A Crime against God and Man

 

I know what Jesus taught is not popular. It might be written off as a nice way to live when it's convenient and doesn't cause us any personal sacrifice.

But, we are either with him, or we are against him. We either believe in what he taught us and live by it, or we don't. 

Our Secretary of Defense (now appropriately known as the Secretary of War) gloats that we are "winning" this war with Iran.  He of all people should know that absolutely nobody wins in war.

The White House should know better than to compare war to a game-- which they have--interspersing real footage with fake footage from the video game "Call of Duty."

Yet, the Speaker of the House is adamant that this is not a war:

“We’re not at war right now, we’re four days into a very specific, clear mission and operation.” 

Oh, okay, if you say so. 

But did you know that the "boss" refers to it as a war? 

There was no plan as to how to evacuate Americans traveling or living in the countries under fire. No plan. Let that sink in. They are just now figuring out this little glitch.

This is not a proud moment for America. The chaos and lack of communication, and the destruction and death that we are witnessing today is embarrassing, and, well, irresponsible.

The truth is . . . 

"Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation." (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2314)

I was reading today that we are waiting (it could be years) on the International Court of Justice to decide whether the Israeli/Gaza conflict was actually a genocide, which the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) says it was. 

Let's hope we aren't led into a mess like that in Iran, when you consider who our partner is in all of this.

Pray for peace and an end to war. 

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy 

 

 

Are you trying to live without God?

 

Do you ever choose yourself over God?

No?

If you are trying to live as if God does not exist, you are scorning him. You are putting yourself higher than him. You are putting beneath you the very one who created you!

That is choosing yourself over God.

The "Catechism of the Catholic Church" (CCC) tells us that man's [first] sin was disobedience and a lack of trust in God's goodness, significantly "In that sin man preferred himself to God and by that very act scorned him. He chose himself over and against God . . ." (in Paragraphs 397-398)

Also included in our first parents original sin was the desire to decide good and evil.

So what's the problem with that, you say? Shouldn't we determine good from evil?

It isn't that we know the difference between good and evil, but that we think we DECIDE what's good and evil, apart from what God has revealed to us. 

That is a grave error. 

Our knowledge and reasoning about good and evil comes from our knowledge of God, not simply what we THINK.

Just look where our independent thinking has gotten us so far: 

Instead of hearing God when he says, "Thou shall not kill," babies are aborted because people determine for themselves abortion is not evil.

Instead of hearing God when he says, "You shall not invoke the name of the Lord your God in vain," people swear all the time.

Instead of hearing, "You shall not have other gods beside me," we have materialism run rampant.

You get the idea. 

I invite you to examine aspects of your life where you put what you think over and above what God has revealed to us about what is good and what is evil.

Determine where you may be choosing your own ways over God. Pray for help in making the needed change so that you can one day hear God say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!" (Matthew 25:21)

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy 

 

 

 

 

Operating out of fear

Like you, I awoke to the news that the United States took the first steps toward war with Iran. I found the news devastating.

Then I opened today's gospel reading and, wouldn't you know it, it was Matthew, Chapter 5, verses 43-48 on loving our enemies!

What Jesus teaches us in those verses, and the ones before them on retaliation, is an exact contradiction to today's military actions. Be sure to take some time to reflect on these passages as soon as you can.

What always come to my mind in situations like this is two things. 

First, I feel great sorrow for the innocent people who will die (as well as our troops.) I think about how killing does not solve problems, even though the myth that it somehow will continues to thrive.

Second, the word fear comes to mind. The actions that the United States took today rest soundly on fear. I'm not saying the fear is irrational, but when our killing actions are the result of the fear of some future, potential danger, they are misguided.

How would your life work if you operated out of the fear of potential danger? 

Think about it. 

As it says in 1 John 4:18:

 "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love."

Let us pray for our leaders, for moral decision-making and for a return to confidence in God. 

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy