sex
“The reign of God can be likened to ten bridesmaids who took their torches and went out to welcome the groom. Five of them were foolish, while the other five were sensible.” —Matthew 25:1-2
Online pornography, which has entered the blood stream of even Christian people, trivializes sex. It relegates sex to the physical — a mere game or toy. Therefore, there’s no such thing as a sexual sin. Sexual guilt is supposedly only a cultural hangup. But this is a lie. There’s a lot more to life and sex than the physical. Sexual sin and guilt are objective realities which will not disappear no matter what mind games we play.
God takes sex seriously. “What I say to you is: anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his thoughts. If your right eye is your trouble, gouge it out” (Mt 5:28-29). He warns us to guard our sexual organs in sanctity and honor (1 Thes 4:4). Sexual sin is the only sin against our own bodies (1 Cor 6:18). “The Lord is an Avenger of all such things” (1 Thes 4:6).
Laws concerning sex are not man-made. “Whoever rejects these instructions rejects, not man, but God” (1 Thes 4:8). “No fornicator, no unclean or lustful person — in effect an idolator — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with worthless arguments. These are sins that bring God’s wrath down on the disobedient; therefore have nothing to do with them” (Eph 5:5-7). “As for lewd conduct or promiscuousness or lust of any sort, let them not be mentioned among you; your holiness forbids this” (Eph 5:3).
Prayer: Jesus, may I look at sex the way You do.
Promise: “The moral is: keep your eyes open, for you know not the day or the hour.” —Mt 25:13
Praise: Samantha, a quadriplegic, never complains about her situation. She constantly radiates the joy of the Lord at work, on the bus, and whenever people stare at her.
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Rescript: In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for One Bread, One Body covering the period August 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 4, 2023
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.