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{"id":43121,"date":"2013-02-14T02:51:14","date_gmt":"2013-02-14T02:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theanchoress\/?p=43121"},"modified":"2017-03-02T21:03:34","modified_gmt":"2017-03-02T21:03:34","slug":"political-narratives-or-the-pope-dross-to-gold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theanchoress\/2013\/02\/14\/political-narratives-or-the-pope-dross-to-gold\/","title":{"rendered":"Political Narratives or the Pope? Dross to Gold."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

Immersion in Benedict resignation news,<\/strong> I find the worldly political stories to be stale theater in comparison to the richness of the words I am reading and the authenticity of the pope and the faithful as they meet. Dross to genuine gold.<\/p>\n

In what is likely his last public homily<\/a>, Benedict today said: \u201che reward of the righteous is God Himself, to be united to Him, here, on a journey of faith, and at the end of life, in the peace light of coming face to face with Him forever.\u201d Part of me is sincerely hoping that by the time this story has resolved, I will never look toward the worldly arena again, or allow myself to be captivated-unto-distraction, and therefore diminished, by the continual noise of illusionists and their assistants, all vying for the money, power and influence that are themselves ephemeral and empty and completely irrelevant to their worth; used by the evil one to disorient the world.<\/p>\n

When, in a world full of urgent issues, a sip of water<\/a> becomes the nonstop topic of an entire new cycle, then willful distraction is at work. And, sadly, working.<\/p>\n

Reality is within Christ and his church, the faithful. I pray I never forget it again.<\/strong><\/p>\n

H\/T to Tom for the image<\/a>. I like it because Benedict\u2019s face is nearly obliterated. He elevates Christ, who is our focus, and he is focused on Him as well. The man, we know, is only the machine. Benedict wants us to look at Jesus only.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"