Led Astray with Empty Words (Eph.5:6)
Fr. Campbell
One
event in the history of the world gives human life its purpose and
meaning – the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, on the hill of
Calvary. There the Lord poured out His Precious Blood to take away the
sins of the world. In this perfect and acceptable Sacrifice to God the
Father, the true Holocaust, He was both Priest and Victim, offering up
His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity on the altar of the Cross. It is this
same offering which is made present for us in the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass. We read in today’s Epistle:
“When
Christ appeared as high priest of the good things to come, He entered
once for all through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made
by hands (that is, not of this creation), nor again by virtue of blood
of goats and calves, but by virtue of His own Blood, into the Holies,
having obtained eternal redemption… And this is why He is mediator of a
new covenant, that whereas a death has taken place for redemption from
the transgressions committed under the former covenant, they who have
been called may receive eternal inheritance according to the promise”
(Heb.9:11,12;14b,15).
The
Holy Catholic Religion alone exists to fulfill that promise. If we
treat all religions as having equal validity, then none of them can be
valid, since they cannot all be true at one and the same time. They
cannot fulfill the promise. There would be no truth to which we could
adhere with confidence. We will never know the truth until we accept the
truth itself – Jesus Christ, “the Way, and the Truth, and the Life,”
and belong to the Church He founded.
Many
people these days want to be “democratic”, and they think that it is
undemocratic to call one religion true and all the others false. They
don’t realize that they are actually choosing a religion anyway – the
religion of Democracy, the idea that every point of view has validity.
Their adherence to the religion of Democracy prevents them from
acknowledging any one religion as true, more than the others. They
should remember that “those who do not stand for something will fall for
anything.” They have already fallen.
The
democratic institution is doomed to destroy itself unless it is
accountable to a power higher than itself. Today democracy is worshipped
as a self-justifying process that will make all peoples free – free to
do whatever they want. This is how democracy ends up when it is not
subject to true governance.
Democracy
will work only when it is accountable to the Institution established by
God’s Divine Son, Jesus Christ – the Holy Catholic Church. The Church
is God’s appointed Teacher to the nations:
“All
power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
that I have commanded you…” (Mt. 28:18b-20a).
Democracy
without limits means equal rights for everyone – for all opinions, for
all religions, for all ways of life. There is nowhere to draw the line,
and it keeps getting pushed to the limit by “those who love democracy.”
Modern democracy is mankind divorced from God and His Commandments. The
rainbow flag is paraded down Main Street in every town, and everybody
pretends it is the democratic way. Even priests now minister to the
so-called “LGBT Community”, but those who are still in possession of
their right minds don’t make a public spectacle of themselves. They seek
help in the Confessional, or counseling from a professional, or from
trusted friends.
There
must be no mistake. We have great respect for those who struggle
against the perverse inclinations and temptations that our wounded human
nature is heir to, whatever they may be. This is the way we become
saints.
We
are born into this world in a state of alienation from God because of
Original Sin. If we allow the desires and inclinations of our wayward
human nature to control us, we are headed straight for Hell. Our
decisions in life must be based on human reason illuminated by faith in
Jesus Christ and His teachings, and in conformity with His Holy
Commandments. Those who parade their weaknesses in public and expect to
be applauded and admired by everyone are deceived by the devil. And
those who pass laws favoring their way of life, like same-sex marriage,
are headed for Hell with them. They are inviting the punishment that
fell on Sodom and Gomorrah. St. Paul issued this stern warning:
“But
immorality and every uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be
named among you, as becomes saints; or obscenity or foolish talk or
scurrility, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For know
this and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous
one (for that is idolatry) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ
and God. Let no one lead you astray with empty words; for because of
these things the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience.
Do not, then, become partakers with them. For you were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord” (Eph.5:3-8).
The
severe judgment of God upon this nation, and upon the world, is not far
away. We are already seeing the signs that Jesus predicted: “There will
be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of
nations bewildered by the roaring of sea and waves; men fainting for
fear and for expectation of the things that are coming on the world; for
the powers of heaven will be shaken” (Lk.21:25,26).
Our
Lord warns us not to be a partaker in the sins of these times: “Go out
from her, my people, that you may not share in her sins, and that you
may not share in her plagues. For her sins have reached even to heaven,
and the Lord has remembered her iniquities” (Apoc.18:4,5).