Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

GOLDEN CALVES OF OUR MODERN SOCIETY, FROM THE TIME regressed Neopaganism

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The media and fashions They tend to build the image of people without flaws, impeccable. The error? It happens simply an oversight, an incident in the person "perfect". Just listen to a newscast But back to reality, for example listening to the news of the crime, before which, this purity and perfection, It ends overturned.

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Author:
Gabriele Giordano M. Scardocci, o.p.

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PDF print format article

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Dear brothers and sisters,

Marc Chagall, etching: The Golden Calf

we all make mistakes and sins. The abstract ideal of absolute perfection achieved on this earth is unreal and we can snatch it from head, It would be enough to remind ourselves that we have inherited a corrupt nature by original sin.

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The media The mode They tend to create images of people without flaws, impeccable. The error? It's just an oversight, an accident in the person "perfect". But just listen to a newscast back to reality, for example, reports of crime; and this image of purity and perfection, It ends overturned.

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In today's readings [see Liturgy of the word, This XXIV Sunday in Ordinary Time, WHO] we can have a Catholic perspective on our sinfulness, repented and forgiven by God, Eternal Father through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Starting from reading the Old Testament that contains the admonition:

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"We ', get off, for your people, […] They have made them a molten calf, then they have worshiped, they offered sacrifices " [Is, 32,7-11.13-14].

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Prostrate in front of a statue of molten metal it is very significant, because for the People of Israel it is tantamount to giving enormous importance to material things. At the same time this also implies the hide under a metal protection: ie seek protection in their beliefs, in human certainties. It is a typical error even nowadays, a sin by which we prevent that God is more important, unable to perceive and welcome the Eternal God and transcendent as it offers us protection.

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As a totally opposite experience instead San Paolo, when he writes to his beloved disciple Timothy:

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"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, the first of which I am " [1 TM 1,12-17]

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St. Paul acknowledges that he needs Jesus: He recognizes fragile sinner, no other defense but God Himself. Symbolically, we could say that prostrates himself before gold: It is placed under the maximum protection that is God. Moreover, He is having received mercy for his sins, It is able to transmit this mercy.

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Let's also think about this: when we get mercy, then we become instruments of mercy truthful, because we have pioneered a great love.

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In the long version of the Lucan Gospel, this great love there is described by the parable of the prodigal son. The final step, that of the return home of the young reckless, shows this scene:

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"Suo father Vide, had compassion, He ran to meet, and he fell on his neck and kissed him " [LC 15,1-32].

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A parable describing images with what happens every time we present ourselves to the confessional to ask forgiveness of our sins. The Eternal Father has indeed compassion, tenderness [the greek viscera] the human condition of lost children, but eager to so much love. For this meeting the running and throwing the neck are images that recall the idea of ​​the cancellation of our sins absolution: when in fact we absolved, Jesus the Priest runs towards us and frees us from the burden of sin, a kind of yoke on the neck. So we are ready to resume the life of holiness: the Holy Spirit puts us like a kiss on the heart, When we comply penance we are asked to do, as a small satisfaction for sins committed and who gives us spiritual healing.

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For us, the staff and the other salvation, it happens every time we confess to God and let all our sins, it is a journey we make with the whole Church. A community path, which it has the most beautiful expression of communion with God and with each other. The human feeling that accompanies us in our moments of redemption, It is the joy. A real encounter with Jesus rarely does not lead to joy. He wrote Jerome David Salinger:

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"The most striking difference between happiness and joy is that happiness is a solid and joy is a liquid" (Nine stories, 1953).

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We ask the Lord to grant us happiness in the solidity of his Bread of eternal life and joy in the liquid of the Salvation Wine.

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Amen.

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Rome, 14 September 2019

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