PARADOXICAL

Fr. Steve Tynan, in today's Companion, notes how God saves people who choose to convert at the end of their life, but won't save upright people who rebel in the end. This observation makes me sad; what a tragedy, what a total waste for the end-stage rebel, the late bloomer rebel. How unfair! He could've made his entire life a life of total rebellion if that's the case. But God has His reasons; He is no doubt always fair. It's just that it's far more logical to me to find that a soul is always given a last chance, even after death, to decide which side he is on, that, at the end of one's travel, he'll face the ultimate angel-versus-devil squareoff, and that his choice won't be dictated by circumstances but his own personal once-and-for-all decision on whether he wants to be saved or not. Then again, if you think about it, the very existence of this ultimate squareoff also does not depend much on whether you've been upright all your life or not; the thing is it is supposed to come inevitably.

But Fr. Tynan's observation is totally Biblical, after all. Here's the 'offending' passage:

Friday of the First Week of Lent


Psalm: Friday 7

Reading 1
Ez 18:21-28

Thus says the Lord GOD:
If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed,
if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him;
he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced.
Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked?
says the Lord GOD.
Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way
that he may live?

And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil,
the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does,
can he do this and still live?
None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered,
because he has broken faith and committed sin;
because of this, he shall die.
You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!”
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if the wicked, turning from the wickedness he has committed,
does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.

posted by Resty Odon  # 7:29 PM