SIGNS THAT WE'RE ON THE WRONG PATH - 08/21/23 (Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope)

Matthew 19:21–22

“If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. 

Reflection:

Blessed Memorial of St. Pius X! When we love someone, do we want to give him or her only a minimum of our love? We don't have this perspective when we are dealing with our relationship with other people. As much as possible, we want to do our best for them. If this is the case with our love for our neighbors, the more that we should love God as well. In today's gospel reading, a rich man came to our Lord asking for an advice on how he would gain eternal life. Our Lord Jesus responded by asking Him about the commandments, and the rich man told Him that he followed all of what's written in the 10 commandments. But, Jesus changed His words and told the rich man, "If you wish to be perfect..." The state of perfection that our Lord is speaking of is not the same thing as "perfectionism." Jesus is not expecting us to never commit even a slight fault or mistake. Instead, our Lord is reminding us that we should not be content with "minimum" spirituality. We should not be content in merely following avoiding the grave sins then we'll just do everything we want in life. Rather, our Savior wants us to be in the state of perfection, which is the same thing as the state of Divine Union. This is the state where we love God with everything that we have where we are fully united with God's will in every moment of our lives. For us to walk the path of perfection, we should be cautious of these three signs that show that we may be on the wrong path. 

The first sign is that we are basing our beliefs on worldly ideologies. The rich man came to seek a counsel from our Lord Jesus. Although this was good, the man still walked away. Why? Its because he's so attached to the wrong belief regarding his treasures. Perhaps, he may have been brought up in a culture or environment where they're just content with the 10 commandments while thinking that their treasures were just for themselves. Still, because of holding onto his wrong beliefs, he did not see the truth of what Christ taught him. The same is true today. Many people mock those who practice devotions because of the wrong beliefs such as the idea that being faithful to the teachings of Christ or the Church is not important, the idea that prayer should not be done in public or that it should be done only in a very limited time, the idea that our purpose in life is found in achievements, etc. St. Pius X, as a pope, was committed in catechizing children because he knew that these children could bring change to the generation which was not centered on God. In the same way, for us to walk the path to perfection, we should have complete confidence in the teachings of Christ and the Catholic Church as sure guide to eternal life. 

The second sign is our attachments to worldly things and sins. This has been the case for the rich man in the gospel reading. After speaking to Jesus, he went away sad. Why? It's because the man was so attached with his possessions that he made it his source of happiness. God alone should be the source of our happiness because our hearts are made for Him alone. All things around us should be instruments to bring greater glory to God and to help us to persevere in holiness, not as if these things are the goals themselves. In the gospel reading, it's said that the man had many possessions. And yet, what the Gospel spoke of was not only limited to material things. These possessions can refer to all of our attachments, even sins. What God wants us to do is to be detached from all things so that we can be fully attached to Him alone. Let's reflect on the things that may act as obstacles in the path to holiness. Do we end up becoming addicted and wasting our time with the social media, gadgets, internet, and other things instead of spending our time with God in our prayers or doing more important things? Do we use our money to indulge on pleasures and buy extravagant things instead of giving it to the poor? If we see this sign in our lives, let's be firm in detaching ourselves from these temptations so that we may give greater glory to God. 

The last sign is that we have negative feelings when it comes to obedience to God. Do we also feel sad when it comes to what the Catholic Church teaches? Do we feel that the commandments of Christ are too difficult that we may feel inclined to not do the right thing? The truth is, without God's grace, we cannot do His will. And, although it's good to love God, we should make sure that we love Him with all of our strength and heart. Maybe, we are attending Mass, going to confession once a year, and praying once or twice a day about our needs. But, for us to walk the path of perfection and for us to endure all trials and temptations, we should persevere to "level-up" our prayer life and sacramental life. St. Pius X advocated for the children to participate in Mass and partake of sacrament of confession. These sacraments are the vessels of God's mercy and grace. For the saints, one of their secrets in holiness is frequently sacraments such as going to weekday Masses and going to frequent confessions. If we have free time to attend weekday Mass, let's not hesitate. May we not be discouraged to receive the sacrament of confession at least once a month. Our free moments during the day can also be used as times for prayers for the rosary, adoration, scriptural reflection, examination of conscience, etc. All of these are the means so that we may have pure heart. All of these are instruments for us to grow in holiness and experience the peace that comes from God. Despite our faults and mistakes, let's not be disappointed with ourselves. God remains merciful to us by giving us many opportunities to repent of our sins and make new beginnings. Our sins in the past do not define our present or our future. Let's place our hope in the mercy of God who continuously seek us so that we may walk the path of perfection and eternal life. 

Source:

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/word-of-the-day.html

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. +  

Saint Pius X, Pope—Memorial:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-21---saint-pius-x-pope

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

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

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth