29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deacon Robert Banet
Yo Oscar. I see you are interested in Greek philosophy.
Yes, I’m reading Plato’s allegory of the cave.
Oh? Tell me about it.
Men are imprisoned in a cave and are watching images projected on the cave wall. A walkway behind them provides the shadows with their picture show. A fire behind the walkway casts the figures.
What’s the idea?
The idea is that the prisoners think they are seeing real people, real houses. So, one day a prisoner escapes, sees the real world of color and real men and real houses. He rushes back in and tells the others about the real world.
What happens then? Do they all rush out now that they are enlightened?
Not a bit of it. They think he’s crazy!
You know, that’s like a saint finding out out what the real reality is. I mean the real truth about God and heaven and hell and salvation. He rushes back into the cave and tells the others the truth.
And what do they do?
They think he’s crazy.
Just like the guys in the cave.
May God grant us the grace to see the truth of God’s love and act on it. May He get us out of the cave!
Amen. Glory to God!