Monday, October 15, 2012

LAW & MORALITY


UNITY CONGRESS V – APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF NORTHERN ARABIA (KUWAIT)

YEAR OF FAITH 11 OCTOBER 2012 – 24 NOVEMBER 2013
DOOR OF FAITH – PORTA FIDEI Pope Benedict XVI
25th September 2012
Link to the Theme Song for the Unity Congress
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQU2rty-WE0

LAW & MORALITY

His Lordship Bishop Joel Baylon

Definition of  GRACE
G od’s
R iches
A t         
C hrist’s
E xpense

I.          When God created man in His image and likeness He also gave him the gift of freedom.  Jesus is the revelation of the mystery of the Father. 

Read and Reflect    Genesis Chapter 3 – THE FALL

THE THREE PRIMORDIAL QUESTIONS FOUND IN THIS TEXT ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1)      Where are you? Gen 3:9
2)      Who told you that you were naked? Gen 3:11
3)      What have you done? Gen 3:13

1)  Where are you? Gen 3:9
God is always in search of us.  He wants to see us before Him.  We are His greatest creation.
The questions we must always ask ourselves are
i)     Where do I stand before God?
ii)    Am I faithful?
iii)   Am I obedient?

In the parable of the Prodigal Son Luke 15:verse 20 gives us a very moving description of the father who was on the lookout for his wayward son’s return.  It says, “ He was still a long way off when his father caught sight of him. His father was so deeply moved with compassion that he ran out to meet him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.”

This is a portrait of our heavenly Father and us sinners.  Salvation is the homecoming of human beings to the love of God.  Sin makes human beings homeless and God lonely.

The greatest gift after the gift of life given to us by God is the gift of freedom.  It is a powerful gift because we can say ‘no’ to Him.

2)  Who told you that you were naked?  Gen 3:11
At our baptism we are clothed in the truth and righteousness of God.  When we sin innocence and righteousness go out and malice and shame come in.  Sin makes us naked and homeless and we seek to wrap our nakedness with worldly things.  The things we surround ourselves with indicate that we are naked. We feed our undying desire for God and the emptiness caused by  His absence with things that can never satisfy. 

3) What have you done? Gen 3:13

With the gift of freedom comes responsibility and accountability.  We have to be righteous before God, before ourselves and before others.

II.  BEING CLEAN AND LIVING CLEAN

What is true religion?

God established a covenant with His people and gave them the 10 commandments.  These were a symbol of the greatness of their nation.  They had a God who loved them and made Himself manifest to them through the law.

Moses would say to the people, "What great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? What other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?" Exodus 4:6-8

Through the Law they were expected to lead lives which were different, better than their ‘pagan’ neighbours. There was great emphasis on the observance of the Law as a sign of commitment and obedience to God. But, by the time of Jesus, the law had become so hopelessly complicated in its applications that only experts could interpret it in the many practical problems which would arise in daily living and often the law  was being interpreted literally.

When we examine ourselves the question of paramount importance that we ought to ask ourselves is, “Did I hurt someone?”  What is important is our relationship with God and with people.

We must not become bogged down by the letter of the law and forget to love

Isaiah 29:13 Yahweh has said; “These peo­ple approach me in words; they honor me with lip-service, while their hearts stay afar. The worship they offer me is useless, these are no more than traditions and human rules.

III. TRUE MORALITY

Lord what must I do to gain eternal life?  What is the right way?  What is the wrong way?

CCC  2052 "Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" To the young man who asked this question, Jesus answers first by invoking the necessity to recognize God as the "One there is who is good," as the supreme Good and the source of all good.  Jesus then cites the commandments and sums them up positively saying : "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
CCC 2053 To this first reply Jesus adds a second: "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." This reply does not do away with the first: following Jesus Christ involves keeping the Commandments. the Law has not been abolished, but rather man is invited to rediscover it in the person of his Master who is its perfect fulfillment. 

Jesus calls the rich young man to follow him, in the obedience of a disciple and in the observance of the Commandments, and to that call is linked the call to poverty and chastity.
Each time we ask ourselves what must I do our advise must be, “What is the loving thing to do?”

We must be instruments of communion and peace for Jesus will say to each of us, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'  Mt 25:40

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