I was looking through some old family photos recent and came upon the one to the right. I was astonished as I looked at it to discover that absolutely no one and nothing in it exist in this world any longer. My sister is blowing out the birthday candles on her 7th Birthday in 1967. She has since died (in 1991). My mother who leans over her died in 2005. My Maternal Grandmother who looks on died in 1978. My Father who took the picture died in 2007. The building in which the picture was taken (my Grandparents apartment) was demolished in 2004. The Polaroid camera is also long gone. Even the original picture that this was scanned from is now gone. Absolutely nothing and no one in this photo remain any longer in this world.
The scripture says, “We have here no lasting city.” (Heb 13:14) It also says, As for man, his days are like grass. He flourishes like the flower of the field. But the wind blows and he is gone and his place never sees him again (Ps 103:15-16).
Texts like these may seem sad but they are also hauntingly beautiful. There is something sad as I look at what once was or as I walk past the vacant lot where my Grandmother’s building once stood. But I take consolation in this, that although pleasant things pass so do difficult things. The Book of Psalms says, “Weeping may endure for a night but joy will come with the morning light.” (Ps 30:5). The text above may say that we have here no lasting city but it goes on to conclude “but we are looking for the City that is to come.” (Heb 13:14). The other verse above may speak of the wind blowing and we are no more but the next verse says, “But the love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. (Ps 103:17). The world is passing but God is everlasting. For now the brief forms of this life are like shadows that appear but soon vanish. Soon enough we will journey to that place where loss is no more and joys will never end.
Consider this very consoling advice from St. Teresa of Avilla who stitches together life’s passing quality with the gift of peace:
Let nothing disturb you,
Nothing frighten you.
All things are passing.
God never changes.
Patient endurance attains all things.
Whoever possesses God lacks nothing,
God alone is sufficient.
“How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter into the Kingdom of God.”
Let me add a little something to Msgr. Pope’s Meditations on Wealth. I had a conversation with someone I consider materially wealthy. And she said literally – I hate this Gospel passage. I think I know why. Because, like the rich man, she has many possessions. And like the rich man, she is a person who tries to obey the law. So, what is wrong?
Brothers and sisters, one of the main effects of Jesus’ preaching was to reorder our priorities and redirect our desires. In the Jewish culture of the time, material wealth was seen as direct reflection of God’s favor. Throughout the Old Testament, God seemed to reward the faithful with material goods. In the Book of Job, God “blessed the work of his hands and his livestock spread throughout the land.” In the Book of Psalms, we read, “What your hands provide you will enjoy; you will be happy and prosper.” The prophet Isaiah says, “Happy the just, for it will be well with them, the fruits of their works, they will eat.”
In other words, Jewish society equated the acquisition of material wealth with the promise of redemption. And Christ said no. That is why the disciples were so amazed because Christ was telling them that the acquisition of material wealth might in fact hinder one’s ability to enter into the Kingdom of God.
Now, brothers and sisters, this is where I have heard some homilies and reflections on this Gospel go wrong. This is the part where I have been told that material things are bad. This is the part where I have been made to feel guilty because I drive a car now rather than riding a bus like when I was in college. I submit to you however, that the desire you have for fulfillment is something God built into you and I think that desire is good. I think God made desire a part of human emotion on purpose. I think that each and every day, we seek fulfillment in one form or another. But, I also think that material fulfillment is sometimes good, sometimes bad but always temporary. Let me tell you and example of that kind of fulfillment.
My mother and I are pretty huge Redskins fans. In fact, my mother, my wife and a good number of my uncles and cousins have a veritable family reunion each Sunday the Redskins are at home. Whether the team is good or bad, we are there.
Well, three years ago, we were playing that awful team from Texas. Late in the game, the score was tied and that awful team from Texas was about to kick a field goal and win the game. They kicked the ball, it was blocked, and the Redskins recovered the ball and started running the other way. Then, right when we thought the game was going into overtime, the referee called a penalty on that awful team from Texas and within 30 seconds, the Redskins were in position to kick a field goal. We kicked it and won the game. The stadium erupted. We cheered as we left our seats. We cheered as we got to the parking lot and we even cheered getting into the car. And, here I was in my thirties but I felt ten years old again and I said to my mom, “Mom, I wish this night would never end!”
Well, it did and so did that feeling of euphoria that went with it. And this is an example of how temporal wealth and temporal fulfillment is temporary. And that is OK, as long as I know it. The rich man in this gospel did not. He was seeking fulfillment. That is why he came to Christ in the first place. Redskin tickets or any other earthly possession certainly will not provide me with satisfaction every Sunday. But Christ will! In fact, if my family and I failed to go to Mass on Saturday or first thing Sunday morning, I am quite certain that Jesus would say to us, “Go sell what you have and follow me.” The danger of material wealth does not lie in the possessions themselves. Rather, it lies in the fact that material wealth, temporal power and earthly merit all tend to generate false security. Wealth tends to make us think that we have somehow earned these things on our own without God’s providence. Temporal power tempts us to ignore God and not rely on his goodness. Earthly merit tends to make us forget the true source of our sustainable joy in Christ. That is why Jesus rejects wealth, power and merit as a claim to his Kingdom.
Look carefully at the scripture; the Evangelist Mark tell us that Jesus, looking at the rich man, loved him – loved him and said to him, “You are lacking one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.” Treasure in heaven is the same thing as everlasting fulfillment. Jesus did not reject the man because of his wealth no more than he would have accepted him because of his wealth. Jesus indentified one thing that was hindering his relationship with God; God built in us a desire for fulfillment and perhaps the rich man was literally looking for love in all the wrong places. That is why some people I consider rich don’t seem to have enough.
For me, if you have a million dollars, I wonder ‘why are you out there trying to make more?’ A million dollars would seem to be enough for me. But, for those whose eyes are not on Christ, for those who are seeking fulfillment from wealth rather than from Christ, a million dollars is not enough. For those type of people, 10 million dollars would not be enough. I think that this is at the heart of some addictions; the ultimate seeking of eternal fulfillment in temporary things. And in our attempt to make that fulfillment eternal, it ends up being damaging.
Again, it may not be money or possessions. There are plenty of materially wealthy people whose wealth is not a hindrance to their salvation. I suspect that those people are well grounded in the satisfaction of a growing relationship with God. In fact, I suspect that for most of us, it is not money or possessions. The football example I gave had very little to do with the material possession of Redskins season tickets. But, if my investment of emotion is in the time spent with my family, then the possibility of sustained fulfillment increases. It is still temporary but, it makes God smile too.
Nonetheless, the everlasting fulfillment, the kind of fulfillment that made me say to my mother, “I wish this night could last forever” can only be found Christ.
Brothers and sisters, it is indeed difficult for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of heaven, especially if the rich man thinks he has already gained entry. We have not. But, for those of us who have chosen to faithfully follow Christ, and to shed not all material things, just those material things that are in our way, Jesus promised, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age.” This is so cool because, Jesus is not really saying that you have to wait for fulfillment. We have to wait for eternal everlasting fulfillment but, genuine fulfillment, though temporary, is possible now. And by following Christ, even when he tells us to do something difficult, fulfillment can increase every day until one day, it becomes eternal.
When I take my nineteen-month-old nephew over to the holy water fount, he’ll dip his fingers in the water, make a catawampus sign of the cross, and start clapping and smiling.
My three-and-a-half-year-old nephew had recently learned the Our Father and knew that it ended in Amen, just like all prayers. But when the Our Father was recited during Liturgy of the Eucharist, he yelled “Hey, they didn’t say Amen!”
A young mother had recently shared with her five-year-old daughter the theology of transubstantiation, that the bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. During Mass, as the mother was returning to her pew after receiving communion, her daughter ran down the aisle to meet her and asked, “Is He inside you?” “Yes,” the mother replied. At that, the little girl knelt down to adore Jesus Christ physically present inside her mother.
It’s amazing watching young children grasp the customs and theology of our Faith. Slowly but surely they understand how we prepare for Mass, what we do at Mass, what’s taking place on the altar, and how that affects our life outside the church building.
