Third Sunday of Lent
Eph 5: 1-9
This text, taken from St. Paul, is not understood by Christians of our time. Generations of Christians born after 1960 have never heard the most basic teachings of our faith and of Christian morality. It is even worse than this: the teachings they have heard are, for the most part, contrary to the true Catholic faith. Many Christians are living in a religion that has little or nothing to do with the Catholic faith that was handed down to us in the Sacred Scriptures and Tradition.
Now-a-days the veracity of the Bible is put into question; the historicity of miracles is denied, as is that of the Incarnation, the virginal conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and even the Divinity of Jesus. These false doctrines are constantly hammering at the ears of so many Christians, which is why the text we have read from St. Paul means nothing to so many.
This new wave of Christians has been educated in their freedom of conscience in which each person makes up his own law. There is no longer an objective, external law that comes from God. Such was the temptation presented to Adam and Eve by the devil. Today´s man has pushed God aside and taken his place.
Today´s Catholic has been brought up in the belief of universal salvation, notwithstanding creed or conduct. The redemption brought by Christ is no longer considered necessary. Original Sin no longer exists as neither does Hell. Therefore, there is no need for baptism. The result: overwhelming indifference.
Why does truth sound so harsh and disagreeable to so many Christians of our time? What can man gain by fooling himself? Such an attitude is a clear lack of intelligence and pure folly.
The new morality is in tune with the world, and it teaches a Christianity without demands, without effort and without sacrifice. The Church has always, until now, taught the absolute necessity of sharing the Cross in order to be saved. Mercy is in the mouths of all, but repentance is mentioned by none; this is blasphemy.
Modernism spread the idea that the laity was meant to serve the clergy, which made the laity think that it had to take upon itself clerical duties. At the same time, the identity of the priest and those of the consecrated life was questioned, bringing about their desertion of not few.
If we add to all of this the universal discredit of the current hierarchy, we clearly understand what is going on. This is a society that calls itself Catholic. But Catholic it is not.
St. Paul tells us that we must walk in love; but today´s world doesn´t even know what love is. It´s idea of love is contrary to true love. Christ raised human love to a divine dimension. He mandated that we love in the following way, «The New Commandment I give to you is that you love one another as I have loved you.»
Modernism has even turned the sublime St. Francis into an ecologist…
