Today at Holy Mass we hear from the Gospel of St Luke…In this readings Jesus talks about how people are accusing him of being evil…How can that be?….It seems that what was good is being called bad…And what is bad is being called good…Sound familiar?…..”For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out?”….We all must make a choice…..And no choice is a default choice…We either choose the Kingdom of God……. And if we make that choice…We must walk the “narrow road” that leads to heaven…The other option is hell and the road to hell is wide……And yes - Hell is real and people go there……We cannot have it both ways…..Far too many people “think” we can have it both ways…But it simply does not work that way….Don’t take my words for it…Jesus is pretty clear on the subject
“The prince of this world will now be cast out, and when I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all to myself, says the Lord”
I have heard it said…The greatest trick the devil ever played on mankind is to convince us that he does not exist…..Make no mistake about it…Evil does exist and so does the devil…….Jesus says something very direct and to the point in this Gospel….”Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters”…There is no wiggle-room in that statement…Its very black and white…We are either with God or against God….On the surface its an easy choice…We tell ourselves we are with God…Right?…But when we sin and we all sin, are actions say something else….This is why when we sin we must seek reconciliation…Because "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak"…..Another aspect of the devil that I believe people take for granted is…The devil is infinitely smarter and stronger than we are…The devil knows all of our weaknesses…And we all have weaknesses….This is why we must put on what is commonly called “the armor of God”…When we develop a daily prayer life, fast weekly and live a Sacramental life…We put on that “armor”…In doing those things we live in what is called the state of grace…..This state essentially protects us from the “tricks” and temptations of the devil, which each of us face everyday…That does not make us perfect by no means however what it does mean is it gives us “eyes to see” and fortifies our will to resist temptation…….Never forget - “The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”……Some may read this and dismiss what I just wrote….BIG MISTAKE….The devil is smarter then you and stronger then you…He knows ALL your weaknesses…The devil HATES YOU…..Bad habits and grave sin begin gradually and with small steps…And before we realize it…We have “crossed a bridge too far”…Put on the armor of God!
“He has given food to those who fear him; he will forever be mindful of his covenant. He has made known to his people the power of his works, giving them the inheritance of the nations”
Some may say…How do I know the will of God?…..Some say….There is no such thing as Absolute Truth…You have “your truth”….And I have my “truth”….That is a lie!…Jesus said very clearly…I am the Truth!…He did not say he is the custom…God determines the Truth…If you have any doubt about the eternal Truths of the Church, I suggest you pray about what troubles you before the Blessed Sacrament…In the silence sitting before God fully present in the consecrated Host you will be given all the clarity you need…Then it is up to us to choose!…There is no middle ground
”I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you”
Getting back to our gospel passage today…The people who opposed Jesus called him evil…Because they refused to change…They justified themselves and their behavior even as they stood face to face with God himself…What about us?…People today love the idea of “Hippie Jesus”….Who is “Hippie Jesus” you may ask?….“Hippie Jesus” does not ask us to change….“Hippie Jesus” says everything is ok…..“Hippie Jesus” says “you be you”…..That is not who Jesus Christ was or is!…..Jesus Christ was the Lion of Judah……Jesus Christ spoke Truth to power…Jesus Christ loves us too much to leave us as we are…He asks us to change and he enables us with the “tools” through his Church to make that change…The rest is up to you and me…..When the Truth becomes a lie, darkness descends upon us and when darkness falls, how very deep will that darkness be?
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