The Next Best Thing
There is a lot of guilt associated with growing up Catholic, and nothing makes it flare up faster than the festering love and happiness that spreads throughout the holiday season. Around November 20, I become very conscious of God. I become very conscious of Him being conscious of me, and not just at church, but when I’m eating, shopping, or showering. I become very aware of His judging me, and the fact that if I ever want to check into that Four Seasons in the sky, I need forgiveness for some things and help with others. Now, I know they say He’s omnipotent, but face it, the only guy busier than Santa Claus this time of year is the big Yahweh himself, making it snow, performing Christmas miracles… you try planning a surprise birthday party for Jesus. It’s not easy to pull the wool over that guy’s eyes. Luckily, El Shaddai is not the only guy in the sky you can appeal to. There are troves of saints, each an expert in his or her own field, just sitting on clouds waiting to help you with your problems. Praying to God is great and all, but why visit the general practitioner when you need a podiatrist, catch my drift? Learn to make the saints work for you.