THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals Ninth Sunday after Pentecost 29 July 2012

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

All who have ever witnessed inevitable evils come upon their loved ones because of their own actions, can relate to the sadness that brings forth the tears of Our Lord in today’s gospel. How many fathers and mothers have warned, prayed, and wept for their children who they could clearly see were headed down the wrong path! The foresight that comes from experience is often lacking in the world today and especially in our youth. The real tragedy though, is that these people will not heed the warnings of those who see the future misfortune and weep for them. Each one deceives himself that his situation is different. The devils, the world and the passions deceive us into seeing only the present enticements and blind us to the almost inevitable consequences of our actions.

Job in his wisdom offered many sacrifices for his children for any transgressions they may have committed in their youthful levity. (Job 1:5) Parents who truly understand that nothing stained can enter into the kingdom of heaven, and are aware of the many transgressions of youth, feel the pain deep in their souls; knowing what fate awaits them – not only in this world – but, more importantly the fate that awaits them in eternity. If we will only objectively observe the world around us and the lives of those around us, we cannot help but see the misery in this life that awaits all who live only for the passing momentary pleasures. The social media, tabloids, reality television, etc. give us countless examples of lives ruined by the hedonistic pursuit of the present passions. There are countless unhappy morbidly obese people; broken hearted “lovers” (adulterers and fornicators); people suffering very painful diseases due to their transgressions; addictions of every kind that bring suffering in their wake, and this is only with reference to the sufferings of this life. The sufferings of the next life are much worse than any of the present ones, but these are seldom, if ever, contemplated.

The impending destruction of Jerusalem brought tears to the eyes of Jesus, but the inevitable loss of souls is many times more heart-breaking. We see in the actions of Christ after this, where He places the blame, of what He considers to be the root of the problem. Our Lord went to the temple, chased out the money lenders and preached daily, indicating that the priest and the temple had failed in their duties. Is it not the duty of the priests – the shepherds of Christ’s flock – to consider and see the errant paths of the people and warn them, and do all in their power to guide them back to the straight and narrow? How many of Christ’s priests have been complacent and uncaring – unloving – in their duties as shepherds of these sheep? How many have truly prayed and wept and sacrificed themselves for the flock? Too often, these priests have fallen into the same pitfalls as their sheep, and act as hirelings only interested in their own immediate pleasures.

We should not let our examination end with only a consideration of the failings of the clergy or pseudo-clergy, but we must move on to ask of the parents who have been given charge of the physical bodies of their children and more importantly their children’s souls. Even if priests and parents are rendered impotent in the correction of their children (by their legal maturity, the immoral laws of society, or the obstinate insubordination of their rebellious children, etc.) they always have available their tears, prayers, and sacrifices to offer as satisfaction and atonement for the ones they love.

Finally we must reach the examination of our own lives, because we have each been given the care and custody of our own souls. Even if our pastors and parents and every other authority over us fails in this duty, God has given us an intelligence, conscience, and a free will to admonish and correct ourselves. This leaves no one with any excuse for not looking ahead and seeing the evil that awaits and begin shedding tears of repentance and offering endless prayers united with sacrifices so as to appease God’s justice and avoid the evils that hang over their heads.

Let us look ahead to the evils that await all who live in their transgressions and weep, pray and sacrifice in atonement not only for those whom we have an obligation to watch over, but also let us do the same for our own souls. May we be truly ever grateful to all those who from obligation or love have knowingly or unknowingly suffered the pains of tears, prayers and sacrifices for us. Only in eternity will we know the extent of the graces merited for us by the tears of others on our behalf. It is most probable that most of the graces we receive are due to the merits of someone else. Let us always be grateful, and do the same for others.