the voice of god on earth
"You are not judging by God's standards but by man's." —Matthew 16:23
As we write this, the Catholic Church, led by St. Peter's successor Pope Francis, often seems like a lone voice crying out in the wilderness of the culture of death (see Mt 3:1ff). The Catholic Church has consistently spoken out against the use of contraception, defends marriage as occurring between one man and one woman, defends the poorest of the poor, condemns abortion as murder, and stands against capital punishment and for social justice. Many teachings of the Catholic Church are attacked by the world. In the USA, the Church is under attack by the Health and Human Services' mandate, which attempts to force the Church and its members to compromise their stance on contraception. However, the Church will not submit to such attempts at intimidation (Mt 10:26).
So often, the Church is the voice of God on this earth. Praise God for the Church, which is a marriage between the divine and human. Though the Church is made up of sinners, she strives to have the mind of Christ (see Mt 16:23; 1 Cor 2:16), her Head. Therefore, listen to the teachings of the Church. Learn them and seek to follow them, for Jesus speaks through His Church today, as He did two-thousand years ago (see Acts 2:42; Lk 10:16).
Prayer: Jesus, You said that those who hear Your apostles, and by implication their successors the bishops, also hear You (Lk 10:16). May I seek Your voice through the voice of Your Church.
Promise: "I will place My law within them, and write it upon their hearts." —Jer 31:33
Praise: St. John became a saint by persevering with simplicity in his role as parish priest.
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 23, 2016
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