The way of holiness

Good News Reflection
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
March 10, 2010

Today's Saint: Dominic Savio
Pray for the children:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/DominicSavio.htm

Today's Readings:
Deut 4:1, 5-9
Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
Matt 5:17-19
http://www.usccb.org/nab/031010.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_03_10.mp3

The way of holiness

How often have you heard: "It's okay if I do this or that, even though I'm not supposed to. God understands. He loves me anyway." For example: "It's okay if I swear. It's only words. God understands that I've had a really bad day." Or "It's okay if I had an abortion. I don't believe it was a real person yet. And God understands my reasons."

In today's first reading, Moses emphasized how important it is to observe (obey) the decrees of God. He said: "Observe them carefully...." Well, what if someone wants to claim ignorance as an alibi? For example: "I don't see how abortion can be breaking God's commandment of 'Do not kill,' because the fetus is not a real person yet."

God has made his commands known to us. He speaks to us in the scriptures and, in the Catholic tradition of Christianity, through the teachings of the Magisterium, which are carefully based on the scriptures to explain how to apply the scriptures to modern situations.

So why does God's will sometimes get muddy and messy? Because we convince ourselves that a sin isn't really a sin. Saying that a fetus isn't a person doesn't make it a blob of meaningless tissue. Saying that God understands doesn't make him approve of what we do.

Jesus warns us in today's Gospel reading that "whoever breaks the least significant of these commands and teaches others to do so shall be called least in the kingdom of God." Although we've been saved from hell because we know that Jesus has redeemed us through the cross, we are not saved from eternal repercussions if we cling to disobedience through excuses and rationalizations.

Which sin is worse: swearing or having an abortion? It doesn't matter. Jesus says, "Whoever breaks the least significant of these commands and teaches others to do so...." What are we teaching by our examples? We never sin alone. How terrible to enable others to sin by being lazy in our own holiness!

Here's a morning prayer for submitting ourselves to God's holy will:

Lord, here I am today.
Imperfect. Sinful.
Not loving You as I desire,
not loving others as I should.
Take me as I am.
You do love me as I am!
You are so good to me!
Help me to love myself, too.
Take what is good – the gifts
You have given to me –
and use it for Your kingdom.
Take what is imperfect
and transform it into a blessing.
Take what is sinful
and teach me to grow in holiness.
Lord, here I am today.
Help me to do Your will.

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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