THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Her Doctrine and Morals

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

20 July 2025

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The Sunday

Sermon

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Dear Friends in Christ,

God has given us both bodies and souls. He loves and cares for both, and He desires that we cooperate with Him in this. In today's Gospel reading (Mark 8:1-9), a great multitude followed Jesus, seeking the healing and cure of their bodies. Jesus physically cured all those in need, but they were now far from home, and Jesus was concerned for their need for food. Jesus multiplied bread and fishes a second time because of the circumstances and their bodily need. Jesus draws people to Himself through their physical or bodily needs, but He seeks to give them much more than that. He desires to cure, heal, and feed their souls as well.

We are called upon to imitate and follow Jesus. We must take care of both our bodies and our souls, not just for ourselves but for everyone. Many care for their bodies as if that is all that is necessary. They physically live good lives, eat well, exercise well, and outwardly appear to be full of health and vitality, but have no concern for their immortal souls. Others, however, have little to no regard for their bodies, neglecting cleanliness and grooming, proper nutrition, and exercise. Virtue is in the middle.

There were/are heresies that suggest that the body and everything physical or material are evil and only the soul is good. Therefore, they neglect, abuse, and misuse their bodies, thinking that they are somehow doing good. This appears to be somewhat of a reaction to the materialism and worldliness of those on the opposite extreme, who cater to the flesh in every way while neglecting the needs of their souls.

Some desire to live as brute animals without souls. The easiest way to do this is to deny that humans have souls, or that there is a God or Heaven or Hell. Those who seek to live like irrational animals place themselves below the level of animals. Animals do not have the intelligence that God has given us. They live according to the natures that God has given them. When humans seek to live like them, we strive to live less than we are and against the very essence that God has given us. It is said that such people, seeking to live like irrational animals, make themselves less than animals. They are more like devils.

The devils are fallen angels who chose to live beneath the nature that God gave them. They decided to forfeit their natures in the Kingdom of Heaven to live forever separated from God, His glory, and His Kingdom. Hell is, for the most part, the void or absence of God. They were made to be with and enjoy God for all of eternity, but they chose eternal separation instead. When humans choose to live like animals, they decide to be less than God has made them, and therefore, they are not like animals, but rather more like demons.

When humans choose to live only spiritually and reject or neglect their material bodies, they are not like the angels but instead are more like devils simply because they are refusing to live the life and nature that God has given them.

We are neither angels nor animals. We are in between, or a little of both. When we deny or reject one aspect of our human nature, we imitate demons rather than angels or animals.

A modern scourge has become a popular fashion in our society. The "trans" culture is, in reality, another rejection or denial of God and the very natures that He has given us. Just because we can mutilate human bodies to provide them with the unreal "appearance" of being a different gender or species, does not mean that we should, or that this is good. It is, again, not so much imitating that which they want to be, but rather an imitation of rebellious demons. Men wishing to become women can emulate them at best, but they will never truly be women; and women wanting to become men can imitate them at best, but they will never truly be men. The same applies to those who wish to imitate animals. Pretending does not make it real. Desire does not make it true. The problem is not in our bodies, but rather in our souls.

Jesus can heal, repair, and feed our bodies, but He wishes to unite the physical with the spiritual. He wishes for us to fulfill our obligations to both bodies and souls as actual human beings, made in God's Image and Likeness. We are at the center or the crossroads between body and soul. It is through our souls that the animal or physical world is to be sanctified and brought forward to give greater honor and glory to God. It is through our bodies that the spiritual world of angels is brought forward to physically give greater honor and glory to God. As animals serve us in this life, we are to serve them by using or directing them to provide greater honor and glory to God. As angels serve us, we are to serve them with our bodies to physically worship, honor, and glorify God through their inspiration, guidance, and assistance.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspire, guide, and protect us!