Battling with Lust

First Reading: 2 Cor 4:7-15
Psalm: Ps 116:10-11, 15-18 -- To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise
Gospel: Mt 5:27-32

But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. - Matthew 5:27

Friends,

In today's gospel reading, we hear Jesus' second and third clarifications on the Mosaic law. I hear from many people (especially from Christians) that this is among the hardest of Jesus' teachings. Some claim that it is impossible, and forgive themselves on that account. Others take it without question and do their best to impose that understanding on those around them.

The Puritans sought to weed out the problem of lust from their society. Anyone caught in a sexual sin was punished severely, including death for adulterers (no doubt they believed that it was better to lose one's head than to have one's entire body thrown into Gehenna). They attempted to use law and fear as a means to prevent sin. Despite their best efforts, they could not stamp out sexual sins.

In our culture, it is nearly impossible to go a day without being encouraged to look lustfully at another person. Television is packed with shows and commercials that sell themselves using the easiest attention-drawing technique available. Yet, even in the time of Christ, this must have been something very difficult, or Jesus would not emphasize on it. It is not simply a problem within our culture, it is a problem within our fallen human nature. Hence, we cannot fight it with laws; we must fight it with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

As Christians, we must remember not to be too light on ourselves, but not too hard either. When a co-worker asked about Mt 5:27, I commented that he was being a little too hard on himself. Together, we looked up approved interpretations. After about 45 minutes of research, we concluded that the most common interpretation, including for Catholics, is that we are not guilty of lust for noticing the beauty of a woman. God created beautiful things, including beautiful people and also gave us the ability to appreciate that beauty. However, we are guilty of lust if we are anticipating our reaction to that beauty, treating people as a means for our own pleasure. In other words, if we are deliberately "noticing" their appearance, then lust is beginning in us. Or, if you prefer Billy Graham's view: "the first look is free; after that we're accountable."

Finally, Jesus tells us: "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna" (Mt 5:29). We are tempted to think this somewhat extreme, but it is important to recognize the lesson in it. Our eyes do not (generally) cause us to sin, but the things we see with them might. Our television, for example. Are we really prepared to give up TV, or the internet, if we cannot keep ourselves from using them to sin? Let us pray that we are.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of this day. Thank you for your promise to never give us more than we can endure. Help us, Lord; save us from temptation. Send your angels to guide us as we continue our walk to your glorious presence. Grant us also the wisdom to know when to flee in order to protect ourselves from sin. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Reconciliation

First Reading: Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3
Psalm: Ps 98:1-6 -- The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power
Gospel: Mt 5:20-26
Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny. - Matthew 5:25-26

Friends,

In the gospel reading today, we hear the first of Jesus' clarifications on the Ten Commandments. It is incredibly rich with wisdom, and I recommend a thorough reading of Matthew chapter 5 on your own for further reflection.

An interesting note of the two examples that Jesus presents in today's reading: both put us in the position of the debtor. In the first, Jesus mentions that we should leave our gift at the altar if we remember that our brother has something against us (Mt. 5:23). We are not forgiving our brother, rather, we are seeking forgiveness. In the second example (shown above), we are the ones at risk of being thrown into prison, not our opponent. In both examples, we are called to seek their forgiveness immediately, and not to put any activity before it, lest our opportunity be lost.

This is a parallel of our relationship with God. When we go to offer gifts to the Lord, we should first seek His forgiveness, as well as that of any brothers we have wronged. Our offering will mean nothing if we stubbornly hold onto our pride, and refuse to admit our shortcomings. Likewise, we should make sure to settle with God often, through His gift of the sacrament of reconciliation, before we arrive at our own judgment. It is all the more important that we do this as soon as possible, because we do not know how soon we should arrive at His court.

