To the Ends of the Earth. Mark C. McCann

7 speaks of the seduction of a senseless and foolish man by an adulterous woman. The passage goes into great detail about the man’s steady journey into sin. He makes his way secretly to her house, hears her seductive words, is enticed by what his senses take in, and then gives in to the sin of adultery. He is compared to an animal stepping into a snare and being captured, never to recover. This describes how sin works in our lives. It presents itself as a pleasurable experience, slowly drawing us into the trap it sets for us. We think it is something good, yet if we give ourselves over to it, ultimately it destroys our lives until our bodies, our minds, and our souls are left in utter turmoil.

      We must remember that the temptation to sin does not come from God (cf. Jas 1:13), but from the world, the flesh, or the devil. When we give in to temptation, we have only our weak, sinful nature to blame. Yet when we repent, God takes the pain and devastation of sin and, through grace, transforms us and helps us persevere to the end. Let us remember that we are fallen men, incapable of accomplishing anything good outside of Christ. And let us thank God that in Christ we are set free to overcome sin and become men of integrity and purpose once more.

      Questions for Reflection

      What are some of your biggest struggles with temptation?

      Do you ever blame God when you fall into sin? Why? What do you need to do to accept your own blame and surrender yourself to God’s mercy?

      How has God used the graces of the Sacrament of Confession to transform you?

      How have your brothers in the Faith helped you to let go of sin and rely on grace?

      Praying with Scripture

      “Among these we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Eph 2:3).

      Wednesday

       We Must Not Allow the Sea of Our Troubles to Toss Us About

       And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

      Matthew 8:24–28

      It can be tempting to believe that we can be good Christians without the Church. Especially in our society today, many men believe they can pray on their own, worship in their own way, and guide their own lives. They see the Church as unnecessary or even burdensome. But the truth is, without the Church we don’t really have Christ in our lives, because the Church is his Body.

      More than that, we need the Church to guide us, the ministry of her leaders to train us in the Faith, and the fellowship of her members to uplift and support us. The inevitable result of isolated Christianity is double-mindedness, hypocrisy, and vulnerability to falsehood and personal sin. Only in the Church can we reach out fully to Christ when waves of doubt and indecision threaten to overwhelm us.

      Doubt can often do more damage than pride. It can keep us inactive in our faith or move us in directions contrary to God’s will for our lives. As we are tossed back and forth by our fear and indecision, focused on the size of the storms we experience, we lose sight of the light of God’s grace, which guides us to the safe shore of his love. God will give generously to those who come to him looking for the stability he offers in Christ. As we live out the Lord’s command to love, we grow into rock-solid men able to bring change to our world.

      Questions for Reflection