Readings:
1 John 3:22-4:6
Psalm 2:7-11
Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25
Today “many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 Jn 4:1b), and “the spirit of the antichrist …. is already in the world.” (1 Jn 4:3b). Tragically, modernism, by which the focus is more on the human than on the divine, has come into the Church, and pastors have themselves become false prophets and teachers. “They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them.” (1 Jn 4:5). Thus many Catholics are led astray. They are torn between “the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.” (1 Jn 4:6d).
How are we to live our lives as Christians? Well, we look to God and “we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” (1 Jn 3:22b). How? “And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 Jn 3:23a). The focus is always Jesus. Once we turn from Jesus to focus on the well-being of man, then modernism has taken hold of us.
What does Jesus tell us and what do modernists tell us?
Jesus says “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt 4:17). This is what Jesus preached, from the very start of his public ministry in Galilee. The very first step in living our lives for God is repentance. But what do modernists tell us by their words and actions?
We are told that what is important is to accept, embrace and accompany sinners. But they are not to be confronted with their sin, because it is offensive and hurtful. So grave sinners do not repent and they remain in their sin.
Catholics who are rabidly pro-abortion but who claim to be devout are not rebuked and are in fact given Holy Communion. Thus there is no repentance, and they remain affirmed in their grave sin.
Pastors bless Catholics who are in same-sex unions. So what need do they have of repentance?
Then there is what Jesus actually did in his ministry. “He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.” (Mt 4:23). But today modernists have their own interpretation of what this means.
Jesus taught in the synagogues. But what do modernists teach that is contrary to the commands and will of God?
That one who is gay is born that way. If so, there is no need to change.
That what is important in a relationship is simply love, and thus homosexual relationships are acceptable.
That God wills a diversity of religions, and that all religions are valid and ways to the divine. If so, there is no need to turn to Jesus in faith.
Jesus proclaimed the gospel of the Kingdom. But what do modernists proclaim? What to them is good news?
That what is important is social justice. Thus modernists look to social issues such as immigration and climate change but overlook the issues of abortion and LGBT.
That all men are brothers and we are to look to the international brotherhood of man. But authentic brotherhood is only in Christ. In fact, this humanist concept of international brotherhood has its roots in Freemasonry.
That it is wrong to proselytize, that is, to make converts. Thus the primary missionary character of the Church is set aside. The gospel now becomes just a feel-good relationship of love and concern for others.
Jesus cured every disease and illness. But how do modernists see this?
The hierarchy has compared the Church to a field hospital, and rightly so. However, with political correctness, those who suffer from the disease and illness of sin are just to be brought to the hospital and cared for, but their spiritual illness is not treated. Imagine being physically hurt or gravely ill, are brought to a hospital, and once there are placed in a nice bed, cleaned up, made comfortable, given good food, and attended by nurses with care, but nothing else. The wound or illness remains! In the same way, sinners are just to be loved and accepted, but talking about their sin to get them out of it is not done.
There is no need for repentance because no one goes to hell. People who do not repent just disappear when they die. It is even doubtful that Judas is in hell.
All this is why the world is in such bad shape, why a tsunami of evil overwhelms the whole earth. What is the way out? We are to “serve the Lord with fear; exult with trembling.” Ps 2:11a). We look not to man but to the Lord Jesus. We look not just to the well-being of man but to the righteousness of God. We worship and serve God with awe.
Jesus has called us to repentance, from the very start. This is all the more needed today. We are to “accept correction lest he become angry and you perish along the way when his anger suddenly blazes up.” (Ps 2:11b). Actually, God’s anger is already upon us, and He chastises us with the current pandemic. We need to repent, to accept correction, to amend our lives. Otherwise we perish.
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