Prophecy Matters Blog

Remember Abe Vigoda's character in "The Godfather"? Sal Tessio was a loyal lieutenant for the Corleone crime family for many years. Until he decided to sell-out Michael, who was taking over his father's role as "godfather."

 Vito told Michael how to recognize the man who would betray him; he would be the fellow who would set-up a meeting between Michael and his rival.

The transformation of Al Pacino's "Michael" is chilling, to say the least, and he traps both his rivals and poor Sal.

 Emerging from the Corleone home for the meeting, Sal is followed to the car by Tom Haden, the Corleone's adopted son and attorney. When met by other goons, Sal turns to Tom, realizing the jig is up. The betrayer has been betrayed. With his sad eyes, Sal asks Tom if he can get him out of his fate, which of course is a gruesome death.

 Tom shakes his head as if to say, Sorry, no.

The Corleone capos escort Sal to a waiting car; no doubt his body was never found.

Why mention this dark film? Simply because Sal Tessio's plea to his old friend seems somehow appropriate — at least to me — of this weekend, when mankind's gruesome condition can meet a different fate and indeed find a way out.

For all the colored eggs and chocolate rabbits, there is still the only important message we can take from Resurrection Sunday; this weekend recalls the sacrifice that Jesus of Nazareth made on the Cross.

As God's highest creation, man nevertheless gropes about in desperation, with his sad eyes, as he looks for a way out of his lost spiritual condition. This lostness unfortunately extends past this life.

But the message of this weekend is that Jesus came to Earth as a human male, went to the Cross as a substitute for us, as God's holiness demands that someone pay the penalty for the sin that man brought into this world. Dying an indescribably brutal death, Jesus was sealed into a rock tomb.

But on the third day, His grave was empty. You probably know the story.

Jesus is no Tom Haden. When we look about with hollow, sad eyes, and those eyes meet His...Jesus doesn't say, no, sorry, I can't help you. Instead, He rescues us as individuals. As the famous convert, Paul, said, if we believe that God sent Jesus in the flesh and raised Him from death, we are no longer hopeless.

This is a mean world. In the film "Solaris," George Clooney's character insists that God came from the minds of men. In real-life, Clooney has lamented the pain of this life and concludes that this is a mean life.

He's correct about that. He's wrong about God.

If you feel like Sal Tessio, or George Clooney — if you are overwhelmed by sadness — call out to Jesus. He will hear you and meet you there. He will not let evil have you.

In this mean life, how marvelous that we can rely on Jesus and are not left to the mercy of Tom Haden.