"Evil when we are in its power is not felt as evil, but as a necessity, or even a duty."
Simone Weil, Gravity and Grace, 1947
"Any nation is bound to perish if deprived of bravery, if it pretends that everything is good when it is not, and if it is satisfied with half-truths. Every day we must be aware that when we are demanding truth from others we must live in truth ourselves, demanding justice we must be just, demanding bravery we must be brave."
Jerzy Popiełuszko, Martyred, Poland, 19 October 1984
“We became aware someone among us in this spiritual dark night of the soul was raising the standard of love on high. Someone unknown, like everyone else, tortured and bereft of name and social standing, went to a horrible death for the sake of someone not even related to him. Therefore it is not true, we cried, that humanity is cast down and trampled in the mud, overcome by oppressors, and overwhelmed by hopelessness.
Thousands of prisoners were convinced the true world continued to exist and that our torturers would not be able to destroy it. To say that Father Kolbe died for one of us or for that person’s family is too great a simplification. His death was the salvation of thousands. That’s how we felt about it. That was a shock full of optimism, regenerating and giving strength; we were stunned by his act, which became a mighty explosion of light in the dark camp.”
Jerzy Bielecki, fellow prisoner at Auschwitz, A Man for Others, 1982
"It is very easy to get drunk with hate. Hate is like the glass of whisky which is given to the soldiers before a bayonet charge. Whisky stimulates but does not nourish. Hate is not creative, only love is creative. These sufferings will not cause us to crumble but will help us, more and more, to become stronger. They are necessary — together with the sacrifices of others — so that the ones who come after us may be happy.
The most deadly poison of our times is indifference. The Cross is the school of love.
No one in the world can change Truth. What we can do and and should do is to seek truth and to serve it when we have found it. The real conflict is the inner conflict. Beyond armies of occupation and the catacombs of extermination camps, there are two irreconcilable enemies in the depth of every soul: good and evil, sin and love.
And what use are the victories on the battlefield if we are ourselves are defeated in our innermost personal selves?”
Maximilian Kolbe, Martyr for Love
"Kolbe looked directly and intently into the eyes of those entering the cell. Those eyes of his were always strangely penetrating. The SS men couldn’t stand his glance, and used to yell at him, Schau auf die erde, nicht auf uns! Kolbe was a psychic trauma, a shock for the SS men who had to bear his look, a look that hungered not for bread, but to liberate them from evil."
Bruno Borgowiec, fellow prisoner at Auschwitz
Given the choice between choosing the truth over error, and admitting they were wrong, or doing nothing, most people will do nothing at most, and often become even more vehement and stubborn in their error.
People need the law, guidelines and reminders against straying away from righteousness, or they will just degenerate into a miserable morass of selfishness and disorder and misery.
Stocks wobbled around today, off a much hotter than expected PPI number.
The reversion to the mean is going to be one rough ride. There is a lot of corruption and deception that needs to be discounted and cleansed from the system.
Gold and silver had tough days. There must be a stock option expiration tomorrow.
I unloaded my short term positions on that last spike, the intermediate measuring objective having been met. And just started nibbling back positions in the miners this afternoon.
Slowly. And with strong hedges against a stock plunge,which we may very well see anytime between now and the end of October.
But no matter how difficult the day to day of things may be, we have the light of the saints, of the strong unshakable faith and witness to the truth of people like Maximilian Kolbe.
And this, these gifts of the Spirit, are what gives us the means to remain standing.
They say that you are what you eat.
And you become morally bent and shaped to what you treasure, and by what you read, see, and hear, and say to others.
If you want things to change, first start by changing yourself.
And if you can, ask God to help you see the truth, to see yourself as you are, to see all your sins.
It may not be easy, but it's better to do it now while you can. Sooner rather than later.
Have a pleasant evening.
