Like clockwork, every year in the spring we develop an ant
problem in our kitchen. We never know if
they are going to be tiny little ants, or big black ones, but either way, they
are not welcome. (I should preface all
this by saying that I have an aversion to big crawly things. When they pursue me in the basement as I sit
comfortably watching TV, they quickly learn what it feels like to be swept up
in a tornado via my vacuum.)
Anyway, this year we had the big black ants. They made a straight line from one corner of
our kitchen to the other. Mindlessly
following each other, their little path led them to the sweet poison that we
put out so that they would gorge themselves and take it back to their nest and
die. Occasionally one would get a little
off track, but mostly they were like little soldiers, walking in lockstep.
I know this all sounds ever so tragic, but there is a happy
ending, unless you are an ant, of course.
I decided to outsmart them.
I moved the wastebasket that was their original foodie destination
across the kitchen. It took them about
five minutes to find it. So, out to the
garage the wastebasket went (a great inconvenience to us, I might add.)
Fortunately, when we returned from vacation, our problem was
solved! (See, happy ending for us!) But then the other day one lone ant was
found traversing our family room carpet.
I decided to name him Jerry, but honestly, Jerry did not live long
enough to enjoy his new identity--thanks to my husband.
All this stuff about ants makes me thing about all of the
criticisms people level against members of the Church. We are told that we leave our brains at the
door; that we mindlessly follow the Pope, etc., etc. Nothing could be further from the truth.
You see, we believe that as the Vicar (representative) of
Christ on earth, the Pope is a holy man, but as a human, he himself is not free
from sin (that’s why he goes to confession.)
If a Pope were to make an *infallible statement that requires our assent, there are
certain protocols that must be followed in his doing so.
It is good for people of faith to question things. It is how we learn. It does not imply unfaithfulness, but reflects
the genuine human struggle to understand and follow the truth.
Unlike those ants in my kitchen, marching mindlessly to their death, we hope to be journeying wholeheartedly to heaven!
If you are one of those people that like to dig deep into
things, maybe you will like this article, which is quite clarifying in regards
to papal infallibility:
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Have a blessed day!
Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.com
*An infallible statement is a definitive statement of doctrine on faith and morals.
Two such formal statements have been made throughout the Church's
history--both about Mary, the Mother of Jesus. They reflect long-held
beliefs in the Church.
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