23rd Week in OT 2019 - Wednesday - September 11 and the Promise of Peace

Yesterday, I mentioned how the short letter to the Colossians is divided into two parts: the doctrinal and the practical. Well today’s reading begins Paul’s practical advice to the Christians of Colossae; and what practical advice does he give?

“Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry…by these you once conducted yourself…but now you must put them all away…so put away anger fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths.”

He doesn't begin with how they are to structure their community. He doesn't say what sort of charitable programs they are to offer. He begins with conversion. Putting sinful actions to death is a key to life. 

Though Christians have been raised up “in company with Christ” we know all too well how easy it is to fall back into the tendencies of the old nature, what Paul calls the “practices of the old self.” So, those sinful attitudes and tendencies have to be put to death over and over and over, lest they dominate our lives and reclaim our souls, and tear their community apart.

18 years ago, on September 11, 2001, the world evidenced what happens when those worldly powers have their way. Left to their own devices the world and the worldly are bent on self-destruction. Two smoldering heaps of ash and rubble is a perfect example of where immorality, fury, and malice leads.

Rather, Our Lord gives us the recipe for beatitude in the Gospels, to true fulfillment in union with God, the way to true, lasting and eternal peace. Jesus addresses in the beatitudes those who are poor, those who are weeping, those who are hungry, those who are insulted and excluded, and he promises that something better is possible through Him.

Through His help, through His Grace, and the grace of the Sacraments, may we seek what is above always, that beatitude the Lord desires for us, that he suffered and died to obtain for us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That through Our Lady, Queen of Peace, terrorism and war, may be brought to an end.

That our civil representatives may use their authority to lead and build our nation in godly ways.

For all those who harden their hearts toward God, for those who have left the Church, for all those in serious sin, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, the imprisoned,  for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

29th Week in OT 2019 - Tuesday - Empty, seductive philosophies

Since last Wednesday, we’ve been reading from Paul’s letter to the Colossians. It’s a short letter, only four chapters; you can read the whole thing in 10 minutes.

Like most of Paul’s letters, Colossians is divided into two parts.  The first two chapters make up the first part.  They are theological and doctrinal.  The second part, which we’ll read tomorrow, begins the practical application.  And the two parts are connected: the Christian life is comprised of both right belief and right action.

The need for right belief is why Paul gives such stern warning today: “See to it that no one captivates you with an empty, seductive philosophy, according to the tradition of men, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ.”

We know all too well how the world seduces Christians away from Christ and away from the Church. And that “seduction” often begins with errors, false beliefs, philosophies contrary to the teachings of the Church. The error begins in the mind and then effects the way of life.

For Paul, right doctrine and right action are inseparable. Christianity opens the mind and heart to what is truly pleasing to God, and the Christian, knowing what is good and pleasing, acts accordingly. Caritas and Veritas, love and truth are inseparable—they are the two faces of the same gift that comes from God. As Augustine said: “nothing conquers but truth, and the victory of truth is love.”

In the Gospel, we hear of the Lord’s naming of the Twelve Apostles. The Apostles and their successors, the bishops, are integral in the Lord’s plan for the Church. They are to safeguard us in the Truth. In the great diversity of peoples and nations, they, by their teaching and preaching are to labor to help us remain united to Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. They, like good shepherds, are to fight off the wolves and thieves that seek to steal the sheep from the flock.

So we certainly commit to assisting the bishops with our prayers and penances, and to do our part in reclaiming for Christ all those who have fallen to the empty, seductive philosophies of our day by our own preaching and living of the saving Gospel of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For Bishop Nelson Perez, and all the Bishops and Clergy, that they may lead the Church in Spirit and Truth and in faithfulness to all that Christ teaches.
For those who have strayed from the flock of Christ, for those who have fallen to the empty, seductive philosophies of the world, for their return to the life of grace.
For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, the imprisoned, the unchaste, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

Tuesday - 23rd Week of OT 2017 - Moral Therapeutic Deism

Since last Wednesday, we’ve been reading from Paul’s letter to the Colossians. It’s a short letter, only four chapters; you can read the whole thing in 10 minutes.

Like most of Paul’s letters, Colossians is divided into two parts.  The first two chapters make up the first part.  They are theological and doctrinal.  The second part, which we’ll read tomorrow, begins the practical application.  And the two parts are connected: the Christian life is comprised of both right belief and right action--orthodoxy and orthopraxy.

The main theological point of Colossians is that Christ is the center of everything: “through him and for him all things exist,” Paul writes. Because Christ is the center of reality, He must be the center of our lives, your mind and your decisions.

We heard today, “See to it that no one captivates you with an empty, seductive philosophy, according to the tradition of men, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ.”  In other words, see to it that the worldly philosophies do not seduce you away from Christ.  We know all too well how the world seduces Christians away from Christ and away from the Church.
Sociologist Christian Smith wrote recently that the predominant religion practiced by so many of our young people today is not Christianity but what he called moral therapeutic Deism—meaning young people are only interested in religion insofar as it makes them feel happy and good.

Moral therapeutic Deism reduces the faith to its feel-good elements, but there is little thought of repentance from sin and building character through self-discipline, steadfastly saying one’s prayers, engaging in mortification and sacrifice for those in need.  The Moral Therapeutic Deist, does not really even involve God in his daily life, except when he is needed to resolve a problem.

Such is truly an empty philosophy because Christ is not at the center, rather the ego.  But when the ego is the only dictator of truth, we are truly imprisoned by ourselves.  No doubt, such philosophies are one reason for declining mass attendance.

St. Paul and the saints warn us against this ego-centrist form of religion and call us to practice true religion, worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith.
May we seek to reclaim for Christ all those who have fallen to the empty, seductive philosophies of our day through our commitment to preaching and living the saving Gospel of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Bishop Nelson Perez, and all the Bishops and Clergy, that they may lead the Church in Spirit and Truth and in faithfulness to all that Christ teaches.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, the imprisoned, the unchaste, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.