What perfect readings we have for this day in the Easter Season when Catholics in Maine (along with other Christians, and everyone with a true and rightly formed conscience) are standing in the public arena – the Civic Center in Augusta – telling people there, in so many words, about the life, words and works of Jesus – who came to earth to do the Father's will, rather than his own.
It is by this singular and perfect example that we know that no one has the right to redefine anything that comes from the mouth of God: not his commandments, not his precepts, not the formation of institutions. If Jesus did not do this – and he was God – then for any human being to do it is simply insanity!
Jesus came to fulfill the Law of Moses – not to rewrite it: the agenda we as Catholics ought to take up is to see how we can come to a richer, deeper, more fulfilled understanding of the way things are and can be made even better – starting from the same basis – and not changing the basis to suit particular and subjective needs.
Marriage and family life were instituted by God the Father to be operated in the way that he has in mind. More time needs to be spent on discerning what he means by it, and more energy needs to be put forth into programs that will ensure that it happens as he intends it – rather than arrogantly becoming too big for our intellectual and spiritual britches and trying to tell God that he has to "get with it" in these modern times. Very unfortunately, these "modern times" shout out that "life is what I want it to be – it is totally subjective – there is no such thing as 'objective reality' – which is completely out of touch with reality – because there was a time when there was nothing except God – who is objective reality).
Fortunately, God sent his only begotten Son into the world – not to condemn it – even when it gets carried away with all kinds of more or less offensive and way off the track ideas; he sent Jesus simply to be a very bright and shining light – so that we, human beings, could use our precious gift of free-will and seeing brightly and correctly what is right, good, true and just – make God-fearing, God-loving, God-thanking decisions for life, for love, for creation as he made it in the first place!
There will come a time when all of us will be judged for how well we used the gifts of God given us to get through life according to the Father's will – may we be among those who are given a "well done, good and faithful servant – enter the Kingdom of your loving Father, and beloved Brother, Jesus, your Lord, your God and your Friend."
May those who are in Augusta, even as we speak, be given an abundance of light, grace and strength of the Holy Spirit – to speak out as boldly, confidently and convincingly as did Peter and John on the day of Pentecost!
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have what they need, day by day, in this life, to live life exactly as God has mapped it out, and have eternal life in the next.
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