Spiritual Essay #20

In a world in which sins of the flesh, that is, lack of chastity, is so prevalent, it is difficult to speak about purity, that virtue so needed to get virtue which must be present and practiced by all people. It is into Heaven. It is a not possible to of God, to have an inner life in the Lord when one is living a life of impurity. gain knowledge That is as true in the secular (non-religious) world as well.

In the secular world, unfortunately, some people are bombarded with temptations, the greatest of which is that of impurity spread by satan who knows it is a sure way to steal people away from God. Such temptations are found largely in the media, on television and particularly in today's movies and in printed matter as well. Many people in this area do not regard their impure manner of life sinful. They have become so immersed in improper behavior that the norm, the way of holiness, is no longer apparent. When we lose the recognition of what is wrong we are surely lost.

I know a man, in fact, I know him well, who for years lived a sinful life. As years wore on, he had a great desire to be rid of this burden of sin and the potential for the continuation of this trend in his life. Once he made up his mind to repent, he went to seek counsel from a priest-confessor and he returned to a state of grace. He made a firm commitment to sin no more because He loved God. A couple of years later, he was invited one afternoon to attend a gathering of a well-known healer-intercessor. He was healed, that is, freed from these temptations. He received from a merciful and compassionate God a "moment of Grace."

What I'm trying to point out here is that if you have an earnest desire to live a life of chastity, and if you ask Jesus to help you in that quest through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, then Jesus will help one to overcome, no matter how grave one's sin was. He forgives, and He helps you not to sin again. In Holy Scripture, in Matthew's Gospel (Mt. 22:30) "At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven." The Gospel here refers to virgins and all those who have dedicated themselves to the love of Jesus by a total consecration to Him; people who have committed themselves to live a pure life. According to St. Alphonse Liguori, these people "shall be like the angels of God in heaven." So don't give up. There is hope. We are not wedded to our sin. All it takes is repentance and a firm purpose of amendment. I pray for a universal striving toward purity, to a better world.