THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Her Doctrine and Morals

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

7 July 2024

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The Sunday

Sermon

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Dear Friends,

"Not every one that saith to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of My Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven." (Today's Gospel reading: St. Matthew 7. 15-21)

There are many false Christians in the world today. They preach a materially easier doctrine than the one given us by Jesus and the True Church. They are enticing to our corrupted fallen nature, and it is easy for us to want to believe and accept this physically easier way. Jesus makes it clear: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep…"

It is not enough to believe and be baptized. The works must accompany and follow these. There are "Christians" who say, "Accept Jesus as Your Savior, and then sin on bravely." These do not produce fruits worthy of a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. Some Christians may not articulate this, but they openly practice it daily. There are "Christians" who do not believe in or teach the doctrines of sacrifice, penance, or mortification. To many, the Mass is a social gathering where they share a meal and fellowship. Their dress and behavior speak more of visiting friends rather than entering the House of God to worship Him in the Sacrifice that He requires of us.

There are "Christians" who hold to the "Latin Mass" but understand nothing of the doctrine or discipline of the Church; they only desire the comfort or nostalgia of "tradition." They often appear as "pious Catholics" on Sunday but are baptized pagans the rest of the week.

Virtue is in the middle. We need to be careful not to become presumptuous in thinking that we don't need to produce any spiritual labors or fruits. We must avoid allowing despair to overcome us, thinking that we are too far from God and grace ever to return and thus not even attempt to produce any good fruit.

We must avoid laxity in the practice of the faith, prayer, and worship of God, and we must prevent scrupulosity in finding sin everywhere around us — in all that we think, speak, and do.

Our fallen nature entices us from one extreme to the other rather than a steady course of moderation and virtue. We tend to fall into sin and become careless in our prayers and devotions. We become shocked at our weakness, laziness, or perversity and then pile on the prayers, novenas, and outward piety — which is, often, thinly disguised hypocrisy. In this hypocrisy, we tend to become very harsh judges of others while we imagine that we are producing good fruits because our outward appearance shows our "pious" prayers, dress, speech, etc.

Our Lord says to beware of these false prophets. There are many around us to deceive us from every side and every angle. However, it is said that before we can be genuinely deceived, we must first deceive ourselves. The devil whispers in our ears, and we are tickled with the thought. We entertain it, wish it to be true, and begin living accordingly. The Father of Lies speaks, and we listen and obey, thinking we are doing our will as we become his slaves. God speaks, and we hear and reject Him and His words because they tell us to deny ourselves, sacrifice, and do penance daily. He tells us to do our works in a modest, humble, and hidden manner not to attract the praise of others but to build up treasure in Heaven.

We must beware of the false fruits that others present to entice us to join them. It is said that "misery loves company." But, perhaps more importantly, we must beware of the false fruits in ourselves.

Modesty and moderation should always be our goal. Over-the-top "sacrifices" and "penances" done for the praise of others are not piety at all. They are not-so-secret pride and hypocrisy. Neglecting sacrifices and penances is simply self-indulgence or open self-love, pride, and vanity.

Our prayers need to come from our hearts, not simply our lips. They must not be rote without meaning and must not be exaggerated or forced to pretend to have greater piety or holiness for display to others. For every occasion, our dress must not be exaggerated to draw attention to ourselves — either with too little covering or too much; too poor or too extravagant; too informal or too formal; too impious or overly materially pious. Likewise, our meals must be moderate and suitable for each situation — neither exaggerated nor extreme in quantity or quality.

In all things, we must think, speak, live, and act in the presence of God. We should not neglect our spiritual exercises nor perform them for the eyes of our neighbors. What is done in secret and only seen by the eyes of God will be rewarded by Him in Heaven. What is done in the open before the eyes of our fellow humans to obtain their recognition or praise merits no eternal reward. When the notice of others is what we truly desire, that is what we receive, so there is no reward in Heaven for this.

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