Finally, take all of this in the context of the opening statements of this gospel reading. Jesus tells us that we are subject to judgment if we are angry with, our insult, our brothers (and sisters) (Mt. 5:22). When we get angry with our family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, or any other people we meet throughout the day, we must seek their forgiveness. What is more, we should watch our actions, and our thoughts, to make sure we communicate in love; discussing civilly, admonishing gently, and forgiving readily.

forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us - Matthew 6:12

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of this day. Thank you for your gift of the sacrament of reconciliation; draw us to it often. Guide us in our interactions with others, especially those who do not believe, that we might treat them with love and respect. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Mirrors

First Reading: 2 Cor 1:18-22
Psalm: Ps 119:129-133, 135 -- Lord, let your face shine on me
Gospel: Mt 5:13-16

Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. - Matthew 5:16

Friends,

What does Jesus mean when he tells us that we are the light of the world? I thought that he was (is) the light of the world (John 8:12, 9:5). How is it that we are to be a light to the world, if Jesus is that light?

Think of a dark room, with lots of furniture and walls. Now, imagine that a candle is lit in that room. Its brightness is wonderful and now many things are visible. You notice that some of the objects in the room are mirrors. In the dark, they didn't do much good. They did not give light to anything on their own. But, once turned toward the candle, they reflect its light to other shadowy areas. Note that they are still not making their own light, but spreading the original light. If they are turned away from the candle, they will be of no use.

In this analogy, Christ is the candle and we are the mirrors. The light itself is God's love for us. Christ came to share His infinite love with the world, and it falls on everyone, regardless of whether they are facing him or not. However, once we are directed toward that source of love we not only receive the light for ourselves, we begin to reflect it out to others. The love of God is spread more and more as it is reflected in us to the rest of creation.

We are also called to remember that, without the source of that love (light), we have nothing to reflect. If the mirror is turned away from the candle and toward another object, the mirror cannot give off its own light and both will be left in darkness. We cannot claim for ourselves the love of God, nor can we claim that we are the source of love. In order to have and share love, we must recognize and give the glory to its source.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of this day. We are grateful for your endless love for us and the infinite number of ways that you show us that love. Grant that we might be good mirrors of Christ. Help us to orient toward him, and polish us well, that we may be like lights to those in darkness. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Encouragement

First Reading: 2 Cor 1:1-7
Psalm: Ps 34:2-9 -- Taste and see the goodness of the Lord
Gospel: Mt 5:1-12

If we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation; if we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which enables you to endure the same sufferings that we suffer. - 2 Corinthians 1:6

Friends,

Encouragement seems to be the word of the day for Paul in today's reading. He uses it ten times in five verses. The constant repetition caused me to get confused as I read it through, so I had to go back and re-read it several times before it made sense. Once it did, I realized that there was not really any other way it could have been stated.

What Paul is telling us is definitely not obvious at a first glance. Common sense (and self-preservation) tell us that if someone is suffering for something, then we should avoid that behavior. However, on a second look, and in context, it makes perfect sense that the suffering Paul speaks of is a very encouraging thing.

To demonstrate, let us set up a simple scenario: a group of children are playing on the playground. One of the larger boys pushes a younger girl down and laughs at her. Her brother notices this; he stands up for his sister and prepares to fight, even though he knows he cannot win a fight against the larger boy. The immediate reward that he receives will likely be a bloody nose, or mockery, or any of a number of playground cruelties. On the other hand, the other kids on the playground will see that someone is willing to stand up to the bullies. Perhaps other brothers will take a stand for their siblings the next time they are bullied.

This is the example of the saints and martyrs. Tertullian's famous statement that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church," is a fact that we can see played out across history. When a follower of Jesus was publicly put to death, some of the people in the square wanted to know who this Christ was that people would rather die than denounce him. What was so powerful about their testimony is that they were (and are) willing to suffer in order to encourage others to be strong in their faith.

Our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement. - 2 Corinthians 1:7

Heavenly Father, all glory and praise to you for your greatness. We thank you for the gift of this day. We thank you for our many brothers and sisters throughout history that have given their testimony and encourage us even now. We pray for those in the world who are suffering because of their faith in Christ, that they remain firm. Help us to encourage them in their time of need, as they encourage us in our life of faith. Embolden us, that we might stand fast and encourage others to stand up for their belief in your Son. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen