I'm All Right, Jack

My favourite prayer is the Salve Regina, “Hail Holy Queen,” not least because of its line “to you do we cry out, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.” A priest of my acquaintance actually objected to this line. He, like so many supposed Christians, was of the “happy happy joy joy” school of Christianity. “This world is not a valley of tears,” he scoffed.

But I say, anyone who is at home and comfortable in this world is not of the kingdom.

Matthew 5:4:

Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.

Luke 6: 25: 

Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

Ecclesiastes 1:14:

 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Matthew 6:19-21:

 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

1 John 2:15:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them

So there’s that.

Anyone of good heart must see the injustices of the world. Anyone who is nevertheless happy with things as they are is saying “I’m all right, Jack.” 

The world is a battle between good and evil. Anyone who does not see this is on the wrong side.