“I’m not bitter about what happened to me as a child, and my mother was instrumental in keeping me from being so. She taught me to be grateful for my life regardless of what that entailed, and that’s directly related to the image of Christ on the cross and the example of sacrifice that he gave us. What she taught me is that the deliverance God offers you from pain is not no pain — it’s that the pain is actually a gift. What’s the option? God doesn’t really give you another choice.”Via The Deacon's Bench.
– Stephen Colbert, Catholic, discussing his father’s death.
That puts me in mind of this:
Your sins are terrible. It is just that you suffer. Your life could be redeemed, but I know you don't believe that. You will not change.
Cardinal Lamberto:The Godfather: Part III (1990)
[grants Michael the Rite of Absolution]
Very counter-culture.