Post by Rick Majors on Jun 4, 2018 19:29:31 GMT -5
"Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips."
"Forgive me father, for I have sinned."
The door slides open on the wall of the confessional. Gabriel can faintly see the outline of the priest sitting on the other side.
"How long has it been since your last confession, my child?"
"A long time... longer than I can remember" replies Gabriel. It has been a long time. He hasn't been to confession since... he isn't even certain. In fact, Gabriel has never been. But Rick Majors last confessed..... numerous head injuries, drunken stupors, and bouts of insanity have clouded his memory.
"What are you here to confess?"
Gabriel takes a deep breath. He hesitates.
"It is alright, my child. You are with the Lord. Be honest and your sins will be cleansed."
Gabriel sighs and the finally speaks.
“I have started to lose faith in the Lord.”
The priest pauses for a moment and then replies.
“This is very serious. My child, what makes you feel this way?”
“I once had a connection to the Lord. He saved me. He showed me the righteous path. He gave me strength and courage and hope. But now… now when I speak to Him, He often does not answer. And when He does, I doubt the sincerity of His words.”
The priest pauses again before replying.
“Do you speak with the Lord often?”
“I did. But now less often than before. I am starting to worry that He isn’t really there for me. I am starting to worry that He does not care about me.”
“My child,” the priest replies. “The Lord loves each and every one of us. He cares for all of humanity. He will show you the way if you welcome him into your life.”
“But I did, father. I more than welcomed Him. I did everything He asked me to do. And, yes, I made some mistakes, but I followed His orders as best I could.”
The priest is silent for a moment before continuing to speak.
“His orders? What orders did the Lord ask of you?”
“He told me to eliminate the nonbelievers. He told me to make an example of them. He told me to destroy those who questioned His status as the Lord Almighty.”
“My child… tell me... what have you done?”
“I have failed Him, father. I have failed the Lord. And now He does not speak to me. And I am worried. I am worried that I have lost Him. I am worried that He no longer cares for me. And I am scared that I ever questioned him.”
“My child. The Lord loves everyone who opens their heart and their soul to Him. The Lord loves anyone who follows his message. And the Lord does not ask you to do the things you have described.”
Gabriel is silent.
“Let me ask you,” the priest says. “Are you a Catholic?”
This is a tough question for Gabriel. Rick Majors was a Catholic. Well, technically. He was raised Catholic and he went to church on Christmas and Easter. Sometimes. But Gabriel? No, Gabriel is a follower of Seromine. Gabriel knows that God cannot be found inside of a church, but that His words flow through Seromine. And yet, when Gabriel found himself lost and searching for answers… he went to a Catholic church. Why?
“I… I used to be,” Gabriel replies after a long pause.
“No matter what has happened,” the priest responds. “Know that you can always find yourself forgiven and welcomed by God. I am here to help facilitate that.”
Gabriel is silent.
“Shall we pray?” the priest asks.
“Yes father,” Gabriel replies. “I would like that.”
“Let us pray with confidence to the Father in the words our Savior gave us and ask our Father to forgive our sins and to bring us to forgive those who sin against us.”
“Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.”
There is a silence following the prayer that Gabriel breaks.
“O my God, I am heartily sorry
for having offended you,
and I detest all my sins
because of your just punishment,
but most of all because they offend you, my God,
Who are all good and deserving of my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace,
to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.”
Now it is the priest’s turn to pause for a moment before he speaks.
“God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and resurrection of his Son,
has reconciled the world to himself,
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins.
Through the ministry of the Church,
may God grant you pardon and peace.
And I absolve you of your sins,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
“Thank you, father” says Gabriel.
“Thank you,” replies the priest. “May peace be with you.”
“Peace be with you,” Gabriel replies before standing up and walking away.
