Have to Pay the Piper

Rome’s Colosseum’s Station of the Cross

The world must be coming to an end. Usually waiting until the last minute for filing my annual income taxes, I completed both federal and state forms, mailing them out on March 26th, three weeks ahead of the April-17th deadline.

Not only that, but this week’s tirade is written and posted early. Hell is going to freeze over as well.

Incidentally, a report made in an article written by Eugenio Scalfari, a well-known Italian journalist who is the founder of Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper, stated that Pope Francis was asked in an alleged interview, where do “bad souls” end up? The pontiff reportedly replied:

Souls are not punished. Those who repent obtain God’s forgiveness and go among the ranks of those who contemplate him, but those who do not repent and cannot be forgiven disappear. There is no hell — there is the disappearance of sinful souls.”

Now, where am I suppose to go?

After the comments spread like hellfire on Social Media, the Vatican stated the pope never granted an interview with Scalfari, and that the article was the reporter’s “reconstruction” of what had been allegedly said, not a “faithful transcription of the words of the Holy Father.”

The writer, who is an atheist, doesn’t use a tape recorder or takes notes during interviews, according to reports I’ve read.

Sorry, for getting off on a tangent, as always. Getting back to income taxes, why the extra time for filing, you might be asking?

The regular filing deadline is April 15. However, due to the 15th’s being on a Sunday this year, and the Washington D.C. Emancipation Day holiday’s being observed on April 16, Tax Day is officially on the following Tuesday, the 17th. Got all that?

Last year I got them done early also, almost two weeks ahead of time; although, we had three extra days until the deadline. The 15th fell on Easter Saturday, while Washington D.C. Emancipation Day (the 16th) fell on Easter, placing that holiday on Monday the 17th, making the official Tax Day, April 18th.  Phew, that’s a mouthful.

Passover began yesterday, Good Friday for Christians, and lasts until next Saturday, April 7th. Easter is tomorrow, falling somewhat earlier this year due to March’s having a blue moon, which occurs today and coincides with being the first full moon of spring, the indicator for this weekend’s festivities.

As it does for all holidays, memories of yesteryear fill my mind complete with all the jellybeans eaten and chocolate rabbits found in Easter baskets, the colored-egg hunts, dressing in our Sunday best before heading to church for Easter Sunday Mass, gathering together with family and friends for a gorge-fest at dinnertime, second only to Thanksgiving Day gluttony.

As a Catholic, I typically give up something for Lent, as part of a fast to commemorate the religious holiday. Last year I gave up being a smart-ass, which didn’t last very long. I wondered if I would burn in Limbo for having fallen off the Lenten wagon, but that infamous chasm was abolished long ago; and we almost had Hell wiped away this past week.

This year I decided not to give up anything, although I abstained from eating meat on Fridays during these past 40 or so days, which would make Paul McCartney proud.

Haven’t done a cover in a while, so I resurrected this chestnut, remixed and uploaded it to Soundcloud. Allow me to share it with you, in honor of tonight’s full Blue Moon.

Happy holiday weekend to you and yours, and thanks for your continued support.