Love of God; Contrary to Hypocrisy

Just as in Scripture, where the people blindly followed the many laws handed down to them, we, too, seem to have forgotten why we do what we do. Most Christians maintain that it is beneficial to attend some sort of ceremony each weekend on Sunday. However, how many of us really appreciate why we get up on Sunday morning? How many of us, especially Catholics (who have the Eucharist, the Real Presence of Jesus Christ) realize that we get to encounter to Lord of all creation each week, or even each day if we choose?

So many people say that they love God, but will turn around not an hour later and do things so totally reprehensible that they should not be discussed. So many young people, influenced by society, do not even have an understanding of what love truly is, even on a basic level. Selfishness and instant gratification lead many deep into hypocrisy and falsehood. Even people seen as generally good, respected in their respective communities, may attend a Sunday service to fulfill an obligation, a "law," without reflecting on their intentions.

In "talking the talk" without "walking the walk," so to speak, these people develop a wholly inaccurate view of what God wants for us. They do not develop their inner voice, their conscience, and they tailor their beliefs to what they feel is right. The dignity of life is one issue on which many "Christians" have seemed to strayed from common sense, and most especially politicians considering their public positions. It only makes sense, considering God's infinite love for all people, that it would be wrong to perform an abortion or to perform capital punishment on any person (with the only exception being if the person cannot possibly be contained and kept from killing again).

Now, some people have come up with an excuse to allow abortion, asserting that the fetus is not a person until a certain point (brain function, heartbeat, human shape, birth/viability, etc...), and everyone has a different opinion. God did not intend for there to be confusion, and all of these strange and unclear speculations are wrong. The early church fathers wrote on the matter, rejecting abortion as evil and asserting that life begins at conception. This has been the teaching of the Catholic Church since the beginning of its existence, and it is the teaching of Jesus Christ, passed down to his Apostles (the first leaders of the church). It is important that politicians follow the spirit of God's law, especially when it is also the letter of God's law, and avoid mindless hypocrisy.

By the same vein, people have also rejected the teaching of the Holy Eucharist, which is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus. This teaching is very clearly true, especially considering the Bread of Life discourse located in the gospel of John, chapter 6. Even many Catholics have rejected the belief in the Holy Eucharist, with a recent study indicating that 50% of Catholics do not hold that the teachings of the Catholic Church are true. This is due to the misleadings of proud people who do not wish to research objective materials and find the truth, which so many of the early church fathers (objective material) attest is the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Catholic politicians have a hard time reconciling their religious obligations with their political stances, and so often they end up swaying to public opinion. Here, in these instances, hypocrisy is so very evident. These people say that they are only trying to represent the general public and their views, but they cannot possibly support abortion or deny the reality of the Eucharist while maintaining their Catholic identities. In situations like these, people must consider why they are doing what they do and make sure that their actions please God, regardless of anyone's opinions.

The Whisper of Elohim

Elijah was a man that truly listened to God and tried to do His will, no matter what the odds and regardless of the situation. When he was up against a "multitude" of Baal's prophets, he alone stood up for the Lord, God of Israel. Then, when Jezebel threatened his life, he walked for forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, where he waited for God to reveal Himself to him. There was a mighty wind, which broke the rocks before it because it was so powerful. Then, there came an earthquake, followed by a great fire. All of these seemed to be ways in which God would reveal himself to Elijah, since He had done similar things in the past. However, Elijah was truly listening and waited a little longer.

Elijah's patience and attentiveness resulted in his becoming aware of God's will, enabling him to carry that Holy Will out for God's greater glory. We, too, need to listen attentively for the voice of God in our lives. So often we allow ourselves to become distracted and, even when we are praying, allow our minds to wander. We cannot be totally God's until we learn to listen to God in prayer, because prayer is a conversation. No conversation can bear any fruit unless both parties are listening and talking to each other; we know God listens and speaks to us, and we need to do our part to build that relationship.

We are free to ignore God's voice, or to neglect to listen for it. This is part of the awesome gift and great responsibility of our free will. Elijah shows us what we need to do at every moment of every day. Our search to learn God's will begins at the most fundamental level; it begins inside of us, in our hearts, where Jesus longs to sit, enthroned as King. Let us, then, never falter in our prayers, never slow down, but run with all our mind, heart, soul, and strength towards our sweet Lord.