All people are called to Holiness

Often well intended Catholics think that the priest has the “religious role” and they are to just go to Church and leave evangelization to the Priest. On the other hand some very well intended Catholics think that to be a good Catholic they need attend two Masses a day and make a Holy hour. The Church, however reminds the laity not to take either extreme, but rather to take the middle road.

Catholics are called to live out their faith in their daily lives through their specific vocation. One’s state in life will dictate how they live out their life. A young mother of three, for example, has an obligation to raise her children and as such most probably should not be attending two Masses and a Holy Hour every day. An older retired couple, however, may have more time and can make it to daily Mass and spend an hour in front of the Eucharist.

Living one’s faith out in the context of their state in life is not an excuse to not be united to the Trinity and the Church. Pope Paul VI’s decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, Apostolicam Actuositatem Is very clear that “neither family concerns nor other secular affairs should be irrelevant to their spiritual life.” (3) No matter what one’s state in life is all people must continue to keep in the forefront of their mind the fact that we are on a pilgrimage, returning to the Father.

I think to integrate one’s life with an authentic life of faith three things are required, frequent use of the Sacraments, frequent prayer with the Word of God, and the examples of the saints. As we continue on the journey to the Father we need the graces provided for us through frequent reception of the sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Confession. The frequent use of Lectio Devina is important so one can “always and everywhere recognize God.”(3) The lives of the saints also assist us by showing us in concrete ways how the triumphant were able to integrate their lives of faith in their hectic lives of the world.

No matter our state in life we are called to live a life of holiness. How we live this life will very from time to time in our life as our state in life changes but we never have an excuse to not live holy lives. All of us are called to be saints and through remembering that we are all on a pilgrimage back to the Father, the frequent reception of Holy Eucharist and Confession, frequent prayer with the Word of God and modeling our lives after the lives of the saints, most especially the Blessed Mother, we will live out lives of holiness in a very evil world, and be that light on the mountain top.

Vatican II reminds us that we are part of a family, the Body of Christ

When was the last time you stopped to think that as a Catholic you are a member of a family that not only extends across our world but into the next? Even though we come together at Mass every week, most Catholics never stop to consider the parish as a family, let alone the whole Church as a family, and even fewer Catholics extend that family beyond the church militant, the saints in heaven, to the church suffering, the souls on purgatory, and the church triumphant, those of us still on earth.

While many Catholics have never heard of the communion of saints, all the saints in heaven, it seems important that we pray to the communion of saints for intercession on our pilgrimage to join them. The Second Vatican Council in its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium discussing the communion of saints teaches that the communion of saints never ceases to pray on our behalf to the Father. "For after they have been received into their heavenly home and are present to the Lord, through Him and with Him and in Him they do not cease to intercede with the Father for us."[1] The intercession of the saints is powerful because they are united to the Lord. Thinking of it in simple terms the intercession of the saints and the Blessed Virgin is powerful because they are human like us and know of our need for prayers, yet at the same time as saints live in union with God. We must pray for the intercession of the saints because"by their brotherly interest our weakness is greatly strengthened."[2]

We should not only pray to the communion of saints but we should also study their lives and try to imitate the holy lives of the saints because "When we look at the lives of those who have faithfully followed Christ, we are inspired with a new reason for seeking the City that is to come and at the same time we are shown a most safe path."[3]  Lumen Gentium highly encourages this saying, "Let them therefore teach the faithful that the authentic cult of the saints consists not so much in the multiplying of external acts, but rather in the greater intensity of our love, whereby, for our own greater good and that of the whole Church we seek from the saints "example in their way of life."[4] People of all ages will benefit from reading and imitating the lives of the saints.

    As members of the Body of Christ we cannot neglect to prayer for the church suffering. Just as those in heaven pray for us we also have an obligation to pray for those in purgatory. It is truly "a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins."[5]

    As Catholics we are blessed to live in a family, the Body of Christ. "For all of us, who are sons of God and constitute one family Christ."[6] We must always remember that we do not practice our faith alone. We are a part of a larger family. We must frequently interact with that family through prayer and never cease to teach the beautiful reality of this family to others. It just seems that if this family "attitude" were encouraged amongst the faithful we would have a holier Church.

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[1] Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium. Vatican II, November 21, 1964. Par 49.

[2] Ibid. Par. 49.

[3] Ibid Par 50

[4] Ibid Par 51

[5] Ibid Par 50

[6] Ibid Par 51

St. Paul on Human Sexuality

             In discussions with other Christians on their views of human sexuality I have come to realize that they very often never reference the bible. One of the key areas that must be cited for a true understanding of what the Church teaches on human sexuality is the Epistles of St. Paul. If many Christians would only take the time to read the Epistles of St. Paul I reckon we would have a much clearer understanding amongst Christians of the truths about human sexuality.  In this short article I will briefly introduce St. Paul’s teachings on extra-marital sex, homosexuality, abortion, and contraception.

            St. Paul is very clear in his teaching that extra-marital sexual intercourse is wrong. St. Paul teaches that the Christian becomes a member of Christ through baptism and since he is a member of Christ he should not join himself to anything that is impure. He warns that since the Christian body is a temple of the Holy Spirit it should not be used for lust filled actions.

Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your

body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own. You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor 6:18-20)

 Just as Christians are holy in Christ they must also remain holy. For St. Paul this holiness is wrapped up in the preservation of purity in marriage rather than in the disorder of lust.

            Paul also teaches against the sin of homosexual acts. St. Paul calls homosexual acts unnatural, shameless, and improper conduct.

Their woman exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving their own persons with due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct.”(Romans 1:26-28)

St. Paul is further very clear that those who practice homosexual acts will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor the idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminates, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor 6: 9-10)

While the words homosexual ajd effeminates are often left out of modern biblical translations the original Greek uses the two terms malakoi, translated effeminates, and arsenokoitai, translated homosexuals. The condemnation of homosexual acts could not be clearer, yet what is more confusing is the word effeminates. St. Thomas Aquinas identifies this with masturbation.[1] Thus St. Paul not only condemns homosexuality but also masturbation.

            St. Paul also teaches about the evils of abortion and contraception. St. Paul makes clear reference to the fact that a child in the womb is a real child. “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace.” (Gal 1:15) To destroy an innocent child is murder and wrong. St. Paul also condemns birth control. In the fifth book of Galatians he condemns sorcery (pharmakeia in the Greek.) In antiquity this word was identified with witchdoctors who were known for making drugs that would either abort a child or prevent a woman from becoming pregnant.[2]

            St. Paul clearly condemned extra-marital sex, homosexuality, abortion, and contraception. If only Christians would take the time to read St. Paul many differences amongst the Christian Community over teachings on Human Sexuality would be cleared up.

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[1] Summa Theologica II-II, q.154 a. 11

[2] Marshal, Taylor. The Catholic Persepctive on Paul. St. John’s Press (Dallas, 2010) pg 181-183.