A few years back I asked my friend’s mother how she had managed to keep her eight children in line during Mass.
“We sat in the front row. That way the kids didn’t get bored because there was always something going on. And they also didn’t dare misbehave because they were in full view of the priest and the entire congregation.”
Great idea! Obviously, until children are a certain age, they can’t control their behavior. However, once they reach that age, why not offer them an up-close-and-personal experience of the Mass? You might be surprised at how much they gain.
A man comes to Jesus in today’s Gospel and, in effect, he wants to purchase heaven. He’s also looking for a sale. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” In other words, “What does heaven cost me?” He’s a rich man and the wealthy are able to procure much of what they need:
“Just tell me the price and if it seems worth it I’ll peal off a few bills and get it for myself. After all, if I need new windows, I buy them. If the car needs service, I pay the guy. So, what does heaven cost?”
Well, says Jesus, Keep the commandments.
“Not a problem,” the wealthy man says, “I’ve been well raised and am a decent chap. I’ve got the necessary resources to cover this bill.” Any other surcharges, taxes or shipping?”
“Well actually there are other charges,” Jesus says looking at him with love, “Because, truth be told, eternal life will cost you everything you have. But fear not, you will have treasure in heaven!” And the man went away sad for his possessions were many.
So what do we learn?
Who owns who?Very often we like to think of the many possessions we have. But the usual problem is that we don’t have them at all, they have us. Our possessions possess us, enslave us, preoccupy us, limit our freedom, and tie us firmly to earth. Because of them we are compromised, worldly, and find spiritual demands downright unreasonable. The man in today’s gospel was rich but he was not free. In fact it was his riches that enslaved him. He simply had too much to lose. And isn’t that our problem too? Discipleship seems unreasonable when we are tied up with the world. We simply have too much to lose. For this reason the Lord declares, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
Who are the Rich? Ah, but be careful here. Because I can hear the gears turning in our wily minds: “Ah yes, the nasty rich people. They ARE going to have a hard time getting to heaven aren’t they!” Most of us define the rich as “other people.” The rich man is any one who earns a dollar more an hour than me. He’s in trouble. Well I got news for us. We live in America. We’re all rich! Even the poor among us live like royalty compared to poor in other lands. We have met the rich man and he is us! It is interesting that the apostles in today’s Gospel see themselves in the category “rich.” But wait a minute! Haven’t they left everything to follow Jesus? Yes they have. But they understand that what Jesus is really getting at is not what is in our wallets, but rather, what is in our hearts. And the truth is we all what to be rich, very rich. And don’t tell me this isn’t you because I am going to think you’re lying to me. We want to be comfortable, rich and care-free. It is just a fact. Thus the apostles rightly cry out in truth, “Then who can be saved?!” Even the poor who seem exempt from Jesus’ diagnosis want to be rich. The lines are long for lottery tickets even in the poorest neighborhoods.
Warnings don’t seem to help. So deep is this desire for wealth that even when we are sternly warned by God how dangerous riches are to our salvation we STILL want them with a passion! Consider a few texts that warn us: But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs. (1 Tim 6:9-10) You still want to be rich anyway don’t you? I know, so do I. Try this one: No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money! (Luke 16:13) You still want to try don’t you? You still want to be rich! I know, so do I. OK try this one: “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. (Luke 6:24-25) I know, I know, you still want to be rich anyway. So do I. Here’s another, But many that are first will be last, and the last first! (Mat 19:30). Did that one do it for you? Are you convinced to give up your desire to be rich? Hmm… not me either. And finally here is a last warning: How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” …It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mk 10:23-25) OK we hear all this but most of us still want to be rich. Face it, we have a serious problem, a deep wound, and intractable problem. Sounds like we need a savior! And praise the Lord there is a Doctor in the house!
