THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals Second Sunday of Advent 4 December 2011

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

In today’s Gospel our Holy Mother the Church points out to us how we are to recognize Christ. 

Though we see all the wonderful things that Christ has done and continues to do, we must be very cautious that we not mistake someone else for Him. Likewise, we must be very cautious that we not make a Messiah or a religion according to our own ideas. 

“… and blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in Me.”

All too often we find things that Christ commands us to do too hard. So instead of conforming ourselves to His will, we simply deny that it is God who is commanding these things. If we deny Christ before men, then Christ will deny us before His heavenly Father. 

The world in which we find ourselves today is steeped in scandal. The greatest scandal is in those who will not accept Christ on His own terms, but are determined to make Christ fit their own selfish appetites. 

How many different religions are there? Each one creates a god according to their own whims and desires. Setting aside all the non-Christian sects, how many “Christian” religions are there? And what is most surprising is that they say, “We all believe in the same god.” This is probably the most foolish saying since Christ first came to earth. 

When someone wants a divorce the first thing that he does is recreate Christ in such a way as to approve of it. He is scandalized in Christ who said: “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” So a new messiah and a new religion are formed. (It is not the same god, but a new one created in a manner to serve the whims and desires of the man who wants a divorce.) 

When someone does not wish to believe what Christ said concerning the Holy Eucharist -- “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you.” -- he simply creates a new christ and a new religion because he is scandalized in Christ. Again, it is a new god, a different god -- not the same god. 

When someone does not like the idea that Christ gave power to His Apostles and their successors saying: “Whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven and whose sins you shall retain they are retained,” what do they do? They create a new religion and a new god that does not require them to go to confession. 

Those who would have Christ establish a meal rather than a sacrifice have also created a new christ and a new religion to meet their needs. Likewise, all those who would have us believe that all religions are good and are nothing more than different expressions of the same god, have created a new religion and a new god. They are scandalized in Christ, His teaching, and His Church. 

If there is any evil or passion which men wish to pursue then there is a new religion and a new god created to meet their needs because they are scandalized in Christ. 

Perhaps, after considering it a little more, maybe they do all believe in the same god -- Satan! Satan does not care what people think of him or how they live or worship -- he is served well as long as God is not. 

Most people might believe in and serve the same god (Satan), but the true Catholic only believes and worships the one true Jesus Christ and His Church the Roman Catholic Church.

The true Christian is not scandalized in anything Christ has said or done. He does not try to recreate Christ in his own image and likeness. The true Christian works to remodel himself in the image and likeness of Christ.