Sermons you never hear

Sermons You Never Hear

I am a cradle Catholic and have heard thousands of sermons. Only once have I ever heard a sermon about sexual sins. I have read many times over the years that lust is considered one of the most deadly sins. It is believed that so many souls are lost because of lust. Why the silence from the pulpit? I have heard a number of priests say that they don’t want to offend anyone. How offensive will it be to be condemned for any of our bad decisions? Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen stated that people are becoming guided by their “feelings”. And he died over 40 years ago. What we never talk about is temptation. Temptation is clearly spelled out at the being of Jesus’ ministry when He fasted for 40 days in the desert. Satan tempted Jesus three times. Temptation and their thoughts are NOT sinful. We are telling people that whatever they identify with is what they are. Does this mean that if I identify with being a giraffe, that I am one? All people struggle with temptation, whether it being a struggle with drugs, alcohol, pornography, using bad language, etc. Notice that we can display billboards telling people to quit smoking, but it’s now a crime to try to counsel someone away from same sex attraction. This attraction is NOT a sin. I am not trying to denigrate people who struggle with anything. I have the same daily struggles with temptations. A solid prayer life is a great starting point. However, we are losing our faith. Atheism is on the rise. That will be the topic for another time. I am dismayed by fellow Catholics who tell me that the LGBTQ people are born that way. I completely disagree with this. I do not believe that God creates gay people. We now have drag queens educating our children. Soft pornography is making inroads into our schools. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that homosexuality is a disorder of the natural law. It does not condemn anyone struggling with this lifestyle. However, it is a struggle for many, just as all temptations are for everyone.

Another sermon NEVER heard is on abortion. Again, those in the pro-life cause are not out to denigrate anyone who has had an abortion. I honestly feel that this is the pre-eminent issue with Our Lord in Heaven. I am sickened by t-shirts that state, “I had an abortion”. As if this is a badge of honor. I understand that abortion is a very personal issue. Abortion is infanticide. There are ministries that work with all those who have had an abortion. I just read about a new ivy league college graduate who said a baby would be in his way. This is despicable. We are treating a pregnancy like it’s a tumor. We want the sex act, without the possible result on a new human life. In the book of Jeremiah, God said, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you”.  My question about this passage is: what did God know about this baby? Its arms or legs? No. I believe God meant the soul because we are created in the image of God. This is both awesome and hard to comprehend. If infanticide is promoted, or downgraded to the removal of a tumor, that society has a serious sickness. My previous Knights of Columbus council has helped fund two new ultra-sound machines for young woman. These machines allow the images of the baby to be uploaded to their phone.  I am grateful to my parents for the gift of my life. A pregnant woman does NOT carry a blob of tissue. It is the beings of another soul for the Lord.

We need to get away from “feelings”, and get back to understanding temptation, and how to counter them.

God Bless

Steve Salter Sr