tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-439331035718369167.post4932534965770321159..comments2024-02-09T02:48:13.776-06:00Comments on Daily Meditations with Fr. Alfonse: Luke 4:14-22 Where He Had Grown UpFr. Alfonsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02557206560119402976noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-439331035718369167.post-23015243248046384352013-01-11T17:39:02.633-06:002013-01-11T17:39:02.633-06:00Pope Benedict states in his book, Jesus of Nazaret...Pope Benedict states in his book, Jesus of Nazareth, that the relationship that our relationship with our earthly father reflects that of our heavenly father, in the same way earthy marriage should follow that of the heavenly marriage between Christ and the Church. Our inability to think spiritually effectively prevents us from understanding fatherhood, motherhood, parenthood, and even childhood as the callings they were meant to be. We don't understand the roles we fulfill in daily life. If we understood roles, we could act with purpose, and if we did that, this amoral limbo we've created for ourselves wouldn't even exist. <br /><br />Cultural movements, all born out of envy (communism and relativism) or narcissism (atheism and hedonism), have corroded roles. We break down whole systems of beliefs, whole systems of thought that brought communities together to worship God and love one another, and we leave ourselves with broken pieces of those old thoughts. Then we put those pieces together in a haphazard collage with no forethought, no beauty, no meaning. What pleasant feeling could spring from such a course of action? Should we tell children to reject their parents and finally live their lives? Should we tell students to leave the classroom and finally enjoy themselves? Should we tell all working men and women to dump their jobs and enjoy themselves? Enjoy what? What comes from all this denial? Enlightenment? Or, more likely, darkness and gnashing of teeth?<br /><br />You make a vital point that one can only turn to oneself for guidance after rejecting Christianity. A person like Dawkins thinks that he liberates the masses and turns them to higher things like science, politics, or art. But, like you say, those poor misled masses normally turn to much lower things like self-mutilation, drug abuse, pornography, and alcoholism. By God's grace, this hasn't happened to everyone, but for those with the blessing of faith and good upbringing, they should help these lost children. The times call for more outreach and less complacency. Otherwise there will be no more adults left in this world, and we'll all simply be lost orphans. Benedict Augustinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07274188116075677081noreply@blogger.com