"It’s over, Satan. We have the high ground."

“It’s over, Anakin. I have the high ground ...”

This iconic line is spoken by Obi-Wan Kenobi to Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). During the climactic duel on the lava riverbank, Anakin’s attempt to “take the high ground” fails. Obi-Wan forces Anakin into the lava river. As Anakin struggles, Obi-Wan delivers a moral rebuke: “You were the Chosen One…" This moment is pivotal in Anakin’s fall to the dark side, and the birth of Darth Vader. Just like Satan's fall ... 

How do we get to high ground?

1. Remove Barriers. Possessing higher ground is critical. We need the biggest picture possible to discern how God is moving in our lives, with laser-clear clarity. Only there—can we work-out-our-salvation in Godly perfection. What about those infernal sick freaks who hijack our inner monologue with God? Humans fall. Get our sorry-selves straight to confession the next day—especially if it grieves God mortally. We broke Dad’s heart. Then, we insulted His Heavenly-Hospitality with our final no, to everything! The angels grieve, the saints weep and the worst is, He mourns!

2. Observe Opportunities. Transparency. Cleansing communication. Stop keeping score. One single dispute-closure buys the:

• off-loading of family barbells at the crucifixion base.

• Imperfection admissions-and-apologies, which lead to

• agreed-upon, fair boundaries and

• forever.

3. Grace-seeking Goals. All are smoke-clearing, fence-mending and safe-space enabling-enough to build spiritual-security in our soul-polishing mystical body of Christ. Loving our most-hated, anger-provoking, nagging ’neighbor’—on a spiritual health scale of 1-10—buys us higher ladder-rungs than sidewalk-shoveling and/or carried-comestibles. No disrespect intended, but what say the detour signs between us and St Peter's key fob to our pearly peace? — “Those in denial, U-turn here.” Folks, find your safari-themed-prints, cuz it’s room-elephant hunting season.

How do we keep the High Ground?

1. Only the biggest, meanest elephants count, because they balm the burns. The baby room-elephants are off limits--we must forgive and forget, turn the other cheek.

2. To live to fight again, internal charring and scarring is healed through Holy Penance. The odds are tell-all or risk-All, all sales final. The fun part is how Confession involves direct contact with all three Trinity members.

• Temptation won. We redonned the death chains of bad thoughts, words and/or deeds. Now, we crave transparency. Cleansing communication. Internal-chaos dispute-closure.

• Through a Catholic priest, in persona Christi; Jesus probes temptation tendencies that take us to deadly sin and death. If we listen.

• Sharing patterns and sins aloud, enables forgiveness of self; through offloading shame, guilt and other emotions. If we share everything.

• Counseling, inspired by the Holy Spirit, provides advice on change. If we obey.

• A small penance, prayer or other action is assigned; which upon completion, secures closure. If we do it, completely and sincerely without distraction.

• Then, God-the-Father carries us through grief, erasing all self-hatred and straight back into His loving arms. If we are sorry. Sorry-as-in, we never-do-it-again. Guaranteed with Pinky swears. Never Ever, No!

3. The All-Knowing Trinity hugs us pathetic-prodigals home with rings and feasts but without the jealous brother. Meanwhile, demons see sky-high, sunk-costs grow as every soul vomits every evil hairball they painstakingly-pushed us into swallowing. From perditional-hell to pure-of-heart in mere minutes. Yes!

In our multiverse, a confessional is the only safe place to up-chuck and go. Priests wear loathsome layers of evil emesis for hours in a claustrophobic closet. Why?

• Emotionally exhausting, todays’ priests agree to be New Testament scapegoats.

• As shepherds, they vow to save every soul in their flock. To the death.

• They pray for us, remove community temptations and discern selective-temperance sermons.

• With all due respect, the Irish sage Seanathair says, “confession is a shite, shower and shave for ye soul!”

Confession is the last, top rung on the ladder to heaven. It is our final-act and/or goal before death. It is the superlatively-ultimate highest ground.

Ditch the denial detours. Find common ground by moving to higher ground. Get to confession and then take it all back.

Make Them rejoice!

Epilogue--Thanks for helping me talk myself into going. I just finished penance so my soul smells like baby's breath in a wedding bouquet for the forever feast with our Bridegroom. I pray to see you there too!

Prayer for a crowded Top Rung

Lift our hearts to higher ground, where graceful gifts are better found.
Fan the fog that floats around & guard our souls from deeds unsound.
When sin has stained our inner voice & grief has gutted every choice,
pull us up to Penance’s poise—where truth is told and hearts rejoice.

Grant courage for the wounds we hide, room-elephant herds that we’ve denied.
Let honest words be sanctified, & pinky-swear peace be our guide.
O Spirit, shape the change we seek; O Son, forgive us, frail and weak.
O Father, fold us cheek-to-cheek—unchain us from a sinful week. Send us forth with mercy’s fire, to love the ones who test our ire.
To climb Confession’s final spire—and make the cut of Heaven’s choir!

Source: 

Catholic365. Negotiating hell: a sequel to CS Lewis' Screwtape letters. Chapter 25.