October 12, 2013

The Road of Iniquity

As a sort of token effort at interior consent to my new life in Italy I have been making my slow way through Manzoni's The Betrothed. I read some in English (trans. Bruce Penman, Penguin Classics, 1972) and then if I feel up to it I go back and try to read the section again in Italian.

About half done after a year, I came across this wonderful description of how it feels to be a sinner:
Our manuscript remarks here that the road of iniquity is indeed wide, but that does not mean that it is a comfortable road to travel; it has its stumbling blocks and its difficult stretches; it is a painful road and a tiring one, although it goes downhill. (337)

2 comments:

Louis M said...

Exactly!

Unknown said...

When it comes to roads that lead to iniquity, we need to erect as many road blocks as we can possibly construct. And if we cannot construct them ourselves, we need to seek out someone who can. We can surely ask the Lord Himself if He will put up road blocks because we are so weak and frail and sometimes do not know which materials to use. The Creator of all knows what is most appropriate for each type of sin. How many times do we say, "...and lead us not into temptation." I am sure that the Good Lord would never lead us into temptation, but there are many times that we need Him to lead us away from temptations and occasions of sin. He tells us that if we ask anything in His name, it will be given to us. This is certainly in according to His will because He has also told us that "...this is the will of God--your sanctification." And so we pray, "lead this poor, weak miserable servant of yours away from temptation and away from every occasion of sin and into the paths of righteousness and holiness. Make us saints, O Lord. Make us reflections of Your own Divine Holiness. As said in that silent prayer recited by every priest when he pours the water into the wine of sacrifice, "By the mingling of this water and wine, may we come to share in the Divinity of Christ Who humbled Himself to share in our humanity." In the Eucharist we will find strength to become those divinized people requested in the prayer of the Eucharistic Liturgy. Let us knock loudly and long at this door. Surely He will open it and let us in.