The happiness of this life is full of snares and miseries caused by the darkness and blindness of the world

October 19, 2021 • 3 min

From The Sinner’s Guide, page 298
By Venerable Louis of Granada

The blindness and darkness which prevail in the world render these snares still more dangerous.

This blindness of worldlings is represented by the Egyptian darkness, which was so thick that it could be felt, and which, during the three days it lasted, prevented every one from leaving the place in which he was or beholding the face of his neighbor. [Exod. x. 21, 22, 23.]

The darkness which reigns in the world is even more palpable. For could there be greater blindness than to believe what we believe and yet live as we are living?

Is it not a blindness equal to madness to pay so much attention to men and to be so wholly regardless of God?

To be so careful in the observance of human laws and so indifferent in the observance of God’s laws?

To labor so earnestly for the body, which is but dust, and to neglect the soul, which is the image of the Divine Majesty?

To amass treasure upon treasure for this life, which may end to-morrow, and to lay up nothing for the life to come, which will endure for all eternity?

To live as if we were never to die, wholly forgetful of the irrevocable sentence which immediately follows death? If his life were never to end the sinner could scarcely act with more unbridled license.

Is it not absolute blindness to sacrifice an eternal kingdom for the momentary gratification of a sinful appetite?

To be so careful of one’s estate and so careless of one’s conscience?

To desire that all we possess should be good except our own life?

The world is so full of such blindness that men seem bewitched. They have eyes, and see not; they have ears, and hear not. They have eyes as keen as those of the eagle in discerning the things of this world; but they are as blind as beetles to the things of eternity.

Like St. Paul, who could see nothing, though his eyes were open, when he was thrown to the ground on his way to Damascus, their eyes are open to this life, but utterly blind to the life to come.

In the midst of such darkness and so many snares what can worldlings expect but to stumble and fall? This is one of the greatest miseries of life, one that should inspire us with strong aversion for the world.