Just yesterday, we answered these questions addressed to us in the renewal of baptismal promises at the Easter Vigil or Easter Sunday:
Do you reject sin so as to live in the freedom of God's children?
Do you reject the glamor of evil and refuse to be mastered by sin?
Do you reject Satan, father of sin and prince of darkness?
As far as I could tell, everyone at Mass in my parish over the weekend responded in the affirmative to the above and that would be close to 2,000 people. Yours truly responded in the affirmative at three liturgies.
The harder question now is this: what did we mean when we said, "I do"? Did we actually mean it when we said, "I do"?
Whether I name it Satan or not,
do I believe that there is a power for evil
at work in the world?
in my life?
Do I believe that there is a darkness that beckons me
and draws me away from the light in my life?
Which do I prefer: the darkness or the light?
Which do I seek? Which do I long for?
Which do I choose?
Which will I choose today?
What sins of mine inhibit my freedom as a child of God?
How do they inhibit my freedom?
Why do I choose the sin rather than the freedom?
Am I mastered by my sins?
Do I want to be more the master of my own life?
When I said, "I do" at Mass -
did I mean that I wanted to reject my freedom-inhibiting sins?
Will I reject them today?
How is evil glamorous to me? What evil attracts me?
Seduces me? Cons me? Tricks me?
What would I need to do to "reject the glamor of evil?"
Will I do that today?
These are hard questions for Easter Monday!
It might be well next year to consider these questions
as part of our Lenten discipline.
But now it's the Easter season and we have said, "I do"
in renewing our baptismal promies...
Will I keep my promises?
-ConcordPastor
I am one who went to church on Saturday, and renewed those vows to reject Satan. I sat there and thought about how easy it is to justify things that seduce, attract, trick or con me into doing something that just wouldn't be right. I'm attracted to someone who is married. Yet, look at all the people I would hurt if I ever acted on my feelings. I pray for the strength and courage to reject the evil that tries to seduce me and consequently, hurt others.
ReplyDeleteI read your comment yesterday and expected that today others would have responded to your post. It appears I am the first. I would encourage you not to act on your feelings. You are so correct in your assessment that you would be hurting many people. I had commented in the entry about betrayal that I think one of the worst, if not the worst betrayal, is infidelity to one's spouse. You would be putting that person in this position. Perhaps you could discuss this situation with your pastor for guidance. Meanwhile, I will offer prayers that God will see you through this difficult time.
ReplyDeleteThank you, anonymous, for your advice. I don't need to talk with any pastor to realize if I acted on such feelings, it would be very wrong. I couldn't live with myself if I caused a betrayal in anyone's marriage. Thanks for your prayers.
ReplyDelete