Seeking Truth … Protecting The Divine
“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” –Ecclesiastes 3:1
Everything that is old is new again, and there is really nothing new under the sun! These phrases are not hard to comprehend. As we journey through life we witness that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The problems we face in our culture today are nothing new. The mindsets of individuals are predicated on many factors. God’s plan was for our uniqueness to create a beautifully diverse world. But since the beginning of time, humankind has been creating ways to destroy this perfect plan.
The Book of Genesis tells us how it all began, and why the “fall” of Adam and Eve left us with the propensity to sin. More importantly, New Testament stories make clear that we have an opportunity to begin anew with a life in Christ – until the end of time! There is nothing we can do that would make God love us less! From Genesis to the Book of Revelation we have a perfect guide for knowledge, hope and Truth!
The Season of Lent offers a time to strengthen our bond with God our Father in Heaven. We also have an opportunity to repair any broken relationships we have with people here on earth. The unknowns of the Paschal Mystery are difficult to envision; but if we acknowledge this mystery, the goal of getting to heaven will become less challenging. Church teachings, traditions and the sacraments all give us perfect truth for our journey.
Ash Wednesday fell on Valentine’s Day this year. A day filled with gifts, cards and commercially-celebrated love took on a different meaning as we began the 40 days of Lent. Every year during the week of Feb. 7-14, the Church acknowledges other occasions for healing and love. In 1992, Saint Pope John Paul II designated Feb. 11 as “World Day for the Sick;” and in 2014, the Synod of Bishops on the Family convened. As a result, this year the USCCB observed the 4th Annual National Marriage Week and shared these words, which define marriage, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a Sacrament” (CCC #1601).
In 2015, the U.S. Congress supported a National Marriage Week for Feb. 7-14. This week, set aside to celebrate marriage, also provides an opportunity to support engaged couples – as well as to help heal those who suffer from troubled or broken marriages, especially when children are involved.
Society is recreating the meaning God intended for marriage and family. The human person is a sacred gift, and the dignity of every individual needs to be protected. Having a social nature does not give us the authority to exchange truth for our own personal reasoning of right and wrong. In relativism there has emerged a misinterpretation of justice, absent an understanding of the words, “created in the image and likeness of God.” The strong, unwavering teachings of marriage and family in the Church should be the main reasons people become members; but unfortunately in our society today, they are the main reasons people leave the Church.
During this season of Lent, set aside time to pray for family and the divine nature of the human person – from natural conception until natural death. This was God’s divine plan from the very beginning of time! Amen!
