THE IRRATIONALITY OF SIN - 7/30/22 (Memorial of Saint Peter Chrysologus)

Matthew 14:8

“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”  

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/073022.cfm

For more information on the Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Chrysologus, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/july-30---saint-peter-chrysologus-bishop-and-doctor/

Blessed Memorial of Saint Peter Chrysologus! St. Peter was famous for being an instrument of God through his sermons and preaching. He was sharing to many people the Word of God which led to their conversion. Because of his skills as a preacher, he was given a title "Golden Worded" centuries after. Sometimes,  we can see the positive results of doing God's will such as the positive change in the lives of people. However, there may be times when the opposite takes place even if we are doing what is right. Instead of conversions, we may see and experience the hatred of other people whose hearts may not yet be open to truth. This is what happened to St. John the Baptist. 

St. John the Baptist was courageous to go to King Herod and tell him of his adultery. It was because of love that St. John the Baptist did this, not because he wanted to intentionally damage his reputation, but because he wanted him to be saved from his sins. Like St. John the Baptist, we should also be motivated out of love to proclaim the truth of God when given an opportunity by Him. For example, when we defend the right to life of the unborn, it should be done out of love for the dignity and health of both the mother and the child, not out of anger to people who support abortion. Even when we discern that it's God's will for us to correct people, we should have the pure desire of the betterment of others and not because of our frustration. And yet, it's also a truth that people may not see our right intentions when they are given such corrections. 

If we know what is right and pleasing in the eyes of God, logically, we should do it because that is what is really good for our souls and for our relationship with God. However, our sins impact us in such a way that the more we engage in our sins, we become more attached to it and our minds become darkened. This is seen with Herod and even with the daughter of Herodias. The daughter demanded to have the head of St. John the Baptist rather than listening to his words. Herod made a promise to do everything that the daughter would say even though this favor was really irrational. In short, our sins make us do things that are contrary to truth and reason. In fact, this is not just applicable to people who are not practicing the Catholic faith. All of us can be guilty of this. 

Even when we examine our conscience and reflect on our sins, we may still fall to the same temptations. Even after knowing the lies we fell into and the temptations we encountered, we may still choose to be near the occasions of sins. Even after pondering on Christ's patience and sufferings on the cross, we may find it difficult to bear the faults of other people. This may cause us to be sad because we feel as if we are willing to the good, but we remain weak. And yet, it is through this weakness that we can learn to be more obedient and humble. 

God is merciful and despite our shortcomings, He still gives us opportunities to renew our love for Him. Herod experienced distress and fear, but these were God's ways of telling him not to fall to the temptation of killing St. John the Baptist. In the same way, the negative feelings indicate that God is patient with us, and He is waiting for us to come back to Him. God reveals to us the reasons why we have fallen, and we can respond with love to Him if our hearts are open to His voice. What do we feel when we are tempted to commit a sin? And, what did we feel afterwards? What are the fears we have? What are the tendencies that we easily fall into? Let's be honest with God and with ourselves in pondering on these questions as we reflect on our sins. May we trust that our Lord will give us the grace we need to be courageous and faithful to His will, especially if we beg for these graces as we pray the rosary. His mercy will free us from the darkness of our past and the irrationality of our sins. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

For the examination of conscience and guide to confession, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

For more information on how to pray the rosary, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/the-most-holy-rosary/