For me, Lent is a time to think about the moral life and how well I am doing when it comes to moral decisions. Often, when we take time to reflect on where we are at, we can start to see the faith as quite suppressive. We may ask questions like, “Why does God not allow this or that thing?” Or, “Why does it seem like old men in pointy hats seem to be able to make our moral decisions for us?”
This is the dilemma that the people in today’s first reading find themselves in. They see someone in their group as a lawmaker who is there to repress all of their fun and because of this they decide to kick them out. Notice how easy it is for them to justify their immoral behavior and claim that the problem is the just person who doesn’t get their lifestyle.
This is what results when we think that morality comes from outward forces that want to restrict our freedom. In reality, the moral life comes from the way we were created in the image and likeness of God. Think about it for a second, if God created us in His very image and likeness, then living in accord with that reality is what will make us most happy. God literally designed us to be like Him. The more we stray from that design, the more unhappy we become.
Think about a bowling alley. I myself am terrible at bowling. It is not a fun sport to me because I am so bad at it. But if I put the guards up I can have a ton of fun and not care what happens because I know the ball is going to make it to the end no matter what. Moral principles are a lot like that guard. They guide us in the proper direction and make sure we don’t fall flat on our face, but there is a lot of freedom within those rails to enjoy the pleasures and comforts of life.
Let’s use this season as a time to reflect on some of the things we struggle with morally and then ask God for the grace to guide us in the right direction so we can ultimately reach perfect peace and happiness at the end of the road. We can take the guidelines God has put in place for us and use them to our benefit so we can live life to the full.
This fourth week of Lent is a perfect time to check in with God and see if we have made progress in the spiritual life in the past few weeks or if we really need to step up our game to finish this season strong. Either way, God wants you and I to be fully happy. He knows the right way. Let’s allow him to guide and guard our path.
From all of us here at Diocesan, God bless!
Para mí, la Cuaresma es un tiempo para reflexionar sobre la vida moral y sobre mi desempeño en cuanto a las decisiones éticas. A menudo, al detenernos a reflexionar sobre nuestra situación, podemos empezar a percibir la fe como algo opresivo. Podemos preguntarnos: “¿Por qué Dios no permite esto o aquello?” o “¿Por qué parece que los ancianos con sombreros puntiagudos deciden por nosotros sobre nuestros principios morales?”
Este es el dilema en el que se encuentran las personas de la primera lectura de hoy. Ven a alguien de su grupo como un legislador que busca reprimir su diversión y, por ello, deciden expulsarlo. Observemos con qué facilidad justifican su comportamiento inmoral y afirman que el problema es la persona justa que no comprende su estilo de vida.
Esto es lo que sucede cuando pensamos que la moralidad proviene de fuerzas externas que pretenden restringir nuestra libertad. En realidad, la vida moral proviene de cómo fuimos creados a imagen y semejanza de Dios. Piénsalo por un momento: si Dios nos creó a su imagen y semejanza, vivir en armonía con esa realidad es lo que nos hará más felices. Dios nos diseñó literalmente para ser como Él. Cuanto más nos alejemos de ese diseño, más infelices seremos.
Piensa en un jugador de boliche. Yo mismo soy pésimo jugando boliche. No me divierte porque soy muy malo. Pero si subo las protecciones, puedo pasarlo en grande sin importarme lo que pase, porque sé que la bola llegará al final, pase lo que pase. Los principios morales son muy parecidos a esas protecciones. Nos guían en la dirección correcta y evitan que nos desviemos del camino, pero dentro de esos límites hay mucha libertad para disfrutar de los placeres y comodidades de la vida.
Aprovechemos este tiempo para reflexionar sobre algunas de las cosas con las que luchamos moralmente y luego pidamos a Dios la gracia de guiarnos por el buen camino para que, finalmente, podamos alcanzar la paz y la felicidad plenas. Podemos tomar las pautas que Dios nos ha dado y usarlas para nuestro beneficio, para así vivir la vida al máximo.
Esta cuarta semana de Cuaresma es el momento perfecto para conectar con Dios y ver si hemos progresado en nuestra vida espiritual en las últimas semanas o si realmente necesitamos esforzarnos más para terminar esta temporada con fortaleza. De cualquier manera, Dios quiere que seamos plenamente felices. Él conoce el camino correcto. Permitámosle guiar y proteger nuestro camino.
De parte de todos en la Diócesis, ¡que Dios los bendiga!
Tommy Shultz is a Business Development Representative for Diocesan. In this role he is committed to bringing the best software to dioceses and parishes while helping them evangelize on the digital continent. Tommy has worked in various diocese and parish roles since his graduation from Franciscan University with a Theology degree. He hopes to use his skills in evangelization, marketing, and communications, to serve the Church and bring the Good News to all. His favorite quote comes from St. John Paul II, who said, “A person is an entity of a sort to which the only proper and adequate way to relate is love.”
Feature Image Credit: Ella Christenson, unsplash.com/photos/white-and-red-wooden-toy-l6DorjudX64
The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.
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