Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:01 The sorrows of Jess <inaudible> me and named the father and the son, the Holy spirit. Amen. Except to a Judaism, a Sunday or violent investments. There's no Gloria, and we're not going to hear LOE again until Easter. So what's that all about the great benediction literature, Don Garren shakes planes, as usual, the cuts have been quotes event cut and pasted, and yet donkey Santa gust and gives us the clue to this season's mysteries scenic Gustin quote. There are two times one which is now and is spent in the temptations and tribulations of this life. The other one shall be, then it should be spent any terminal security in July. We celebrate two liturgical periods, which symbolize this the time before Easter and the time after Easter, the time before Easter symbolizes the sorrow of this present life, the time after Easter symbolizes the blessedness of our future state, hence it is that we spend the first period in fasting and prayer.
Speaker 0 00:01:11 And the second period we give up our fasting and give ourselves to praise, clothes, coats, and Augusta Don Karen Che continues. The church often speaks to us with two places, which correspond with these two times of st. Augusta. These two places are Babylon and Jerusalem. Babylon is the image of this world of sin in the midst where of the Christian has to spend his years. Probation. Jerusalem is the heavenly country. Where is to repose after all of his trials, the people of Israel whose whole history symbolizes the history of the human race was banished from Jerusalem and kept in bondage in Babylon. Now this Babylonian captivity lasted 70 years and all the great literature tell us that it is to express this mystery that the church using round numbers fixed the number of 70 for the days of expiation. After those 70 days, except to accuse him of morning, we shall have the bright East towards whether it's seven weeks of gladness for shadowing, the happiness and bliss of heaven.
Speaker 0 00:02:26 After having fast with our cheeses and suffered with him the day will come. When we shall rise together with him in her heart shall fall into the highest heavens. And then after brief Intervale was she hopeful? We should feel the Holy ghost descending upon us with his seven kids, the seven joyous weeks from Easter to Pentecost. Prefigure still glad her future, the future of eternity. We are exiles and captures in Babylon that city, which plots our room. If we love our heavenly country, we must withstand that fly or of Babylon. This world of sin, which invites this to join in her feasts and her songs. No, there must be no sign that we're content to be in bondage, or we show this there to be slaves forever. These are the sentiments. Where would the church would inspire us during the penitential season, which we are now beginning.
Speaker 0 00:03:20 She wishes us to reflect on the dangers that beset us dangerous, which rise from ourselves or from creatures during the rest of the year. She loves to hear us champ the song of having the sweet hallelujah. But now she bids us to closer looks to this world of joy because we're in Babylon where pilgrims absent from the Lord. Let us keep our glad him for the day of his return. We are sinners and have been to often held fellowship with the world of God's enemies. Let us become purified by repentance. The leading feature then accept to a juicy mom is a total suspension of the owl, which is not again, to be heard upon the earth until a rival of that happy day when having suffered death with her cheeses and having been buried together with him, we shall rise again with him to a new life.
Speaker 0 00:04:07 So during this time, after the crash of the mass, instead of hearing the thrice repeated, hallelujah, which prepared our hearts to listen to the voice of God and the Holy gospel, we shall hear it, but a more informed, protracted chat call on that account, the tract, the sweet him of the angels glory. And it shall says Dale, which we have sung every Sunday since the birth of our savior and Bethlehem has also taken from us. It's only on the face of the saints, which may be kept during the week that we should be allowed to repeat it. That the I too may teach us that the season we're entering on is one of the morning. Their church will vestry ministers both on Sundays and other days during the week, which are not feast of saints and the song purple thus, Don Karen Shea.
Speaker 0 00:04:52 So liturgical symbolism from now until Easter is of the Babylonian captivity. Babylon symbolizes the world of sin in the midst of which we find ourselves struggling to release from a bondage and allowed to enter into the heavenly Jerusalem, which is symbolized and liturgy as the period of time between history, Pentecost, liturgically speaking in the time leading up to Easter, we find ourselves then Xcel, the captive in Babylon, this worldly city, which plots our road and literature, symbolic reflects our rejection of the temptations and allurements of the sinful city by suppressing those beautiful songs of heavily chore, the Gloria and Olivia, and also by folding the ministers and the violent investments, which are visible signs pennants. Now, with all that, as background today, we'll spend some time talking about one of the principle ways that Babylon on this world of sin attacks us. So to dive in, we'll spend some time considering that.
