/lit/ - Literature

The most interesting thing for me about the Bible is its apparent contradictions, especially in justice vs mercy. This is explored most piercingly in Jonah - Jonah is the only prophet that Christ actually compares himself to, by the way.

On the one hand we're supposed to be "perfect" and "exceed the pharisees" in righteousness. On the other hand, it seems like God doesn't distribute his grace evenly (30fold vs 100fold, 5 talents vs 10 talents), and we have to ask for mercy every day. There's also the experience of being in the church and seeing how flawed Christians are (it's easy to see other people's faults after all).

If I try to reconcile these two strains in my own mind it can go one of two dangerous directions:
1.) You're doomed, you'll never live up to these standards, you might as well do whatever :)
Or
2.) God is so good your little sins (gossiping or eating too much or whatever) aren't a big deal, so don't worry about them :)

Jesus told people to give away all their wealth. How many people actually do that? The Dominicans in my town who take vows of "poverty" probably live a better life than any working-class person... I don't mean to be cynical.

But there's always something more I could be doing. We all love ourselves, and virtually all of us draw a line somewhere and take some things for our own comfort. For instance, I live alone and spend extra money for the rent. Should I move in with roommates and give the money saved to charity? Or is that a temptation to overextend - I'd be miserable living that way and end up worse?

Peter said, "How can any man be saved?"

"With man it is impossible but with God all things are possible."

The more I try to fit God into my own mind, the further away from him I get. I am a Catholic but the older I am the more I understand how we really are saved by grace alone. Therese of Lisieux said when we die we go to God with empty hands.

It seems like anything that I say about God, even if only to myself, can be dangerous. That's why the Bible is so special. It's the voice of God. When you read the Bible, you're not in your own mind. It's the only way to be sure you're not creating an idol, even if the experience is sort of like leaping into an abyss.

If you read Therese's autobiography, she seems very spoiled. But she was willing to empty herself and willing to suffer, and she died choking to death on her own blood thanking God for the privilege.

>>18679419
>All this drama about Catholicism makes it seem like the Protagonist of religion

We have not one but THREE different religions and factions that openly hate our guts. The Orthodox seethe about us constantly even though we never think about them at all. The Muslims have tons of prayers about how it's their destiny to some day conquer Rome. Modern Jewish sabbaths are explicitly anti-Catholic. Everybody wants to come at the king. All the communists hate us too, at least the ones that don't live in self-denial by calling themselves LetfCaths.

Leave Nietzsche to me.

Story of a Soul was very good ( except for Manuscript A), and I'm reading her Last Conversations right now. Any other recommended /Lit/tle Flower material?