Dear Parishioners,
My message this week is the third in a series of how our choices affect ourselves and others. As mentioned last week, Adam and Eve fell for the lie of Satan, who says we can commit sin without being adversely affected by it. That thinking has infected much of our world, from the least to the greatest. We have fallen for this destructive lie because humanity has made itself the sole determiner of truth. God, who is the creator of the universe, has given us instructions that we politely but plainly ignore.
Modern thinking is that God understands and forgives our ‘free’ lifestyles. Since we understand and forgive others in their lifestyles, we conclude that the merciful and loving God does the same for us. Is there something deeper that is behind this ‘modern’ thinking? I think so. It's not obvious at first glance, but the following New Testament passage helps to take us to the heart of the issue: “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, claiming to be religious yet denying its power” (2 Tim 3:4-5).
As an example, in a recent survey, two-thirds of Christians indicated that sexual intercourse between unmarried adults is morally permissible. As we might expect, those who attend church regularly, which in the survey was monthly, were less inclined to agree with this thinking. However, one-third of them still thought casual sex was morally permissible. Sadly, Catholics are the most likely to agree with this behavior, and if the sexual activity is homosexual, then slightly fewer Catholics (one-half) think such behavior is morally acceptable. In case you are unsure, it isn’t.
Humanity today claims to have progressed morally, and therefore better understands God. As a result, they claim the actions above are not sinful. However, such behavior has occurred many times throughout history, and each time it has been reaffirmed as being gravely sinful. What has been lost, or willfully ignored, is that sinful behavior is damaging. It is a poison of its own that damages the person according to type and quantity. The truth (reality) is sinful behavior damages us and, as a result, hurts society. Our actions have more consequences than many people want to believe and the woundedness of our society makes that evident.
God speaks to us plainly, with great insight, about those living according to human thinking: “They exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever” (Romans 1:25). Rebelling against God would make sense if God were uncaring and tyrannical. We know the goodness of God is greater than our imagination can ponder. So why rebel against God when we only hurt ourselves?
This Sunday we focus on the Trinity, looking briefly at the completely selfless love each of the Three Divine Persons has for the other Persons of the Trinity. Their actions begin and end with the other Persons. If we want to enter into Heaven, then we MUST selflessly love God. That means looking to the Father as we think, and certainly before we act. Love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is seeking their will for your life and following their commandments.
Sincerely,
Fr. Miller