Friday November 15, 2024

Human interpretations of moral laws should never be guided by worldly ideas or “political correctness.”

Good News Reflection for:

Friday of the 32nd Week of Ordinary Time
November 15, 2024

Today’s Prayer:

Lord, help me to persevere in the good path You suggest to me. Don’t let me stray from You. Rather, may my works bear abundant fruit with Your love rooted in me. Amen.

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Today’s Readings:

2 John 4-9
Ps 119:1,2,10,11,17,18
Luke 17:26-37
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111524.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-november-15-2024

Staying rooted in truth

Today’s readings warn about being so “progressive” that we’re no longer rooted in the teachings of Christ.

The norms and regulations of the Catholic Church do provide room for growth, adaptations for special needs, and changes in how we worship based on timeliness and cultures. Canon Law and Church documents mention the necessity of adaptability, as long as moral laws are not broken and the teachings of Christ are not rejected.

Moral laws never change. Human interpretations of moral laws should never be guided by worldly ideas or “political correctness.” Our Church (the “Chosen Lady” of today’s first reading) should be growing more and more into the image of Christ.

Signs that more growth is needed are all around us. You have seen it yourself. There are priests who don’t even try to be like Christ. There are bishops who exert their authority without compassion and collaboration. There are laity who condemn others while ignoring their own need to advance their own faith life. And there are many who live and spread heretical teachings about moral issues.

God isn’t finished maturing his beloved Church.

When “progress” means redefining the truth to suit our own purposes, we no longer have God, as today’s first reading points out. “Progressive” decisions occur when we allow ourselves to be swayed by the winds of non-Christian influences. We’re most vulnerable to this when we don’t like what the Church teaches, which happens because we don’t understand what the Church is really teaching. To use the analogy that Jesus provides in the Gospel reading, “wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather” — we flock to what’s decaying, because the world tells us it’s appetizing and we choose to believe it.

The “antichrist” or “deceiver” is anyone who rejects the truth. We can discern what is not a truth – what is not truly of God – by its unloving character and its unscriptural basis. However, love and scripture are often claimed as validations for deceptions. We must become better educated, double-checking everything against the documents of the Church (which are readily available on the internet), because these teachings are based upon and help explain the scriptures.

Every day, we’re exposed to the ideas and pressures of people who are gambling with their eternal happiness. They are like the folks in Noah’s day, as Jesus pointed out, doing what feels right to them up until the very end, without regard to the warnings and commandments of God. They think they’re sparing themselves from unhappiness and destruction, but “whoever tries to preserve his life by his own methods will lose it.”

The true teachings of the Catholic Church are based on the supreme Law of Love so that we remain eternally alive in the saving love of Jesus Christ. If you doubt any of it, research it directly from the writings of Saints and the Church Magisterium. Pray daily for the Holy Spirit — the Spirit of Truth — to clear up confusion, clean out misinterpretations, and convict you of the truth.

For more on this subject use our prayer, “A Prayer for Healing in Church Scandals” @ wordbytes.org/victory/prayer-for-healing-in-church-scandals/

© by Terry A. Modica, Good News Ministries

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