Outside the church, Gabriel realizes that there are tears in his eyes. He is unsure why. What has he done tonight? He entered a Catholic church and confessed to a priest, despite the fact that Seromine explicitly told him to ignore all false prophets and to only trust in His words. Seromine told him all about those who would fill his head with lies and make him question everything that the Lord had taught him. Seromine knew that Gabriel was not emotionally strong enough to deal with such situations and, of course, he was right.
Why did he do this? Why did he sit down and bare his soul to a heathen who would deny that Seromine is the Lord? And why was he evasive when discussing his close connection with the Lord? As His messenger, Gabriel should be shouting Seromine’s praises from the rooftops, not hiding them. And he should not be seeking the validation of some priest. As always, he should be looking to Seromine for guidance.
She did this to him. Dammit, Kelly was still in his head.
He shouldn’t have gone here tonight. He shouldn’t be out here at all. But he can chalk this up to a mistake. It was a moment of weakness. Seromine has told me often that mere mortals like Gabriel are weak and prone to missteps. Gabriel is only human.
What Gabriel knew for certainly is that his mind was not in the right place. Not only should he not be at this church, but his very thoughts are wrong. He should not be concerned with whether he should engage in combat with Seromine or if he should step aside. That wasn’t his decision. The Lord would know what to do. The Lord would, as always, place him on the right path.
And that path was headed directly toward Dominator or Grimm. The details didn’t matter, what truly mattered is that, at Living a Legacy, the Lord would once again be victorious. Hopefully Dominator and Grimm kill one another in their match because, if they don’t, they will have to battle the Almighty. And that will not end well for them.
It’s disgusting how Grimm and Dominator are considered two of the most feared competitors in wrestling. Yes, they are big and strong. Yes, they are tough. And, yes, they have won many, many matches. But, like Gabriel, they are mere mortals. The Lord is greater than them. And, at Living a Legacy, He will prove this once again.
Gabriel was certain that it would be Seromine who would face one of those brutes in the final, but the small possibility existed that it would be Gabriel himself. And so, he needed to rest. He needed to focus. And he needed to train. Because, despite being sickening heathens, both of those potential opponents have a history of hurting people. Though, to be fair, when the moment is just right, so does Gabriel…
"Forgive me father, for I have sinned."
The door slides open on the wall of the confessional. Gabriel can faintly see the outline of the priest sitting on the other side.
"How long has it been since your last confession, my child?"
"A long time... longer than I can remember" replies Gabriel. It has been a long time. He hasn't been to confession since... he isn't even certain. In fact, Gabriel has never been. But Rick Majors last confessed..... numerous head injuries, drunken stupors, and bouts of insanity have clouded his memory.
"What are you here to confess?"
Gabriel takes a deep breath. He hesitates.
"It is alright, my child. You are with the Lord. Be honest and your sins will be cleansed."
Gabriel sighs and the finally speaks.
“I have started to lose faith in the Lord.”
The priest pauses for a moment and then replies.
“This is very serious. My child, what makes you feel this way?”
“I once had a connection to the Lord. He saved me. He showed me the righteous path. He gave me strength and courage and hope. But now… now when I speak to Him, He often does not answer. And when He does, I doubt the sincerity of His words.”
The priest pauses again before replying.
“Do you speak with the Lord often?”
“I did. But now less often than before. I am starting to worry that He isn’t really there for me. I am starting to worry that He does not care about me.”
“My child,” the priest replies. “The Lord loves each and every one of us. He cares for all of humanity. He will show you the way if you welcome him into your life.”
“But I did, father. I more than welcomed Him. I did everything He asked me to do. And, yes, I made some mistakes, but I followed His orders as best I could.”
The priest is silent for a moment before continuing to speak.
“His orders? What orders did the Lord ask of you?”
“He told me to eliminate the nonbelievers. He told me to make an example of them. He told me to destroy those who questioned His status as the Lord Almighty.”
“My child… tell me... what have you done?”
“I have failed Him, father. I have failed the Lord. And now He does not speak to me. And I am worried. I am worried that I have lost Him. I am worried that He no longer cares for me. And I am scared that I ever questioned him.”
