do? How can you do it?

The fact is - there is nothing you can do for this young person.
I know that, Bible-believing Christians know that. Catholics do not know that.
They pray for the dead, they light candles, they pay for masses, and, strangely enough, even the lip-believers do that (those who do not care most of the time).
But coming to death, they tend to employ every possible measure to buy some kind of salvation. When you talk to them under some rather more normal circumstances, they do not want to talk about God at all, claiming that they really do not believe all that stuff. In somewhat more usual situations they would 'cross fingers', but on an occasion like this they suddenly pray. Imagine that.

I feel really sorry for the family of this young person. And I understand where all this devotion to traditions is coming from - because I lived it for many years and saw nothing wrong with it. Nobody showed me that it was wrong. The 'shepherds' confirmed the practices, took part in them, condoned them wholeheartedly. I think those minor priests are being deceived the same way the flock members are. (But this is not the topic of this post - somehow I got to another division :)

Solely thanks to the Grace of God I know better now.

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen. (2Pe 3:18)