Recently, world-renowned climber Alex Honnold made headlines again by free-climbing Taipei 101, one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. For most people, even looking up at such a structure causes vertigo. For Honnold, it became another stage for a breathtaking display of courage, discipline, and skill.
But his achievement also offers a powerful spiritual lesson for our time.
In free solo climbing, the climber ascends massive structures or rock faces without ropes, harnesses, or protective equipment. There is no safety net. No backup plan. One slip, one moment of fatigue, one miscalculation—and death is horrifically instant. Every movement must be perfect. Every grip must hold. The free climber lives, quite literally, seconds away from catastrophe at all times.
Honnold himself has acknowledged this reality. He knows that his life hangs on his fingertips. He accepts the risk. He trains relentlessly. He remains intensely focused because he knows what is at stake.
Spiritually speaking, many Catholics today are living in a similar way—except without realizing it.
The Danger of Presumption
Some Catholics knowingly live in a state of mortal sin while telling themselves, “I’ll go to confession on Saturday” or “I’ll deal with this later.” They continue in serious sin,
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