The media is sowing confusion regarding Archbishop Myers' pastoral letter on same-sex marriage

Last week Newark Archbishop John J. Myers issued a pastoral letter to provide us with spiritual guidance on the tendentious issue of same-sex marriage. Sadly too many in the media are framing his letter as "anti-gay", "hateful", or gasp! "electioneering".

Which of course misses his point entirely.

The purpose of his letter is not to decree how we should vote.

The purpose of his letter is to inform the faithful on the consequences of deliberately acting in opposition to Church teaching. Because when you sin, and make no mistake, supporting same-sex marriage (or abortion or contraception) is a sin, you endanger your immortal soul and close the door to eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

And when you sin you cannot receive Holy Communion until you have faithfully and prayerfully completed the sacrament of Confession. Which as any second grader knows requires that you promise to not sin again.

People don't like to talk about sin. They'd rather offer up platitudes about "fairness" or divert our attention (look, clerical sexual abuse!). But God isn't interested in excuses. And the Church's first mission is to save our souls. You heard me. Salvation is Job One. Not soup kitchens. Not "outreach". Not health care or poverty or world peace.

Yes those issues are important. But they're part of the secular world, and not unique to the primary mission of Holy Mother Church. Anyone can give alms. Anyone can tend to the sick and the lonely and the dying. Only the Church can ensure our salvation and entrance to Heaven.

Of course we've got to want salvation. That's where adherence to Church teaching comes in. Adherence to all Church teaching. Not just the easy lessons. Not just the parts we're comfortable with. When it comes to spirituality there is only one Magisterium, headed by His Holiness Benedict XVI, and communicated to the Faithful via our bishops and priests.

Hence the pastoral letter.

At yesterday's 9 AM mass Monsignor Desmond described the canonical meaning of the word prophet. A prophet does not foretell the future. A prophet interprets the present. A prophet speaks the Truth. Alas many times the Truth makes people uncomfortable. Hence prophets weren't the most popular guys in the bible.

Archbishop Myers is a prophet. He speaks the Truth.

People who equivocate for a living don't like Truth. They like gray. Lots and lots of gray. Gray means you can slide by. Gray means you can ignore that queasy feeling, and stay inside the nice little bubble you've made for yourself. The one where you rationalize your sin. It's no big deal, right? Because you're a good person, and good people can take communion. You've always done it and nothing bad has happened. Why mess with what works for you?

That kind of thinking leads to another word Monsignor Desmond defined for us. Scandal. Scandal in its biblical form isn't what shocks us; scandal is an impediment, an obstacle to our salvation. Scandal is when we turn away from the Church and set ourselves above God and His annointed Disciples.

Scandal makes us no better than Henry VIII. He didn't like Church teaching so he made his own church. When we turn away from the Church, when we decide our limited and secular worldview trumps the teachings of the Magisterium, then we too create a different church. A church which is catholic in name, but not in deed. A church where Holy Communion is mere bread and wine, not the Pascal Sacrifice and Eucharistic Feast handed down to us by Jesus Christ. A church which mocks the very foundations of that which we swear we worship. A church which cannot grant us salvation.

The path to eternal life is not meant to be easy. But we have been given the keys to the Kingdom of God! They are ours, if only we want them.

Archbishop Myers shows us the way. Follow him.

UPDATE 01 Oct 2012 15:53:
Linked at Adrienne's Corner. Thanks!

Posted at 10:54 by Chris Wysocki   [/religion]   Comments | Perm Link |
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