Pray the Rosary for Our Country
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today, I’d like to take a look at our Sunday readings from the 33rd Sunday after Pentecost. They are packed full of good lessons for us to ponder; for example, we discover: what is pleasing to God, why it’s so important for us to be sober and watchful and finally, why we must make the most of what God has given us for His greater glory.
Our first reading (PRV 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31) has us reading about marriage from the point of view of God, i.e., the groom. We learn what is pleasing to the Lord when it comes to the Church, i.e., the bride: charity, humility, good works, fear of the Lord, etc. Another important thing we learn, in our Responsorial Psalm, is that the Lord wants us to be fruitful, both spiritually and physically. What does it mean to be fruitful in the spiritual sense? Our Gospel reading (MT 25:14-30 ) points out that as Christians this means that we must make the most of the gifts given to us by God. We must use our talents to bring forth more souls for the Kingdom. Maybe our gift is that we are good at preaching; perhaps we have a capacity for great acts of charity or we may be blessed with a deep prayer life in which we intercede for others, etc. Whatever our particular gift or talent may be, we must use it for God’s greater glory!
Likewise, in a physical sense, for those who enter Holy Matrimony, our Lord wants us to be open to each and every new life that He chooses to give us (if it be His will to give us this gift) for in doing this, we cooperate in His plan to create more souls to populate heaven. This is why the Church condemns artificial contraception. In fact, ALL Christian churches condemned artificial contraception up until 1930.* They understood that the connection between marriage and fruitfulness was directly parallel to the connection between God and His Church. In the end, we please God by being fruitful according to His holy will. When contraception enters the picture, we are in effect saying “no” to God. We are telling Him that we know better and that we choose our will over His. Likewise, when we say “no” to the gifts He has given us and refuse to use them for the good of the Kingdom, we are telling Him that we know better and that we choose our will over His.
What does He say to people like this? He calls them “wicked and lazy servants” and throws them into the darkness outside. We see a contrast with the “children of the dark” in our second reading (1 THES 5:1-6), whereby St. Paul tells the “children of the light” to be vigilant, for unlike the children of the dark, who feel that they know what’s best and seek to create their own worldly kingdom, the children of the light know that the Lord is in control and that He could summon us at any moment and demand an accounting, much like the master in the parable shared by St. Mathew. So, the moral of the day, my friends, is this: Live your life in accord with God’s will for you. Be fruitful with the gifts he has given you and multiply them; always be sober and alert in guarding your soul from mortal sin and, most importantly, long with all your heart and soul to hear these words, from our Gospel reading, on Judgement Day: “Well done my good and faithful servant … come, share your Master’s joy.”
—Fr. Epperson
The Lambeth Conference of 1930
What happened in 1930 that caused the disastrous ripple effect that we see in our world and Church today? The Lambeth Conference. The Lambeth Conferences are assemblies of Anglican bishops, called by the Archbishop of Canterbury, held every 10 years. The first such conference was held in 1867. The most recent one was held was in 2018. Here is what the Lambeth Conference of 1930 declared that caused an earthquake in Christianity worldwide: “Where there is a clearly felt moral obligation to limit or avoid parenthood, the method must be decided on Christian principles. The primary and obvious method is complete abstinence from intercourse (as far as may be necessary) in a life of discipleship and self-control lived in the power of the Holy Spirit.” Nevertheless, in those cases where there is such a clearly felt moral obligation to limit or avoid parenthood, and where there is a morally sound reason for avoiding complete abstinence, the Conference agrees that other methods may be used, provided that this is done in the light of the same Christian principles. “The Conference records its strong condemnation of the use of any methods of conception-control for motives of selfishness, luxury, or mere convenience” (Resolution 15, emphasis added). It is interesting to note the 180 degree turn that took place from just 10 years before when any form of contraception was condemned at the 1920 conference: “ … we steadfastly uphold what must always be regarded as the governing considerations of Christian marriage. One is the primary purpose for which marriage exists—namely the continuation of the race through the gift and heritage of children; the other is the paramount importance in married life of deliberate and thoughtful self-control. We desire solemnly to commend what we have said to Christian people and to all who will hear.”
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