Mk 9:41-50 A Little Word Called Honor
“Better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”
These are pretty harsh words from our warm and fuzzy Jesus. Some time ago I received a letter from someone who did not approve of a talk I gave with regards to a hot-button issue. This person reminded me of how the Lord was gentle and tolerant. Really? I wonder if this person ever took the time to read the Gospels! In today’s Gospel, the Lord is clear and direct: there is a justice, there is a judgment and there is a Hell. We must do whatever it takes to get to Heaven. Better to crawl into Heaven then to walk into Hell. It is better to cut off the sinning member of your body rather than to lose heaven over one eye, ear, tongue or foot. It is very important that we reign in our passions; otherwise, we lose that which the Lord is forever passionate about.
We want to change the Commandments, but they will never change. We want them to be easier, but the pains and consequences of ignoring them are far worse than following them. We want them to be easier. Why? So we can ease people into Hell?
The Lord’s words are not barbaric, rudimentary, uncivilized, crude, immoral, or unwise. They are sanitary, healthy, loving, warm and personal. They are the truth and we should not doubt His brotherly advice to us, His beloved brothers and sisters. Far too many of us fear not the fire but the words and prefer to throw water not over the fire but over the fire-fighter! We prefer to kill the messenger rather than to look out the window and see the approaching enemy.
Just recently I read an article, conveniently lost in cyber-space and therefore hardly known and barely read, about the dangers of oral sex. Researchers found a 225% increase in oral cancer cases in the U.S. from 1974 to 2007. The conclusion: the more oral-sex partners, the greater the risk of oral cancer. Immediately what comes to my mind is the following: We are not animals. We are called to a higher calling. Sex must go hand in hand with love, fidelity, commitment and vows.
We know what will be the result of this study: We need to find a vaccine!!! We need to begin vaccinations for these types of sexually transmitted diseases starting at the age of twelve - no ten! This is always our solution. This is always our solution: A shot rather than a Scroll. We should be demanding best rather than settling for mediocrity. There are so many other illnesses that come from multiple partners that are not physical or even detectable but that penetrate deep into the heart and soul of an individual that no shot could ever reach. Will we ever learn? Do we understand what we are talking about? Our moral collapses manifest themselves in more than just a physical way. Something that the Lord spoke to us about, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”
We have an obligation, regardless of whether or not we are laughed off the stage; and we are called to fulfill it. The Lord has called upon us to speak the truth and to die for it.
“Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace."
O Father!
ReplyDeleteI can feel the heat permeating from you through my computer screen!
How are you all forgive forgive forgive, be gentle, loving, compassionate .... then here are the facts in black and white!? I have no problem with the facts, but I'm wondering how you can say here they are, read um and weep, but if someone else says the same thing in the same way, they are not loving.
Just trying to reconcile it. I'm not going to give an example or expect an answer. Just the first thing that popped into my head as I read.
I actually appreciate your words and agree completely.
I really enjoyed this entry, the answer for everything should not be a vaccine but people should step up and have enough self control and love for themselves to do the right thing.
ReplyDeletehope you have a good blessed day!! :]]
Amen Fr. Alfonse!! Your title says it all. Honor is all but gone from today's modern America. What happened to self-responsibility and doing the right thing, even in the face of adversity? When the country started attacking the use and posting of the Ten Commandments, a vital part of our American Heritage, the country started going downhill fast. I truly fear for my teenage children in this immoral environment. We are truly blessed to have you here to remove our blinders and show us the path back to Jesus. We pray for you daily.
ReplyDeleteBig Hugs,
R
There is a vaccine for the human papilloma virus which causes either cervical or uterine(?) cancer. It has been recommended for 12 YO girls. Some have had adverse reactions from the vaccine and a few have died. The recommendation has not been rescinded.
ReplyDeleteNow, gay men are taking the vaccine, as there has been an increase in oral and anal cancer among their demographic.
"There are so many other illnesses that come from multiple partners that are not physical or even detectable but that penetrate deep into the heart and soul of an individual that no shot could ever reach. Will we ever learn? Do we understand what we are talking about?"
When we violate the Law of God, even without multiple partners or other risk-taking behaviors, we do damage to our spirit and psyche. I speak as one who has been there, done that, and got the T-shirt in more than one category.
I would like to nominate yet another turkey for our idiot TV host list: Dr. Oz. It was his idiot advice that moved me to begin speaking openly-here and elsewhere-about a favorite sin. (Yes. It is true, I even spoke with the old ladies who drink latte in the Forum after weekday morning Mass.)
Dr. Oz has been promoting masturbation as a "healthy" practice. He said, "Ladies, your husband is doing this once a week behind a locked door in the bathroom. You should be doing the same thing."
Whut?
Do you think of masturbation as "safe sex"? Think again. Masturbation is highly addictive, and as such, can escalate to other behaviors and to variations that can put us at risk for physical damage in addition to the emotional and spiritual perils.
If there are any ladies out there who would like to discuss any of this further, you are welcome to apply for membership in my Yahoo group for women:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Gods_Beloved_Daughters/
Fr. Alfonse, if you would like me to edit and repost, I have saved a copy.
“Far too many of us fear not the fire but the words and prefer to throw water not over the fire but over the fire-fighter! We prefer to kill the messenger rather than to look out the window and see the approaching enemy.”
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading along, I was saying to my self, yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree……………….
Then when I came across the words above, there was a spark that flashed in my head and in my heart. I have been guilty of this exact thing. I have often paid more attention to the ‘unlikeliest’ choice of messengers and blown off the messages that were obviously for me from the Lord.
