Let marriage be honored among all
and the marriage bed be kept undefiled,
for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.
Let your life be free from love of money
but be content with what you have,
for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.
Thus we may say with confidence:
The Lord is my helper,
and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?
The martyrdom of John the Baptist in today's gospel should remind us it's not easy to be faithful to the Truth, nor should it be. He died in defense of marriage, an institution established in the Garden of Eden and challenged at every point since that time.
Hebrews reminds us that "God will judge the immoral and adulterers." But divorce, adultery, and their companions -- illegitimacy and abortion -- are legal, commonplace, and raise few eyebrows. If they create a cloud like a nuclear winter which shrouds the entire planet in grief, it's unnoticed and unremarked. I have sometimes raised eyebrows when I remarked that children have a right to grow up in a household comprised of their own biological parents and their biological siblings. Tragedies that leave widows and orphans occur but a generous society can deal with those disappointments. They should not be the norm, and would not be the norm in a society dedicated to peace.
When abandoned spouses and children become commonplace we should know we have strayed from God's ways. That society will use abortion, capital punishment, and police brutality to preserve its abominable practices. They will prefer dogs and cats to children. And they'll despise immigrants for their large families!
People often explain their choice of abortion and sterilization as financially necessary, and they suppose that Social Security will provide for them during their senior, retirement years. But Social Security was established on the ancient principle that many children could provide for a few parents. What happens when an aging generation of parents outnumber their working children? We'd better import several million migrants, teach them English, invest them in highly skilled professions, and extraordinary adaptability to maintain our "American" superiority. And hope they're grateful to us. Soon!
The scriptures urge us to trust God especially in financial matters. Tithing Christians know that. The practice of faith calls for courage, generosity and trust in the God who "is my helper" in all our affairs.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.