For man it is impossible, but for God all things are possible. – Truth be told only God can purify our desire and help us to willingly renounce everything, to become free of our insatiable desire for wealth. I have seen God get people to the point where they were willing to sell everything. I’ll be honest it was usually near their death. I have sat at the side of many a deathbed and heard those magical words, “I just want to go home now and be with God.” Mirabile dictu! (A woundrous thing to say!) I heard my father say it. I heard my grandmother say it. I’ve heard parishioners say it: “You may have all this world, just give me Jesus!” Do you see the miracle? It’s a painful path to get there to be sure, but God draws us to him in stages. Little by little we give back, sell off if you will, all our riches. What have you given back so far? As for me, I’ve given back my grandparents, my parents, my sister, and other relatives. I’ve given back most of my hair 🙂 . I’ve given back my youthful figure and vigor. As I get older I’ll give back even more. Nothing belongs to me and in the end God will require it all back. And one day I pray that on my deathbed you’ll hear me say, “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold. My only treasure now is in heaven. All I want is Jesus. ” For Charles it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.
Thank you Lord.
Here’s one of my favorite songs. Take note of the following verses: God and God alone created all these things we call our own. From the mighty to the small the glory in them all is God’s and God’s alone….God and God alone will be the joy of our eternal home. He will be our one desire, our hearts will never tire, of God and God alone!
My mother loved to put gifts in strange packages. One Christmas I eagerly tore off the wrapping of a fairly heavy package (heavy packages usually meant something good!). To my disappointment I discovered that it was a box of Glad Trash Bags. Well, I guess I could use this but I was disappointed to say the least. She knew I was disappointed but smiled and said, “Open the box!” I noticed a little of the package had already been slightly opened and yet I said, “Mom why open this now, I’ll use them later.” “Open it,” she said. So did and inside was a check for $100. Over the years she often found strange packages to hide gifts, an old shoe box, a box of No. 2 Pencils, a package of underwear. “Gee thanks, Mom.” “Open it!” And there were two $50 bills. So I learned that sometimes good gifts come in strange packages.
God is that way too. Some of God’s gifts come in strange packages. Hidden within some of the crosses we’ve been asked to carry are some precious treasures. Maybe we learned that we were stronger than we thought. Maybe our weakness taught us to trust and ask for help. Maybe the loss of a job opened new doors and launched new vistas. Maybe a troublesome person taught us patience and humility. Maybe an enemy helped us to see something in us that needed to change. Maybe injustice taught us to fight for what was right and that we were not truly alive until we found something for which we were willing to die. The cross is a paradox, a gift in a strange package.
I suppose we’ve all thought of the ideal circumstances we’d like to live in. Surely there would be reasonable affluence, comfort and beauty. It was no different as a priest. I wanted a beautiful Church, no debt, in a “nice” neighborhood etc. And yet my first assignment as pastor took me to the poorest neighborhood in the city with the highest crime rate. I remember the first day I went to look the place over. I drove onto the parking lot and there was a car on fire. I looked around and people were walking up and down the sidewalks as if nothing were amiss. I ran to the rectory door quite anxious. When the door opened I nervously pointed to the burning car and the staff person within said, “Oh, not again! OK come on in I guess I’ll go ahead and call the fire department.” In order to enter I had to pass through two sets of bars. Ah but I loved my time at St. Thomas More Parish. It was a wonderful Parish, wonderful people, wonderful experiences. And I cried copious tears seven years later when I was asked to take another assignment (where I am also quite happy). But you never know as you open the strange packages God gives you what gifts are within. God can make a way out of no way and write straight with crooked lines. That burning car on a church parking lot was really for me like the burning bush that Moses saw on the mountain assuring him (me) of God’s blessings. It didn’t seem so at the time but years later I understood: Some of God’s greatest blessings come in strange packages.
This video prompted the reflection above. When I saw it I didn’t expect to be too impressed. It was just supposed to be a kid playing an accordion. I didn’t expect much, just the usual reedy sound and some missed notes. I had no idea what I was about to see. I NEVER knew an accordion could be made to sound like this nor did I expect to see such virtuosity. This young man has extraordinary talent. One of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, the Presto from “Summer” on accordion! yes, an accordion! Sometimes gifts come in strange packages!