Speaker 0 00:05:55 And then over the next few weeks, leading up into land, we'll talk about ways to combat those attacks. Now, in order to put everything into context, we'll start by very briefly answering the question. What is man? What is man, we'll quickly consider three points. We could spend hours on any one of these points, but we'll just touch briefly on the first two and spend a little more time developing a third. First point, man is a creature. The fact that man is a creature necessarily implies some other truths. For example, since man is a creature, that means he's not God. Since he's not God, that means he doesn't get to decide what is good or what is he, what is right or what is wrong? Unfortunately, many of our neighbors virtually all of our rulers not seem to have any concrete grasp of this reality. Second point man is a creature made in the image and likeness of God.
Speaker 0 00:07:00 This likeness to God is in the soul because the soul of a man is a spirit. Is there for him more it's made for union with God. Third point man is damaged and damaged himself by rebellion against God. We'll spend some time on this point in order to more fully grasp some of the implications. We're relying on st. Thomas and that great homeless for the Garrett Gullett garage. We'll start by taking a brief look at the state of a man before Adam fell the state of original justice. But because of time, we're only going to be able to hit some of the high points. The state of original justice, the state of original justice is also known as the good old days. The state original Festus was the state and what you had. And then later Eve let's create it. Why is it called the state of original justice?
Speaker 0 00:07:56 Let's call it original because it starts at the origin of man and adjusted any more original than that. Why is it called justice? Justice means rendering onto another. What does this do in the beginning? Everything was just the ordered nature was unfair on an order and I'm also paid man. Man's lower powers are subject to his higher power man himself was perfectly subjected to God. So regards to man, everything in the beginning was flirted perfectly. The great domestic theologian father, Gary Mueller garage gives us an easy way to remember what the state of original justice was. Think of a triple harm and see if there's triple harmony. That's a perfect harmony between God and the soul. Since it was created to obtain eternal life by knowing and loving and serving God, there was a perfect harmony between the soul and the body, which was made to serve the soul.
Speaker 0 00:08:53 The passions were totally under the control of the right reason, enlightened by the faith and under the direction of the will strengthened by cherry it's. The body was not subject to injury sickness or death. There was a perfect harmony between the body of man and the rest of nature. The animals were dosa and obedient to man and the earth brought forth crops without any hard labor. So there's this Trimble harmony in the state of original justice. It's easy to pitch. If you make two little squares in your mind, you put God over Adams, you have God over Adam, the soul over the passions embodying the rest of nature. So it's God over Adam, his soul over the passions, the body over the rest of nature. So there's a harmony between God and a soul. God overhead them. There's harmony between the soul and the body.
Speaker 0 00:09:46 And then you have the harmony between the body and the rest of nature. Okay? What held it all together? Sanctifying grace and the gift of integrity, sanctifying grace, and the gift of integrity held this harmony together, but then became, then came, does after the original sin, Adam sinned, and that ended the state of original justice. So man, not find himself in a state of fallen. The second of the three possible States of man in this life. The three possible States in this man, man in this life are the state of original justice. The state of fallen nature in a state of restorative nature, original justice has fallen nature and restorative nature. We're not going to look at the state of restorative nature today. So original sin destroyed the state of original justice. And man landed in the state of fallen nature. Now human nature's left to its natural powers.
Speaker 0 00:10:41 Now it lacks grace in the gifts, but our natural powers heaven is totally out of reach. And to add to the disaster, once at a committed original sin have happened with just plain slam shot for all men. So anyhow, that isn't bad enough. Since the state of ruin fallen, natures a sinful condition. Now it's more difficult for men to do good and avoid evil than if he'd never been in the state of grace. So we can say to Adam, thanks a lot, says this triple harmony before Adam fell, but original sin destroy that harmony, but original sin destroyed original justice and it causes the opposite situation. The state of disharmony. So God, but the punishment fit the crime. Remember those squares God over Adam's soul over the passions and the body over the rest of nature. So what happened? God told down into a Bay, but Adam said, no.
Speaker 0 00:11:39 He rebelled. When he rebelled, he threw a sanctifying graves and the gifts, including the gift of integrity, the very things that held this harmony together. So justice as subs, Adam rebelled over his ruler. God. So now the seven passions rule against the rule of right reason salsa nature rules against the body revolts against the body. So now we, uh, the man against God, the passions against right reason and nature against the body. That's the state of fallen nature. We'll take a little closer look. It's really important for everyone. Understand the rebellion of Adam against God result in the state of fallen nature. And that gave man both supernatural and natural problems. We'll start with the supernatural problems by turning away from God. Man's fallen from grace. Now he's totally unable to obtain supernatural happiness. Why? Because supernatural life only comes from God. It's a man's toast.
Speaker 0 00:12:43 He's supernaturally dead. And he can't raise himself from the dead. Remember without supernatural life, no one can live the life of habit completely impossible. And if that's not bad enough and it's still not at all by rejecting a supernatural freedom of a son, I know the merciful and loving rule of God. Adam chose for us instead of be a slave under the miserable cruel of Satan. So Adams Paul resulted in the loss of grace and the loss of the gifts of integrity, the possibility and mortality. And in mankind's bondage to say, this is why we have exorcisms before a baptism. Those aren't just randomly there. That's to break that bondage to Satan. That is very real. It's part of our human condition. Thanks a lot, Adam. And that's still not all Adam also through way to guess integrity and pass ability and mortality. What does that mean?
Speaker 0 00:13:45 Well, the loss of the gifts of impassability mortality means that man is not subject to hard work to sickness, to suffering and a death. And the Lewis loss, the gift of integrity left man's powers and their natural condition. You don't need me to tell you the natural condition of man's powers is disharmony theologians call the resulting condition, the wounds of nature. After Adam, Chuck, the gift of integrity, man had problems with his intellect, his will and his passions. So Adam gets rid of the gift of integrity by the original Sam and we get it resulting problems with our hand lack will and passions. We'll take a quick look at the damage. The state of fallen nature, man has problems in his intellect and the will is intellect. It's the wound of ignorance. The intellects been darkened from now on man would have great difficulty in learning and understanding truth.
Speaker 0 00:14:43 That's the wound, the bakers in as well. The wound of malice, his Will's been weakened from now on man will suffer from weakness in the face of evil. So that's the wound in the world, the wound of mountains and his passions. He has two wounds. He's got the wound of weakness, which means it's not hard for him to actually struggle for the good, but the wound, the wound that really messes them up is called a wound que percents can Cuba. Since we'll take a minute to look at this one that could keep us since is one of those $4 fuel load theological words. It just means the rebellion of our sense, appetite, passions, emotions against right raise. And that's what concupiscence means. It's rebellion or passion, passions, and sense appetites against the rule of right race. Guess what if our sense appetites like hunger thirst, for example, or passions like anger on rebellion against great reason.
Speaker 0 00:15:43 That means that instead of being led by reasoning, we can easily be led by our passions and our appetites without the gift of integrity, guess which way they're going to lead us. That's the whole problem with concupiscence it inclines us towards sin. We're rational creatures. We have an end left in a will. That means that our actions we've actually created. We led by the light of reason, illuminated by the true faith and governed by the tech. You have to have integrity, but when we're led by our passions or emotions, instead of right reason, then we're being unreasonable. In fact, the very degree we're being led by our passions at that very degree, we're no longer acting like men. In fact, that very degree we're acting like beef, but there's one major difference. Beast can't pack below their nature, but we can not only that we want to compute percents men in a state of fallen nature.
Speaker 0 00:16:45 You now have a strong desire for central pleasure against right reason. What does that mean? And the state of original justice man would have not sought pleasure at the expense of another man, but in state of fallen nature, men now naturally want to please themselves, even at the expense of others, even against the rule of reason, it means that man are now naturally selfish. Now we can see why st. Thomas teaches that before the fall. Adam only need grace for eternal life, but we need grace for eternal life. And we need grace, tremendous sins, and we need grace to support our weaknesses. So in the state of fallen nature, we're actually pretty much a mess. Quick review mans, a creature made in the image and likeness of God, a body and immortal soul, a spiritual soul, which meant for union with God. He was created in a state of original justice.
Speaker 0 00:17:43 He was showered with heavenly kids. When the first man or father Adam committed the original sin, he threw away state of original justice. He threw away supernatural grace. He threw away the gifts of integrity. Impassability in mortality. He threw away friendship with God and shows bondage to save. Man landed a state of fallen nature. What you're doing good is difficult. The intellect is darkened. The will is weak. Doing good. It's difficult, man, suffers from his passions, rising up in rebellion against right reason rebellion owns concupiscence. Man is now self it's subject to hard work suffering sickness and death. That is reality before the fall because of the gift of integrity, human nature was perfectly watered. So man, love God above all things. And certainly more than himself. After the fall sanctifying grace, the gift of integrity would lost of human nature was disordered. His passions are disordered. As intellect has been darkened, his will weekend. He has trouble struggling to do good. He now naturally tends towards selfishness to seek his own personal desires without thinking about the common good and without thinking about God and this can't be fixed without grace,
Speaker 0 00:19:01 It can't be fixed without creates men. Now naturally tends towards selfishness to seek his own personal desires. Thinking of common. Good without thinking about God, and this cannot be fixed without grace. This is important. You want to burn that into your mind. This is reality, man. Now naturally tends toward selfishness to seek his own personal desires without thinking of common thought, thinking about God and that cannot be fixed without grace. If the only thing we accomplished in this sermon is to get you to really, really see that we've really accomplished something because of original sin. We're all damaged goods. We're not speaking of our lady. Of course, we all naturally tends towards selfishness. We naturally tend to seek our personal desires about thinking about the common good about God. We're a mess and that can't be fixed without craze. Then start penciling actual sin into the equation. We've really got problems.
Speaker 1 00:20:08 That's reality. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:20:13 Now that we know what man is, let's make sure we know what he's for. What's the purpose of life? What are we doing here? What's the purpose of life. What's life for. We're here to know this love and to serve God in this life. We'll be happy with him forever in the next that's the purpose of life. That's what life's for. Once we realize that we realized that in the light of eternity, the only meaningful progress is product to progress in our knowledge or, and our service of God. That's the only meaningful progress. Okay? One more of you thanks to original sin or passions and emotions or rebellion against right. Reason condition called Cuba. Since in Cuba, since inclines is towards sin, the purpose of life is to know and love, serve God in this life and be happy with him forever. Then next we're here to get to heaven and nothing else really matters.
Speaker 0 00:21:15 We're here to get to have him, but we have this huge problem. And it's a serious problem. Don't kid yourself reflected with concupiscence reflected with his terrible inclination towards sin. So we're here to get to heaven. Yeah. We have a terrible inclination towards sin. In other words, a terrible inclination towards hell. Okay? So each one of us, not our lady, but we can say, I want to get to heaven, but I have this terrible thing inside me. These terrible drives is urges. They can easily drag me right down into hell, some men for heaven, but my cute percents will drag me straight. Hell if I let him, but that's not even the hat.
Speaker 1 00:21:54 No.
Speaker 0 00:21:54 So let's briefly consider this Babylonian culture we live in just by doing a little thought experiment. You can do it in real life. I've done this lots of times. You go into a break grocery store and stand there and cereal aisle for a while. And why wait until a mother comes through with her little kids. You're not going to have to wait very long to some little kid pitched a fit and demands. His mom grabs him a box of sugarcoated, frosted bombs or some crazy thing like that. We've all seen that scenario. I've seen a lot of times that little square got over that Adam said, no mom over jr. There's junior rebelling, punishment fits the crime. Now in this scenario, there's a lot of interesting angles to analyze the data. Let's just ask ourselves what just happened. There was this child making a reasonable request or request, which was based on the knowledge of its proper daily dietary requirements.
Speaker 0 00:22:48 Of course now he saw something that tasted good. And as soon as he saw it, which is the same as saying, as soon as he sensed it, there was a movement of his passions moving, which is, which has termed is cubism appetites. That just means a central appetites, all those desires in his soul for pleasure at those sugarcoated frosted bombs. Was this a reasonable request? No, it wasn't. The slightest bit concerned whether it's box of CEO's was nutritious. In other words, he wasn't the size a bit concerned whether this was actually good cereal. He was interested in the cereal because it tastes good. In other words, he's interested in cereal is based purely and totally on his passions and not in his reason.
