Sweet Honey & A Sour Stomach
theophilus November 21st, 2008
The Book of Revelations always freaks me out. I quite frankly can’t figure out how St. John didn’t go all loco after envisioning and writing about it.
But he did envision it and he did write about what he saw. And there is much for us to learn about what God chose to tell him.
This week’s first readings at Mass have progressed through Revelations. Today, it was Revelations 10. In it, St. John tells us about an angel who tells him to take the scroll and eat it. He promises that it would taste “sweet as honey” but warns that it would turn his “stomach sour.”
St. John obeys in his vision and, sure enough, the scroll does taste sweet as honey and does turn his stomach sour.
How much of our present day culture is the same way? There is much in our culture which feels great when we are experiencing it but leaves a destructive impact in its wake.
Want to have sex with whomever and wherever you want? Want to look at porn all night? Want to abuse alcohol and use drugs? Want to overindulge on fats and sweets? Want to smoke? Want to put down the remote when you should be changing the station, or reading something when you should be turning the page, or sticking around on a conversation when you should be walking away?
Want to leave your wife and family because it’s just too tough or too restrictive? Want to take care of that “little” inconvenience growing in your body? Want to take care of that “old” inconvenience taking up your guest room? Want to change the subject when you should be standing up for your faith in conversation with others? Want to feel like your king of the world by using and dominating others? Want to buy that new “gotta-have” when you don’t have the money? Want to work those extra hours even though you should be at home?
There are so many instances in our every day lives when we are tempted to “eat the scroll.” The scroll consists of all of those things in our lives that may appear pleasurable and harmless, but are in reality destructive to our souls, our relationship with others, and our covenant with God.
Our culture is so toxic and so destructive that we are at a point when we just have to decide to put aside the scroll and embrace the way Christ has set forth for us. Heck, we’ve veered so far off of the path that most of us don’t even realize the sour feeling in our stomach after eating the scroll, when we give in to our passions and desires. Our culture is destroying our bodies, our relationships, and our eternal lives; and all we can think about is the fleeting, sweet taste remaining on our tongues and wondering when we will taste such sweetness again.
So what’s the answer?
Today’s Gospel Acclamation proclaims “[t]he sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them and they follow me.” Today’s Gospel (about Christ clearing the temple) tells us that “all the people were hanging on his words.”
And maybe that’s the answer. We must hear his voice and follow him. We must hang on his every word. If we are listening to him, following him, giving our full attention to him, we will not be tempted by the scroll. We will let it pass us on by without a moment’s hesitation. The temptation will come and go. We will look on the memories of our past lives with regret instead of longing; never to repeat the sins of our past again.
And we will not have to deal with the destruction of so many bad choices.
We’ve been handed the scroll time and again, and we have devoured it. We must now reject the scroll for something better; for the bread and wine; for the body and blood of Christ. It is then when we will truly experience the exquisite sweetness that God wants to give us each and every day of our lives.