Recently, homosexuality has been very much in the news: The DC City Council has introduced a Same-sex “Marriage” Bill. This weekend in Washington there will also be a large Gay Pride event which will, among other things, celebrate this fact. It seems on many fronts the gay lifestyle is gaining wider acceptance. And thus the question is increasingly asked, even by Catholics, “Why does the Catholic Church continue to oppose Gay marriage and homosexual activity?” The answer can be made on the basis of three pillars: Scripture, Tradition and Natural Law. In this post I would like to explore the Scriptural roots of the Catholic teaching against homosexual activity. As you can see, it rather long. But I have wanted to be thorough. I also supply this reflection in PDF here: Biblical Teaching on Homosexual Activity and at the bottom in case you’d like to print it an read it later.
An Important Distinction Between Activity and Orientation: The Bible is very clear: it unambiguously, and in an uncompromising way, condemns homosexual activity as a serious sin. I want to share a few of these Biblical texts with you. But before I do, let me make a very important clarification. In the first place, note it is homosexual activity that is condemned, not all persons of homosexual orientation. It is a fact that some individuals are attracted to members of the same sex. Why this is or how it comes to be is not fully understood, but it is, nonetheless, simply a fact for some individuals. Since sexual orientation is not usually a matter of direct choice or immediate control, it is not itself an object of moral condemnation. Merely to be tempted to commit a certain sin does not make one evil or bad, or even guilty for that temptation. Rather, it is when one gives way to the temptation and commits the sin that one becomes a sinner. Many homosexual persons live chaste lives, and, although tempted to commit homosexual acts, they do not in fact do so. This is courageous, holy and praiseworthy. Sadly, though, some with a homosexual orientation not only commit the sin of homosexual activity, but they openly flaunt this fact, and dismiss or attempt to reinterpret Biblical texts that clearly forbid such activity. For these people, we can only hope and pray for conversion. I hope you can see, however, why we must distinguish between homosexual orientation and homosexual activity.
Homosexuality is not being singled out – A second clarification that we must make is that we should be careful not to single out homosexual activity as though it were the only sexual sin God condemns. Clearly, all who are heterosexual are also called to sexual purity. The same Bible which condemns homosexual activity also clearly condemns acts of fornication (a Bible word for premarital sex) and acts of adultery. The Bible describes these as serious sins, which can and do exclude people from the Kingdom of God and from the hope of Heaven (cf Eph 5:5-7; Gal 5:16-21; Rev 21:5-8; Rev. 22:14-16; Mt. 15:19-20; 1 Cor 6:9-20; Col 3:5-6; 1 Thess 4:1-8; 1 Tim 1:8-11; Heb 13:4). To be excluded from the Kingdom of God means that one is in mortal sin and will not go to heaven if they die unrepentant. Sadly, many people today live in open violation of Biblical teaching. Many engage in premarital sex (fornicate) and say it is alright because “everyone’s doing it.” Many live together without benefit of marriage. This, like homosexual activity, is sinful. It is wrong, and should be repented of immediately. Hence, homosexual activity is not singled out by the Bible or by Christians. Every human being, without exception, whether heterosexual or homosexual, is called to sexual purity, to chastity, and to self-control. Any violation of this is a sin. Put more positively, God’s command of chastity means that sexual purity is possible for everyone with God’s grace. God empowers us to do what he commands!
The Biblical Data on Homosexual Activity: As stated above, the Bible clearly and unambiguously condemns homosexual activity. For example, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18: 22) and “If a man lies with a male as with a female, both of them have committed an abomination” (Lev 20:13). Likewise, the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah depicts, among other things, the sinfulness of homosexual activity. It is too lengthy to reproduce here in its entirety, but you can read about it in Genesis 19. The New Testament as well contains a number of texts on homosexuality. Here is one, 1 Corinthians 6-9: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanders nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” There are other texts, as well: for example 1 Timothy 1 8-11. Note that, in many of these texts, homosexual activity is listed among other sexual offenses a person can commit. Again, it is not merely singled out. Here then, is what the Bible teaches: homosexual activity is wrong as are other sexual sins such as fornication and adultery. It is true that there are not a huge number of texts regarding homosexual activity. But, whenever it is mentioned, it is clearly and uncompromisingly condemned. The final text I would like to explore is one about which we should be careful and respectful. It is written in strong language to be sure but we must be careful to understand it in a way that is inclusive of all, not just the Gay community. Here is the text and some commentary to follow:
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them…in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools…For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct.” (Romans 1:18ff)
Please note that the sinners condemned in this passage are those who “suppress the truth.” The context in which Paul speaks here is the Gentile world which, although it did not have scripture, nonetheless had the Natural Law. They can know that God exists and the fundamental things he expects because he has “shown it to them in the things he has made.” Nevertheless, though they can know the truth they suppress it and their minds thus become darkened, that is, incapable of accepting or understanding what God demands. Because they reject what is natural (Natural Law) they descend into what is unnatural (the Greek word that Paul uses is paraphysin meaning “contrary to or beside nature”). So the Scripture here is clear enough, homosexual activity is “paraphysin” contrary to nature. Here too Paul does not single out Homosexual activity as the only issue that comes from “suppressing the truth.” He goes on to list in the same chapter many other sins that proceed from those who suppress the truth:
God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. They are gossips and scandalmongers and they hate God. They are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. (Rom 1:28-32)
The truth be told, our whole society is recognizable in these verses. This is what happens to a society that kicks God to the curb and suppresses the truth. So here again, homosexuality is not singled out but it is listed among the sins that proceed from the suppression of the truth. Further, the approval of it like the other sins listed (to include heterosexual sins) are also the symptoms of a darkened intellect poisoned by the suppression of the truth. Strong words to be sure but inclusive of us all to one degree or another.
So there is the Scriptural data. Sadly, today, many have set aside Biblical teachings on homosexual activity. They not only declare that it is not sinful, but they even celebrate it as though it were good. It is bad enough when non-believers do this, but it is even more tragic when people who call themselves Christians do such things. A number of the no-Catholic but Christian denominations have begun celebrating and blessing homosexual unions and promoting clergy who are actively and publicly engaging in homosexual activity. In effect they sanction such behavior and are setting aside the Word of God, or reinterpreting it’s clear meaning. They mislead many by this: “Take heed that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying I am he!’ and they will lead many astray” (Mark 13:5). St. Paul also knew that some would distort the Christian faith. And so he said: ” and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20: 29).
Conclusion – As seen above, we live an era where there is often deep confusion about moral issues. In the area of sexual morality, the confusion is especially deep today. This confusion has touched many, heterosexual and homosexual who are living and promoting unbiblical lifestyles. In such a climate, we must speak the truth that comes from God and live it. Suppressing the truth leads to great distortions, confusion, and suffering. The sexual promiscuity of our own day has led to great suffering: Sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, abortion, teenage pregnancy, broken marriages, divorce, single parenthood. The confusion about homosexual activity is just one more symptom of the general sexual confusion of our day. In suppressing the truth from God, many among us call good that which God has taught as sinful. As Christians we must proclaim the Word and Wisdom of God, in season and out of season, whether popular or unpopular. We do this with respect and love but also with insistence on the truth which comes from God. Caritatem in veritate!
The following video starts out as an explanation of why the Church opposes Gay Marriage but the second half is also a good summary of the Church teaching on homosexuality.
In the early stages of courtship and even into marriage couples are most often kind and often go out of their way to please one another. The initial dates always find the couple on their best behavior. There are many small kindnesses shown, They dress up for one another, groom, say kind and considerate things and are very careful as to how they express themselves. As courtship continues some of these begin to fade away. After engagements arguments may often ensure about the upcoming wedding. But generally there are still many kindnesses and patience shown. The early stages of the marriage often feature joyful and new experiences (unless they’d been shacking up). 😉
But it seems to me that far too many marriages devolve into a sort of unkindness that can set up between the spouses. They start to get impatient and grouchy and often accumulate resentments about each other. Some very mean things start to get said and many little kindnesses disappear. Grooming gives way to an overly casual even sloppy appearance around the house. Little pleasantries like “please” and “thank you” fade away, “I’m sorry” and “excuse me,” go away, and even affectionate terms like “dear”.
Read and heed carefully what Colossians has to say:
12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col 3: 12-17)
Not bad advice at all. Husbands, show your wife kindness and manifest compassion. Tell her you love her, that she is beautiful and you’re glad you married her. Bring her flowers for no particular reason. Help her carry the burdens of the household and children. Support her in her vocation as mother. Wives, encourage your husband. Tell him you are proud to have him as a husband. Praise him once and a while for what he does well and show him affection. Encourage him to be a father and a leader.
Well you get the point. Now I’m not asking you to lie, but you should ask the Lord to show you and remind you of what you really like about your spouse. Focus on these things. What you feed grows, so feed the positive and starve the negative. Above all, get on your knees and beg God to help your really love your spouse with a deep and abiding love. God can do this for you.
It’s also good to share a little humor along the way. This video presents a rather silly list of the things you shouldn’t say to your wife. So pay attention men, take notes. Wives, I don’t have a video to offer you but I figure you already know what not to say 🙂
When I think about the way God loves us I am often amazed and the worldly part of me thinks God must be crazy to love me. We can all be so ungrateful and undeserving of God’s love and providence but He still offers it.
Some of the parables speak of the “crazy” side of God’s love, There is the parable of the woman who lost a small coin and, after finding it threw a party that cost many times the value of the coin she found. (Luke 15:8-10) Crazy huh? Well Jesus is teaching about God’s Kingdom love for us, it is extravagent, beyond all reasonable bounds. Then there’s the parable of the Man with two sons (Luke 15:11-32). One of his sons tells him to drop dead and wants his inheritance now. He gives it to him! Off the son goes and messes up big time. He sinks so low he starts to admire how well pigs eat. Upon his return to the father he told to drop dead, he expects wrath but he gets embraced and the Father throws a party. Crazy huh? But the story does not end there. The second son, offended at the party, now cops an attitude and insults his father by refusing to enter the party. Instead of sending servants out to force him in, the father himself goes out and pleads with his son who continues to dishonor him with bitter rebukes as to his leadership! What a crazy Father! He seems to love his son anyway. What father in the ancient world would ever plead with his son, it just wasn’t done. But Jesus is teaching again of his Father’s “crazy” love for us.
And Jesus is crazy too. He actually chooses to die for us, not because we are good but because we are bad. We, having run his wrists and feet through with railroad spikes hear his prayers of mercy for us. And who would have excused him if, after dying, he just went right back to heaven and said, “Father, I ‘ve had it with them I’m coming home!” But instead he rose and said “Peace be with you” to men who had abandoned him. Crazy. Just crazy.
It is clear that God loves us no matter what. “Ah” but you might say, “what about the souls in Hell?!” I say to you he loves them still! They do not want to live in the Kingdom with him and he respects their freedom in that regard. But have you noticed, he doesn’t wipe them out or anihilate them? They still exist, in an unpleasant place of their choice, but God still sustains and provides for them. Even Satan is not killed by God. Crazy!
So face it, God loves you. He even likes you! Not becauseyou deserve it, you don’t. Neither do I. God loves you and me “for no good reason.” He loves because he is love and that’s what love does. To think that we could lose God’s love is actually a sign of pride since we think that somehow we have the power to make God stop being what he is, Love. I know full well that God does not love my sin but I do not doubt that he loves me…for no good reason, for no explainable reason other than he is Love and that’s what love does, it loves.
Now I hope You’ll find this video as much of a blessing as I do. I suppose that the closest example of unconditional love we have on this planet is a mother’s love for her children. Behold and be blessed: Shirley Ceasar’s “No Charge.”
I was looking through some old family photos recent and came upon the one to the right. I was astonished as I looked at it to discover that absolutely no one and nothing in it exist in this world any longer. My sister is blowing out the birthday candles on her 7th Birthday in 1967. She has since died (in 1991). My mother who leans over her died in 2005. My Maternal Grandmother who looks on died in 1978. My Father who took the picture died in 2007. The building in which the picture was taken (my Grandparents apartment) was demolished in 2004. The Polaroid camera is also long gone. Even the original picture that this was scanned from is now gone. Absolutely nothing and no one in this photo remain any longer in this world.