Speaker 0 00:23:34 It's a request rooted firmly in concupiscence. Now let's think about the advertising for sure. Coated chocolate bombs. Before we think about the advertisement, as it is, let's think about the advertising as it is not. Does anyone think here that the advertisers for this cereal are going to point up at about 20 minutes after eating is Junior's going to have a sugar high and start ricocheting off the walls and creating a habit in your house. Of course that does anyone think that advertisers are going to point out that if it's your junior eats the sugarcoated frosted bombs every day, always going up he'll end up probably a fat little kid with rotten teeth in the strongest position towards diabetes. Of course not. So what are we saying? We're saying that the basis for this advertisement is not going to be at the level of an appeal to right reason. What sort of ads does this product probably have? We've all seen ads, pre sweetened breakfast cereals. Typically there's some kind of cartoon character Bazzi types things, upbeat music.
Speaker 1 00:24:39 Why what's the message there
Speaker 0 00:24:44 Along the lines of these sugarcoated frosted bombs are fun. It tastes good. And what you have gobs of mine, a few eat them too,
Speaker 0 00:24:55 That advertising isn't accidental. They're not just randomly putting those advertisements out there. What exactly are they appealing to them? That advertisement isn't right reason that this is a really good cereal for the child is healthy, nutritious won't rot. The teeth. Of course now they're advertising are appealing to the child's appetites. This kind of advertising is pitched at the level of the passions and it works. It really works. Now. I deliberately chose that example because many of the very people is sort of serial advertisement is aimed dad, our children, children that haven't even reached the age of reason you had, you had companies deliberately Emmy advertisement towards them. And when you get it a little time, it's, we're seriously pondering the moral implications of that
Speaker 0 00:26:09 Thought experiment about the fact that advertisement definitely can definitely does appeal to children who have not yet reached the range of reason. Oughta really helped bring our actual situation in a clear focus. Remember that before the fall, all of Adam's sensitive imagination were totally honored of the rule of reason, which means it modern advertising. It would have absolutely no effect on moving his desires because of senses and bodily faculties are all perfectly under the control of reason since the flesh like gluttony or would have absolutely no attraction for it. But because of the fall, we have this serious problem with our sense appetites, which you're in rebellion against, right? For reasoning, we have a serious problem with hubris. That's what your client has towards sin and among other things, the advertisers are attacking us precisely at this weak point by appealing to the passions and that works.
Speaker 0 00:27:10 It really works. And now with all that friendly, your mind, just take, look around the society we live in and consider the life of central softness. That's constantly being created before a sense of comfort, pleasure, sweetness, softness, sexuality, what's it all appealing to. It's all appealing to our concupiscence. We're constantly being baked in appeals, charter Coupa since no culture in the history tree of the world. Just think about the fact that for the moment, our advertising is specifically geared to appeal to our fallen nature, to appeal to our appetites and our passions. What does that mean?
Speaker 0 00:28:04 Think about that. What does it mean to say their advertising is geared to specifically appear appealed to our fallen nature, to appeal to our passions and our emotions to appeal to our cubits. What does that mean? Since most of our advertisement is set up to <inaudible> appeals appeal specifically to powertrain clients is towards sin. It means it's set up to tempt us since most of our advertising is set up to appeal specifically to a power, which inclines is towards sin. That means it's set up to tempt us for the first time in history in all of human history, temptations are being scientifically designed to appeal to the central desires. And this is in spite of fact, that's been known from the beginning. It's an ancient times, the pagans, the chews, the constant teacher, all the fathers, doctors and Sage, the church, all, all of them right across the board.
Speaker 0 00:29:11 It's the unanimous testimony, history and human experience that it's a, that's too bad for a man to Cocker's passion. And to bring them under the rule of rivalries, to live a life of virtue, to live a life, to live a life of virtue, to passion simply have to be broadened submission. And that is impossible. If they're constantly being excited, it's totally impossible to live a virtuous. The passions must be brought into submission, which is totally impossible. If they're constantly being cited, contrast the central life to the life of virtue in order to live a virtuous life, we have it on authority of God, himself. The each one of us has to deny himself and take up his cross. We have to fight and struggle in order to bring our sensory appetites under the rule of reason. And it is a fight. It is his struggle, but it's simple to understand either we lead our passions or passions are going to lead to us. That's that basic either we lead our passions or passions are to lead us and where are they going to lead us? They're gonna lead us straight into hell.
