Staying rooted in truth

Good News Reflection
Friday of the 32nd Week of Ordinary Time
November 12, 2010

Today's Readings:
2 John 4-9
Ps 119:1,2,10,11,17,18
Luke 17:26-37
http://www.usccb.org/nab/111210.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_11_12.mp3

Staying rooted in truth

Today's readings warn about being so "progressive" that we're no longer rooted in the teachings of Christ.

The norms and regulations of the Catholic Church do provide room for growth, adaptations for special needs, and changes in how we worship based on timeliness and cultures. Canon Law and Church documents mention the necessity of adaptability, AS LONG AS moral laws are not broken and the teachings of Christ are not rejected.

Our Church (the "Chosen Lady" of today's first reading) is continually evolving, growing more into the image of Christ as we gain greater understanding of God's love and how to share it to transform the world.

Signs that more growth is needed are all around us. What have you noticed about individuals within the Church who behave unlike Christ? What shortfalls have you witnessed in your parish's activities? God isn't finished purging and maturing his beloved Church.

A huge boost in growth came through Vatican Council II, but we're still learning how to apply all of its Spirit-inspired teachings. Some Catholics have tried to go too far with the progress it initiated, others are afraid of change, and many haven't even learned what the documents from the council say. So, God isn't finished teaching and maturing us.

When "progress" means redefining the truth to suit our own purposes, we no longer have God, as these verses from 2 John point out. "Progressive" decisions occur when we allow ourselves to be swayed by the winds of non-Christian influences. We're most vulnerable to this when we don't like what the Church teaches, which happens when we don't understand what the Church is really teaching. To use the analogy that Jesus provides in Luke 17:26-37, "wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather." We flock to what's decaying, because the world tells us it's appetizing and we choose to believe it.

The "antichrist" or "deceiver" is anyone who rejects the truth. We can discern what is not a truth – what is not truly of God – by it's unloving character and its unscriptural basis. However, love and scripture are often claimed as validations for deceptions. We must become better educated, double-checking everything against the documents of the Church (which are readily available on the internet), because these teachings are based upon and help explain the scriptures.

Every day, we're exposed to the ideas and pressures of people who are gambling with their eternal happiness. They are like the folks in Noah's day, as Jesus pointed out, doing what feels right to them up until the very end, without regard to the warnings and commandments of God. They think they're sparing themselves from unhappiness and destruction, but "whoever tries to preserve his life by his own methods will lose it."

The laws, norms, and regulations of the Catholic Church are based on the supreme Law of Love so that we remain eternally alive in the saving love of Jesus Christ. If you doubt any of it, research it. If you doubt the adaptations, research it. There is no excuse for mixing untruths with the truth, not in today's Information Age.

For an easy way to learn what the Church teaches, consider taking my online courses about the Bible and Church documents: http://catholicdr.com/e-Classroom/index-courses.html

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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