Government of California photo
What you are looking at is dangerous. It is something akin to the slugs that populate our yards at different times of the year. This is a nudibranchia snail. It is a snail without a shell. It is poison because of some of its victim's innards and because it will eat alive whatever swallows it. But, as some would say, it is beautifully colored. There are many different varieties of these sea creatures.
Once swallowed and brought into another creatures body, it begins to each, to slowly devour the creature that swallowed it.
So what's the purpose here for us today? Are there weaknesses in our lives that have taken over our spirits; taken over our freedom? Are there immoralities that eventually do us in?
Today's gospel story about the rich man who "dined sumptuously each day" while others around him were starving, is story about weaknesses taking over ... gluttony! This story also reminds this blogger of the way a major immorality of our times truly consumes the lives of its users: pornography. It is very much like the nudibranchia snail. Once it takes a part of a person's life, once it becomes an addiction, a person's life is ruined. A very good friend was "caught" in his workplace viewing porn. After some investigation of the "office computer," his employer discovered his habit, his addiction. Because of the nature of his employment, his contract was terminated. His family was devastated. Fortunately his wife was a much more noble than himself and helped him secure the help he needed.
If we look into our own lives, we should take time to guarantee ourselves that we are not providing some nudibranchia snail a comfortable residence. There are more than a few "bad habits" we might
look at to determine if they or any one is eating us alive.
Moral of the story: watch carefully what you let take up residence in your heart!
