Hello, By My Side Friends. Welcome Back. Thanks for checking in with me for this month of June 2022.
This month, I must admit, that I found myself looking for more of our Lord’s wisdom and guidance on how to sift through the many controversial topics debated in the news in our world today. From school murders to gun control legislation, to wars among nations and innocent massacres to abortion vs pro-choice laws, to gender confusion, and world leadership accountability just to name a few. I have asked the Lord in prayer for more clarity on how to see things through my own little Catholic lens. Well, He did not disappoint me.
In my readings and research, I came across some powerful words that really resonated with me from Dr. Mary Healy, professor of Scripture at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and a bestselling author and international speaker. I wanted to share a few of Mary’s thoughts with you this month as we try to navigate through these troubled times.
We all know, and Mary also states, that God loves us ferociously. It’s a love that cannot be indifferent to things that damage and destroy us based upon our life choices. He shows us His mercy so that we can be transformed and enter into eternal life with Him. His love is not passive. It’s not a love that sits back and says “whatever you want to do is ok with Me”. It’s a love that seeks to bring us into God’s divine life which is the only thing that will truly fulfill us.
Consider the claim: “Does the truth of God hurt”? You bet it does. It cuts like a knife to the division of soul and spirit, discerning our thoughts and the intensions of our hearts. It’s a sword that cuts into our fleshly passions, of whatever kind they are, our misdirected desires, our deep self-promotion, self- righteousness, self-aggrandizement and all our deeply deceptive rationalizations and self justifications and puts to death all that is robbing us of true happiness and fulfillment. Yes, God’s word hurts. It’s a hurt that is for the sake of healing us and transforming us.
Consider this:
Healy says “the church can judge actions that are not aligned with the word of God”. (I know what you are thinking, this includes all members of God’s church as well, all human beings actions). The God who created us, the God who loves us intimately, is the God who can lead us to fulness of life. This God of love, has the authority, to give us commandments, to tell us what is good, evil, always for our good.
Having said all of this, it is impossible for us to live these truths by our own human strength alone, but possible, with the guidance, the direction and the wisdom from God, His Mother Mary, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God’s Grace, is given to us through the death and resurrection of His Son. The Holy Spirit, the divine power God gives us that is within us, enables us to say no to sin and yes to God when we talk with Him in prayer.
Jesus does not offer exoneration for our sins (“oh you are fine, whatever”), He offers something far more costly and infinitely more valuable, He offers Forgiveness and then forgets all of our sins when we make changes. He calls us to repent, to change our ways when we live in contrast to His teachings, to believe in His word that is here and the transformation that He is offering us.
As I reflect upon these teachings, I realize this is heavy stuff. But I think that as we see our culture accepting new norms at an alarming rate, new norms that are contrary to Jesus’ teachings over the past 2000 years, I think it is always prudent to step back, to regroup and discern what is true, good, noble and right in God’s eyes, if you believe in Him. We can’t be afraid to live and love differently than the world may be proposing today. To consider living God’s truths openly if we are so inclined.
So, in reflecting upon this “food for thought”, perhaps chew on this nugget of wisdom this month as we consider asking our Lord in prayer for His clarity for our own life situations we come across. Have a wonderful Fathers Day weekend everyone.
Love MJ xo
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