Why have I done this? I know God uses the weak and pitiful (my assessment of the messenger). As I reflect I think I did it because I didn’t like the message. It is so much easier to give little credence to a gift that comes shoddily wrapped than to one that is presented in a beautiful box with a pretty little bow on top.
[As I look at my words right here on the page, I’m thinking how interesting that is. The ones that come shoddily wrapped often come from those who know me the best and love me and accept me the way I am, (kids, family, intimate friends, those that don’t need to make pretenses) while the beautifully wrapped ones often come from those that I only know on the surface, who only know the ‘good stuff’ about me.]
Anyway, I can see how I’ve missed the message(s) because I was distracted and honestly I was distracted because I didn’t like the message(s) and I judged the messenger as…… lets just say, an unlikely choice. It has been easier to discount, disregard, ignore….the messenger than to seriously assess the message(s). And in doing so, I have kept the door open to the enemy who knows me very well and uses me, oh so well. He is all about distractions.
I keep forgetting God works in mysterious ways.
Thank you Fr. Alfonse!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your clear and direct words! We need to be told the TRUTH! And especially for the younger generation (in which I include myself) it has to be clear. We need to know the principles - doing everything out of true love - but sometimes it is very confusing to know exactly what this means in our daily actions.
"Sex must go hand in hand with love, fidelity, commitment and vows." Please continue to tell us this, as well as how to live it practically, until we believe it so firmly that we preach it to others with you (and then tell us again.)
God Bless and have a good day!
- Jessica
Father this is our fight everyday, we are of the world but not in the world, I teach my children and try to do so my friends and those that I come in contact with, but is this enough? One person at the time? it seems that we are the minority, how are we going to change the world? how do we fight this fight effectively.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your meditations, they are always great!! Peace and Love, you are always in our prayer
Maru
The best way to fight the world is to make them aware of what is going on. I had the opportunity already to preach to about 100 High School girls this article regarding sex. Their eyes lite up as if I was opening them for the first time. They had never heard this before. The same is going on in New York City right now. A Pro-Life organization put up a billboard and it is causing a stir because it is information the pro-choice advocates do not want anyone to know. That is, for an African-American woman, the most dangerous place for them is the womb. You should read about the stir this is creating. They want it taken down for a variety of reasons but none of them is for the reason that is stated on the billboard. That, they cannot argue about because it is true.
ReplyDeleteLike Jesus, a good loving parent is also stern, truthful, upfront with their children. Never abusive. I think there is too much wrong out there because it begins at home...the bad parenting, the lazy parenting, the mean parenting, the 'I'm just a parent because that's what you're supposed to do-to have kids' kind of parenting, the 'I want to be cool and be my kids' friend' kind of parenting.
ReplyDeleteI always told my girls,as they were growing up and especially when they were in their preteens and teens, I always told them that I loved them so much, but I didn't care if they didn't like me because I was not their friend, I was their mother, and they could have lots of friends, but only one mother, and that was me, and I was never going to resign as their mother, ever. Whether they liked me or not, whether they thought I was cool or not, whether they 'hated' me at one time or another, nothing changed...still their mother, and they knew what the definition of mother was...to love unconditional, to have their back always, to want the best for them, always, always.
Ay Dios mio, padrecito. You have to deal with so much negativity! These people that get so angry! It must be hard at times. I'm sorry.
Are your masses this coming Sunday the 2 later ones? Thank you
Great Meditation Father!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the Gospel this morning I felt as If I was getting a much needed spanking from the Lord. I actually rebelled at first but over the course of the day, I kept reflecting and coming back to it. I mean, I am good "most" of the time. But this is it...It is His way, not my way that will lead me see the face of God. And that way is by following Him, and only Him "all" the time. Thank You for the reminder.
You are in my prayers!
Rose :)
This is great everyone here got a little more truth today.
ReplyDeleteThe challenge is to go out and tell someone that needs to hear it today or tomorrow. Not just your 'safe' friends that are like minded. Go out and tell someone else, risk it. That is how we get the word out to those that need to hear it.
Be the messenger that they want to kill. Do it for Jesus!!
Someone needs to send Teri a bulletin. LOL
ReplyDeleteI have one, but a lot of times, the scheduled priest is not the one there. haha
ReplyDeleteCouldn't you post your schedule here somewhere, father, whether you'll be at St. Joseph's or elsewhere. and also, I would love a list of your likes and dislikes in the food and beverage department. Sometimes I think of baking you something or cooking you something or bringing your favorite beverage, just something, but I don't know it you would like that or what you like.
Think about it ok? thank you
Pretty typical portrait of modern Christianity: "gentle and tolerant." Too many people don't realize they're not really Christian — because they don't know who Jesus really was! What a revelation when we realize we can't make Him into who we think He is, or who we want Him to be. He has made it abundantly clear. Thanks for being the voice that is constantly reminding us of the Truth!
ReplyDelete"Gentle and tolerant." Ha!
Teri
ReplyDeleteYou crack me up!
Teri,
ReplyDeleteI vote for you to be the president of Fr.'s fan club!
Great idea Teri!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks you for another AWESOME reflection, Fr.! Keep up the work of the Holy Spirit! Your zeal reminds me of John the Baptist...Perhaps you like to eat wild honey and locusts?! LOL
Indeed. The world is going to an opposite direction.Away from Jesus.
ReplyDeleteYour message is very inspiring.