Speaker 0 00:30:26 It's a fight. It's a struggle. But the symbol of our relationship is not some big, stupid purple, dinosaur tone or anybody just hold hands. And we're all gonna be happy and go to heaven. That's the symbol of our religion. That's the symbol of our religion. It's the suffering crucified. Lord bloody mangled nailed to the cross. That's our religion, not to sissified feminized Barney Catholicism. That's being pitched almost from almost to report, but so many places. This is what st. Paul is talking about and that wonderful passage in Galatians five 24, there that are Christ's have crucified. The flesh with advices and the Coupa senses they've had, or Christ have crucified their flash with a vice isn't. The concupiscence notice what st. Paul did not say in that passage. He did not say that those who belong to Christ have crest, their flesh with the finest and central pleasures.
Speaker 0 00:31:29 You're not saying those who belong to Christ have spoiled themselves was sweet, soft living. He said the Lois that are Christ's have crucified their flash with the <inaudible> they've crucified, their flash Saint Paul knew what he was talking about. He suffered from concupiscence just like the rest of us. That's what he's writing about. Romans seven 15. When he says, I do not understand what I do for it is not what I wish that I do. What I hate that I do in first Corinthians st. Paul talks about beating his own body, pummeling it into submission. So he doesn't lose his salvation. That Saint Paul mortified find yourself. So he doesn't lose his self age. We're talking about st. Paul saying, Paul, we all have concupiscence on her. We all have cute. Since in some ordinations, unreasonable and rebellious desires for sensible goods. It's so awfully to send a sin and you don't need me to tell you one of the most miserable aggravating, irritating creatures on earth is a man who hasn't got his appetites on her control.
Speaker 0 00:32:40 He's got the potential to be a great Saint, but he's been spoiled. Maybe when he's a kid by his parents' lack of resolve to get with the program. And when the bot battle in line that kid out right from the beginning before these bad habits could take a rub, or maybe he's been spoiled by his own lack of discipline and by caving into his own desire by his vulnerability, his passions. So the man that might've really been a great Saint with the right discipline, turns out to be a best and aggravating, not head. He can't say no to himself. He winds up living his life. The natural level, never bathrooms, lower inclinations. And that means a life of sin. A life David, probably an eternity in fire. God's Holy word says it by nature. We are born children of wrath. If we live at the level of nature, fallen nature, never striving towards holiness.
Speaker 0 00:33:31 We're deserving of the wrath of God. Thank you very much, but that's reality because of our condition, then to live it to the level of nature, to even deliver your care. Sleek sight in the flamer passions is extremely dangerous for our spiritual wellbeing. Either we lead our passions or passions are going to lead us. And if a little things we're constantly caving into our desires, what will we come of us? When big things come hurtling down the path, it's not a pretty thought we'll end up trapped in the sins, which Saint Paul described the colation supply as the works of the flesh fornication impurity immodesty Debar tree fights drunkenness. So on that's the fruits of this culture that we find ourselves.
Speaker 0 00:34:24 And if we don't fight them, we don't resist we'll land to now, no ifs, ands or buts. So we've got two choices. Either passion serve us. We serve our passions, either a passion service. We serve our passions. It's a salvation issue to get rains on your passions. So here's the reality. We're suffering from the effects of original sin. Thank you, Adam. Since we don't have the gift of integrity, one specific problem we all suffer from is can Cuba sense consumer sense against the rebellion of our sense, appetites like our passions and emotions against right reason. And the clients is towards sin because it's inherent inclination towards sin. Unless we can fight the struggle to bring those passions in submission to lead us into sin. So generally speaking, we're already in a pickle and is it that isn't serious enough? We're immersed in an environment which not only does not help suit and restrain our passions, but instead our environment is positively oriented towards keeping the passions almost continually stimulated and flame. And our environment is negatively going into the sense where I was continually encouraged to not deny ourselves to not struggle, not to fight against our desires, to just spoil ourselves, indulge yourself. In other words, we find ourselves immersed in a culture which actually promotes almost unlimited temptation. Now we have the context we're in trouble, we're in the middle of a minefield. And the vast majority of our fellow citizens don't even have a clue of how we ought to be treated or even which way we ought to be headed. They don't have a clue.
Speaker 0 00:36:10 So ponder what we've talked about today and think about the social and indeed the political implications of what you've learned. We'll pick up next week.
