YOU ARE NOT OF THE WORLD
Every kind of addiction comes under the category of "world:"
alcoholism, drugs, pornography, gluttony, etc. These addictions weaken us, take
away God's light, and lead us on a detour of darkness!
A little more than
halfway through the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke mentions the original twelve
Apostles for the last time. From then on, the book is pretty much the story of
the acts of others who are called to spread the Good News of God. Acts tells of
the great responsibility for bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ out of the
Jerusalem center, spreading the good news around the Mediterranean area, and
eventually to the whole world as Jesus intended. This was the responsibility of
the first Christians, and it still is ours today.
St. John often uses
the term "world" in his Gospel and letters. Obviously, John does not
mean by this word, "the planet earth of the human family that inhabits the
globe," since he always uses the term in a disparaging, or negative,
sense. The world in Scripture refers to that society of people who turn away
from God or oppose His will. The world challenges us, and at times, takes us
down the wrong path. Every kind of addiction comes under the category of
"world:" alcoholism, drugs, pornography, gluttony, etc. These
addictions weaken us, take away God's light, and lead us on a detour of
darkness!
If you and I want
to live in the light of our heavenly Father's truth, we must distinguish what
is good and what is bad for us. True love of God and His way draws us to all
that is lovely, truthful and good. If we truly love God, then we will submit to
His truth and goodness.
Our prayer today is
found in the responsorial psalm: "Let all the earth cry out to God with
joy. For we know the Lord is our God; we are His people, the flock He
tends" (Ps 100).