From the Heart of the Shepherd

From the bulletin for The Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (2025 Aug 31)

The Eschatological Adventure, Part 15: “And the Dragon Stood before the Woman, that He might Devour Her”

The lights of her cell flickered for the first time the moment Shalomon Scuritas entered. Were her eyes closed, Jolianna would have been only aware of a sinister presence giving rise to a sensation of fright. But because they were open, this was mingled with a mesmerizing fascination that this man, who according to her catechist had “seduced the whole world,” produced in those who experienced his aura. He had, Jolinanna thought momentarily, something of the aspect of an angel of light. 

Shalomon was well aware of the effect he tended to have on others and smiled smugly as he noted the maiden grappling with the mystery of his presence. “Peace, child,” he started, extending his open palms towards her in his trademark gesture of solicitude, “Do not be afraid.”

A long moment passed between them, with Shalomon standing but two paces from where Jolianna remained on her bed. She had dropped her gaze and was studying once more the pillowcase at her side while her visitor sized up his prey. She was prettier, he noted, than had been hoped, which was most advantageous. But though she was visibly fearful, he did not sense that he himself was the cause of that fear. Annoyed, he grinned his teeth the wider. 

“My apologies for the accommodations," he said, gesturing at the room about him and signaling with a glance his intention to set her at ease. “I myself hardly consider you to be a threat,” he continued, a bit more seriously, “but you know how the public thinks of you Christians these days… This confinement is as much to protect you as those outside…”

Moving quickly towards his purpose, Scuritas said with sudden energy and interest, “I must say, Jolianna, your background fascinates me.” At the sound of her name, the girl raised her eyes and betrayed her surprise. “Oh of course we know all about you. Well, all that can be known from such a distance,” he conceded. “Orphaned at such a tender age, brought up in the household of a veritable princess of this world, and then making that momentous decision to abandon the comfort and security you had enjoyed to run off and join the Catholic intransigents! You could have hardly known at the time, but you were part of that strange wave of Semitic converts all doing the same. Most curious! Jews and Muslims from every corner of the world, all deciding to become Christian at the very moment when the world was to become most hostile towards those marked with the Cross. You were fortunate to make your way to Antarctica when you did…” 

Scuritas was not one to waste words. Now that he had her attention, he shifted from past to the present. “Jolianna,” he said, almost impatiently, “You know why you are here, and why I have come. You know that I have been under tremendous pressure in recent years to enforce the laws mandating the extermination of communities like yours, and of all those who persist in clinging to exclusivist creeds. In part for clemency’s sake, I have resisted. But also because I believe that even you Christians have something to offer the world. Oh, I’ve been well aware of where you all were hiding. But I have been content to turn a blind eye to your noncooperation, not because I think you people will ever change, but because I think it would be a shame for the world to lose something of its credal diversity. Nevertheless, I speak to you today as he who has power to release you and power to destroy you.

Scuritas waited to see what effect this had on the girl, but seeing none, he continued: “Oh, I have no desire to harm you, trust me. But, alas, ‘I am under obligation to both Greeks and to barbarians’…” Here Scuritas trailed off, and then took a step towards Jolianna, dropped to his haunches, and lowered his voice. “Jolianna,” he almost whispered, “you have heard it from your Holy Father himself about the historic event that is about to take place. Believe me, I know I am no god. I am merely human, like yourself. But it seems it is my destiny to remind humans, like yourself, that we are gods. At least, that we can become like gods. Even your own religion speaks of divinization. All world religions do, in their own way. I think my gift is to see that we really all want the same thing, that we are all speaking about the same thing, just with different words. I am here to harmonize man’s divergent strivings for divinity. To help us all work together for that end. 

“At the ceremony next week, representatives from all the world’s religions will appoint me to be their common leader. And your church—those who have authority in your church, that is–will do the same. It would be of great significance to me—to all the world–for you to be there, participating in that great symbolic act. Mind you: I am not asking you to renounce your belief in Christ, much less declare me to be your god. Merely to recognize me as the image and vicar of your Christ on earth, as the Cardinals will elect me to be, according to all the formalities of your church’s rituals. All that is required of you—and the many Christians who have already agreed to what your current Holy father is requesting—is a mere obsequience: to kneel before me and kiss the fisherman’s ring, and call me ‘Father,’ etc. To see and adore Christ in me. And with that, the persecution of your people will end. There will be peace. And you, who have known so much evil, will begin to know good as well. What do you say? Can I count on you? Can your church count on you?”

Scuritas looked on imploringly. Behind him, on the viewscreen, the likenesses of various members of Jolianna’s parish appeared, standing with the Holy Father and gesturing to their sister that she should join them in responding affirmatively. Jolianna was overwhelmed. It all seemed so wrong, and yet she could not put her finger on why. The words of the last sermon she had heard were warring with those of the Holy Father, and the wordless intuition that her freedom only went so far under the circumstances. What was her duty here? What shall I do, Lord? She looked inward for light, but none was to be found. At long last, if only to free herself from the oppressive fascination of his presence, she managed to speak: “If the true Holy Father commands it… if there is no sin in it… if it shall please my Lord Jesus… I will do as you say.”

From the Heart of the Shepherd: The Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time