“My child. The Lord loves everyone who opens their heart and their soul to Him. The Lord loves anyone who follows his message. And the Lord does not ask you to do the things you have described.”
Gabriel is silent.
“Let me ask you,” the priest says. “Are you a Catholic?”
This is a tough question for Gabriel. Rick Majors was a Catholic. Well, technically. He was raised Catholic and he went to church on Christmas and Easter. Sometimes. But Gabriel? No, Gabriel is a follower of Seromine. Gabriel knows that God cannot be found inside of a church, but that His words flow through Seromine. And yet, when Gabriel found himself lost and searching for answers… he went to a Catholic church. Why?
“I… I used to be,” Gabriel replies after a long pause.
“No matter what has happened,” the priest responds. “Know that you can always find yourself forgiven and welcomed by God. I am here to help facilitate that.”
Gabriel is silent.
“Shall we pray?” the priest asks.
“Yes father,” Gabriel replies. “I would like that.”
“Let us pray with confidence to the Father in the words our Savior gave us and ask our Father to forgive our sins and to bring us to forgive those who sin against us.”
“Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.”
There is a silence following the prayer that Gabriel breaks.
“O my God, I am heartily sorry
for having offended you,
and I detest all my sins
because of your just punishment,
but most of all because they offend you, my God,
Who are all good and deserving of my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace,
to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.”
Now it is the priest’s turn to pause for a moment before he speaks.
“God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and resurrection of his Son,
has reconciled the world to himself,
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins.
Through the ministry of the Church,
may God grant you pardon and peace.
And I absolve you of your sins,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
“Thank you, father” says Gabriel.
“Thank you,” replies the priest. “May peace be with you.”
“Peace be with you,” Gabriel replies before standing up and walking away.
Outside the church, Gabriel realizes that there are tears in his eyes. He is unsure why. What has he done tonight? He entered a Catholic church and confessed to a priest, despite the fact that Seromine explicitly told him to ignore all false prophets and to only trust in His words. Seromine told him all about those who would fill his head with lies and make him question everything that the Lord had taught him. Seromine knew that Gabriel was not emotionally strong enough to deal with such situations and, of course, he was right.
Why did he do this? Why did he sit down and bare his soul to a heathen who would deny that Seromine is the Lord? And why was he evasive when discussing his close connection with the Lord? As His messenger, Gabriel should be shouting Seromine’s praises from the rooftops, not hiding them. And he should not be seeking the validation of some priest. As always, he should be looking to Seromine for guidance.
She did this to him. Dammit, Kelly was still in his head.
He shouldn’t have gone here tonight. He shouldn’t be out here at all. But he can chalk this up to a mistake. It was a moment of weakness. Seromine has told me often that mere mortals like Gabriel are weak and prone to missteps. Gabriel is only human.
What Gabriel knew for certainly is that his mind was not in the right place. Not only should he not be at this church, but his very thoughts are wrong. He should not be concerned with whether he should engage in combat with Seromine or if he should step aside. That wasn’t his decision. The Lord would know what to do. The Lord would, as always, place him on the right path.
And that path was headed directly toward Dominator or Grimm. The details didn’t matter, what truly mattered is that, at Living a Legacy, the Lord would once again be victorious. Hopefully Dominator and Grimm kill one another in their match because, if they don’t, they will have to battle the Almighty. And that will not end well for them.
It’s disgusting how Grimm and Dominator are considered two of the most feared competitors in wrestling. Yes, they are big and strong. Yes, they are tough. And, yes, they have won many, many matches. But, like Gabriel, they are mere mortals. The Lord is greater than them. And, at Living a Legacy, He will prove this once again.
Gabriel was certain that it would be Seromine who would face one of those brutes in the final, but the small possibility existed that it would be Gabriel himself. And so, he needed to rest. He needed to focus. And he needed to train. Because, despite being sickening heathens, both of those potential opponents have a history of hurting people. Though, to be fair, when the moment is just right, so does Gabriel…
