Wilde & Greene
It's interesting to me is how the writers Oscar Wilde and Graham Greene had the opportunity to meet God personally. Well almost: they had the opportunity to meet his sacraments, Cardinal Newman and Padre Pio respectively. What an opportunity! "No thanks" the writers said. They had the opportunity to meet those who most closely resembled God and yet declined. They likely feared what Pio & Newman (i.e. God) would ask of them. It's not an unwarranted fear given that Greene & Wilde, unlike the apostles, were well aware of the fact of the cross.
The apostles were asked to give up their occupations and homes and apparently did so without blinking an eye. Surely this was a miraculous, a predestination on the order of St. Paul. "Follow me," Jesus said, and they did without thinking. Even at the time of the crucifixion I don't recall Jesus mandating his apostles be there. He only requested that they be with Him an hour in the garden. The fact that they didn't remain awake with Him certainly didn't bode well for their chances of sticking by him during His death, although John did. There was perhaps an implicit assumption that they would be there with Him during his death given all that he had done for them. Would Jesus even have to ask that? Wouldn't that be like my wife forcing me I had to remember her birthday? Or being at her side while she's in the hospital?
It's a reasonable assumption. And yet I'm afraid, like Greene & Wilde, of what God may ask even though anyone of "good will" would give back what someone has given them. The gospel, after all, is targeted at "men of good will". Which begs the question of course of how to be in that number.
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