Ok *gulp* here goes...

Hello! This is my first posting for Little Dorrit's Diary! I am pretty excited to be a contributor although I will admit I am not fond of people reading what I write...Yes, I was one of those people in college that never, ever, ever let anyone read my papers before or after they were handed in or graded. So here it goes...My first musing of 2011. Enjoy!

Truth, Conversion, Death, Life

As a melancholic I have decided that it would be appropriate to write my first post on this blog about death. Of course it has nothing to do with the fact that I just attended a beautiful funeral this week (yes, beautiful can describe a funeral). Don’t worry, this post is not going to be a depressing one; on the contrary, death gives way to new life when you spend your entire life in pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. And this is exactly what Dr. Warren Carroll did. He gave every ounce of his being and every moment of his life in pursuit of Truth. In an age of chaos, confusion, and cultural upheaval (i.e. the 20^th century) this man was as optimistic as they come. Anyone who was privileged to have known him, either in person or through his writings knew exactly why; because “Truth exists. The Incarnation happened!”

Truth and Conversion

Sometimes I wonder whether, if I had not been born into a Catholic family, I would have been brave enough to seek the Truth. Would I have stared it in the face and asked, “Quid est veritas?” or would I have recognized Truth and followed with all my heart? Shortly after his marriage, Dr. Carroll came into the Church because he sought the Truth in its fullness. He saw the face of Christ in the Eucharist and declared with every action of his life that Christ IS Truth. Truth is alive in the world and, as creatures of God, we are made to glorify Him and participate in the Beatific Vision. This is what we are created for. So even though in 1968 when the world was still being torn apart by communism, atheism, and the sexual revolution, Dr. Carroll came home to the Church and to the Truth. The world is indeed a dark place. But there is no darkness that can extinguish the Light of Truth. If we want Truth badly enough we’ll find it no matter how hopeless the world may seem to be.

Death and Life

Several months ago I was teaching my Fourth Grade class about Original Sin and its consequences. Man, I told them, was not originally supposed to die. In fact, death is a very unnatural thing. I was chuckling to myself as I looked out at the 24 pair of eyes staring at me in complete disbelief. “Wait a second”, they say, “Everybody says that death is natural, a part of life, everyone has to go through it.” Yes, that’s true in a certain sense but God didn’t intend for our lives to end. The Baltimore Catechism tells us that, “He created us to know, love and serve Him and to happy with Him in Heaven.” I don’t see the words, “And die and go to heaven.” Nope. Death is a result of sin. It is something that signifies decay and an end of life. Thank you Adam and Eve. However, there is twist in the story. Enter Christ and His redemptive mission. God’s love is so strong that there is nothing that can keep it from giving life. Even our sinful behavior and our unfaithfulness to our Creator does not stop God from loving us and giving us another chance at Heaven. Christ sanctified death by submitting Himself willingly to it for our sake. So death instead gives way to a new, eternal life.

Dr. Carroll, as I said already, proved in a myriad of ways, his absolute dedication to the Truth. Wherever he saw problem in the world he found a remedy. American education in the 70s? Yeah, not too many institutions of higher education were paying attention to the truth. Dr. Carroll’s solution: found a Catholic college with a mission to “restore all things in Christ.” Modern history? Hmm, pretty sure “they” are trying to erase redemptive history from the books. Ask any public school kid today what A.D. means and they will stare at you blankly. According to history books today it’s called CE or the Common Era. Dr. Carroll’s solution: write a 5 volume history of Christendom (ahh, yes, Christ is back in the center of history). Of course we are not all called to found a college or write a massive series of books, but imagine what we are capable of if one man can do so much for Christ in a lifetime.

Pope Benedict XVI said in January of 2006 that, “Man’s unique grandeur is ultimately based on his capacity to know the truth…[And truth] cannot be attained without profound consequences for the way we live our lives.” It is often difficult to live a Christian life because the culture around us is so anti-God and anti-Truth. If we want the Truth we are going to have to suffer for it. But even though the world is crumbling around us and things look a tad bleak, God blesses us with heroic men like Dr. Carroll who show us how to concretely live a truly radical Catholic life.