The Consequences of Compromise

AN FHOCAL ANOIS AR LÉITHEOIRÍ MASS
don 13 Feabhra, 2014

Téacsanna liotúirgeacha anseo

Rud atá fágtha de Theampall Sholamón, scriosta 70 AD

THE tháinig deireadh le scéal álainn faoi éachtaí Sholamón, agus é ag obair ar aon dul le grásta Dé.

Nuair a bhí Solamh sean bhí a mhná céile tar éis a chroí a iompú ina déithe aisteach, agus ní raibh a chroí go hiomlán leis an Tiarna, a Dhia.

Níor lean Solamh Dia a thuilleadh "Gan chosaint mar a rinne a athair David." Thosaigh sé ag gcontúirt. Sa deireadh, laghdaigh na Rómhánaigh an Teampall a thóg sé, agus a áilleacht go léir.

This stands as a profound warning for us who are the “temple of the Holy Spirit.” Our God is a jealous God. ^[1]cf. Croitheadh Mór Idolatry to Him is what adultery is to us: a betrayal of love. But we have to understand what this divine jealously is—not the dysfunctional obsessiveness of a suspicious lover. Rather, God’s jealous love is an all-encompassing, passionate desire to see us wholly and completely restored and transformed into His image in which we were created. You could say that God is jealous for our happiness.

It is enough to say that God looked at created man, and found him so beautiful that he fell in love with him. Jealous of this portent of his, God himself became the custodian and possessor of man, and said, “I have created everything for you. I give you dominion over everything. All is yours and you will be all Mine.” —Seas do Sheirbhíseach Dé Luisa Piccarreta, An Bronntanas Maireachtála san Uacht Dhiaga, Rev. J. Iannuzz, p. 37; nótaí: passages of Luisa’s writings contained in this doctoral dissertation have been given the Ecclesiastical Approbation of the The Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome, and therefore, are incheadaithe to be publicly disseminated; quoted here with author’s permission.

Compromise kills joy. It wittles at the foundations of the soul until finally the whole edifice of virtue collapses—if one persists in sin, especially serious sin.

Compromise is a path of self-deception. It is believing the lie that a certain sin is going to bless one’s temple and bring happiness… but instead, it pollutes, detracts, and destroys the peace that is the foundation of the soul.

Compromise opens the door to evil. In today’s Gospel, someone, somewhere along the line compromised, leaving open a “temple door” for Satan to enter. The Gospel is actually a warning to parents who dabble in compromise, whether it is pornography, horror movies, the occult, or other evils: compromise opens your home to the evil one and leaves souls vulnerable to his malicious operations.

…they mingled with the nations and learned their works. They served their idols, which became a snare for them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. (Today’s Psalm)

Jesus warned that the one who listens to His words but does not keep them is like one who builds his house on sand. When the storms of life come, the edifice completely collapses—like Solomon’s temple. Satan always presents himself and sin as a better way to adorn your temple… but he always leaves a mess. God presents His Word as life… which leaves the aroma of sanctity.

What happens when you give yourself unreservedly to God? He gives Himself unreservedly to you. Brothers and sisters, we are living in a world that is fomenting compromise perhaps as no other generation has. Ah yes, sin has always been around. But we have managed to turn even the natural law upside down in our “laws”! St. Paul warned that there would come a time when there would be a great rebellion, an apostasy, a time of lawlessness that would usher in the “lawless one.” A time of comhréiteach.

Is léir go bhfuil an apostasy is mó ó rugadh an Eaglais i bhfad chun cinn timpeall orainn. —Dr. Ralph Martin, Comhairleoir don Chomhairle Pontifical chun an Soiscéalú Nua a Chur Chun Cinn; An Eaglais Chaitliceach ag Deireadh Aoise: Cad atá an Spiorad ag rá? p. 292

You and I, like Solomon, are being faced with critical choices today: to go along with the rest of the world’s fallacious reasoning, to remain “neutral” on moral issues—a kind of faux “tolerance.” But those who do are building their lives on sand; their spiritual foundation will crumble when the storms of persecution come. In fact, the “temple” of the entire human community is now at risk:

Is é an dorchadas atá ina bhagairt dáiríre ar an gcine daonna, tar éis an tsaoil, an fhíric go bhfuil sé in ann rudaí inláimhsithe ábhartha a fheiceáil agus a imscrúdú, ach nach féidir leis a fheiceáil cá bhfuil an domhan ag dul nó cá as a dtagann sé, áit a bhfuil ár saol féin ag dul, cad atá go maith agus cad atá olc. Is é an dorchadas atá ag cumhdach Dé agus luachanna doiléire an bhagairt dáiríre ar ár saol agus ar an domhan i gcoitinne. Má fhanann Dia agus luachanna morálta, an difríocht idir an mhaith agus an t-olc, sa dorchadas, ansin ní amháin dul chun cinn iad na “soilse” eile go léir, a chuireann a leithéid de chleachtais theicniúla dochreidte, ach is contúirtí iad freisin a chuireann muid féin agus an domhan i mbaol. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Homig Vigil na Cásca, 7 Aibreán, 2012

We would do well to reflect upon the ruins of Solomon’s compromise… but even more upon the promise of restoration that comes to all who repent, renounce this world, and give themselves wholeheartedly to God.

…what partnership do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What accord has Christ with Beliar [Satan]? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said: “I will live with them and move among them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people. Therefore, come forth from them and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch nothing unclean; then I will receive you and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor 6:16-17)

LÉITHEOIREACHT GAOLMHARA