Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Last week our new message series on A Way Forward has generated many comments, and we hope the discussion continues over the next few weeks. It is an important topic especially in light of what we see in society today. It is fundamental that we know the beauty of God’s wisdom on marriage and family life, and work for the next generation of kids who will face many unimagined challenges. Who better than God knows how we are made and for what purpose we have been created. He is not taking something from us but God’s plan is for us, and for our well-being. Sex is something beautiful that God created and has two purposes: to pro-create with God and to bind two people together as one. You are designed for a stable and permanent relationship of mind and body for your entire life. This is what Christian Marriage is all about.
Jesus also said that if our eye is a cause of sin to cut it out. It is hyperbole and the point is that he is asking you to cut out anything from your life that will keep you from a personal relationship with your spouse, or your future spouse, and with Him. Jesus even went so far as to say that if you look lustfully at another you are committing adultery in your heart. Jesus is going much deeper than just a set of rules. He is speaking about your heart. From a pure heart, or at least one that is fighting to be pure, can come a Christian relationship.
We hear today that Jesus entered the house of Peter and Andrew (Mark 1: 29-29). Perhaps he is going there to rest a bit. However, Peter’s mother-in-law was sick. Jesus touched her hand and helped her up and the fever left her. And then Mark tells us that she immediately waited on them. This happens very often in the gospels and is the central point I want to make today: Jesus heals those who are sick. He healed all kinds of people. This is what he does.
Fire is very powerful and in the right setting it can do many good things, light your house, cook your dinner, dry your clothes. A roaring fire is one of the best things imaginable. But in the wrong context it can cause a great deal of destruction and pain. It can burn you. Sex is like fire.
Sexual sins are by no means the worst sins. There are many others far worse, like pride, envy, violence, abuse, self-righteousness, etc. Sexual sins, however, cause a different type of pain, which is not just physical. The misuse of sexuality brings pain to the heart and soul that no kind of wishful thinking can change. This does not mean the heart cannot change. Whatever happened can be healed, and what was lost can be recovered, and what was in the past need not determine the future. This is what Jesus does.
In order for Jesus to heal me I have to be honest with myself and with him. I need to want and seek healing. It is not easy to speak about this type of pain and we can easily lie to ourselves and think it was not wrong, or I was drunk, or everyone is doing it, etc. You said it did not matter, but it did. You said it was only physical but it wasn’t. You said that nobody was hurt, but they were.
Any time someone disassociates sex from the purpose God made for it they wound themselves. And when you don’t deal with those wounds, they are not healed. Those wound always bring problems, perhaps cynicism, bitterness, and inability to sustain relationships. Maybe because people are playing with something that is suppose to build and bind intimacy or then it is used in a way that destroys it, that is a special class of hurt for the heart. It is not a matter of making you feel bad but every one of us is in need of healing when it comes to this issue. We have all fallen short of the mark God sets for us.
Reconnecting the heart and soul is essential if you are going to have a heart healthy and emotionally whole. This is fundamental for any relationship, including your relationship with God. So this begins in daily prayer for five minutes a day, and the sacraments, especially penance or confession. Even more true if you have not gone in a while. Don’t approach it like magic, but be honest with yourself and with God. When you speak about it with a priest the wound is cleaned, and you receive forgiveness. We will have a weekend in Lent where priests will be available after all the masses for penance or each Saturday from 11 AM to noon a priest is available in the church confessional.
The one thing we cannot forget is that there is a way forward, and this is why we chose this title for this series. This is the story of salvation, and the story of the Bible. God does a work of salvation and restoration. Our past does not define our future. And God has a way forward for all of us and it is a way of faith in him.