Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Original Sin and the Mystery of Iniquity

I love teaching in RCIA and I especially love teaching in the Inquiry classes.  These are the people who are just beginning their journey Home to Truth.  They are not real sure yet.  They have preconceived ideas and they come from different faith backgrounds.  Their minds are eager and their hearts are restless until they rest in Love.

Last night I spoke on Original Sin, the doctrine that went basically unchallenged in the Catholic world until the rise of Pelagianism in the late fourth century.  This heresy basically denied that our first parents had been endowed with the supernatural life of grace lost when they chose to believe the great lie that they, too, can be 'like gods'.

The Church condemned this heresy and when protestant 'reformers' brought it back it was condemned again by the Council of Trent, which issued its definitive Decree on Original Sin (1546).

OK - so we know that it is only The Church that holds to the teachings of the Apostles in their entirety and what is amazing is that I got to participate in the Life of the Church by handing on this teaching.  There I was, doing my part to combat the heresy that first infected the human race in the fourth century on a Monday night, in Modesto, in September of 2011.

Our first parents believed the lie because of pride, self-love and (worst of all) lack of trust in God.  It is a problem we share to this day.  How many times do we fall again and again in the same way....I love you, Lord, but are You SURE this is YOUR Will?  I mean, what if I have a BETTER idea?

Concupiscence, the gift that keeps on giving.

So, today I go forth into the world determined to live the Faith and Truth to the best of my ability.  I will go to work, offer all the inconvenience and sufferings of being in the world for the conversion of my brother, and offer a prayer for his ex-girlfriend who is going to participate in a 50 mile bike ride to raise money for cancer research.

I always knew she was nuts........

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