| We Christians are so fortunate; the possibility of | | | | necessary metamorphose is set into motion when we |
| stepping through the Door who is Jesus to come to | | | | enter into an act of charity because of the love and |
| know the Father exists for all of us. Our Lord's coming | | | | compassion we have for our fellow man. Love is to |
| into the world has offered us access to and | | | | be seen as the basis for the act; its presence will |
| attunement with the Father through His Son. | | | | affect our characters and change our hearts. |
| Unfortunately, many situations prevent this from | | | | To help each of us discern our own character, it is |
| happening, the most important of which are sin, and | | | | necessary for us to stand back and objectively judge |
| holding on to the possessions of the world. | | | | the motives, as well as the fruits, of our actions. After |
| When we desire to meet the Lord in our innermost | | | | all, God knows the innermost secrets of our hearts; |
| being and yet we are in sin, attunement will not occur | | | | we can neither hide from ourselves or from God. |
| because the sin acts as a barrier. In such a state of | | | | Consequently, the fruits and motives of our actions will |
| disorder brought about by sin, our conscience will | | | | reveal our true characters to us, which are already |
| prevent such attunement. We are then unable to | | | | known to God Our Creator. |
| intimately meet, mingle and fuse with Him who is All | | | | Yes, salvation has been won for us by Jesus Christ, |
| Good. Hence we learn that engagement in union with | | | | and yes, we need the symbols, sacraments, and |
| God demands the absence of sin and its | | | | particular devotions of our faith, which are intended to |
| accompanying guilt. | | | | lead us into and help us remain in relationship with God. |
| But what about those who selfishly hold on to the | | | | Certainly their purpose is to transmit the Lord's |
| possessions of the world? | | | | blessings and graces upon us, so that we are |
| This too acts as a deterrent to attunement, to entering | | | | strengthened to participate in our souls' transformation. |
| the Kingdom. A lesson addressing such a situation is | | | | Consequently, in light of those truths, it is the |
| presented to us in Mark 10:23: "Jesus looked round and | | | | responsibility of our Church leaders to discern and |
| said to His disciples, 'How hard it is for those who have | | | | investigate each of these avenues so that they do not |
| riches to enter the kingdom of God.'" | | | | become an end in themselves, but instead fulfill their |
| When we first read that passage, it appears as | | | | intended goal. |
| though the Lord is speaking only to those who | | | | In instances where the means have become an end, |
| possess great wealth. Yet His words are also | | | | these rituals are to be seen as dead works, which |
| intended for those who have few or no assets, | | | | serve merely to placate our external being, because |
| because in reality it is individual character that is made | | | | they fail to initiate internal action which will affect |
| manifest in our attitude toward holding on to riches. | | | | change and transformation. Engagement in these acts |
| The man who, in a miserly fashion, holds on to his | | | | is nothing more than a show of religious piety. |
| Earthly treasure amounting to ten dollars is just as | | | | Proper teaching is necessary for God's People to be |
| guilty of the sin of selfish hoarding as is the millionaire. | | | | enlightened to the truth and purpose of the particular |
| Each has allowed a possession of this world to take | | | | action or sacrament in which they are partaking. The |
| possess of them. They both allowed their wealth to | | | | faithful should not be led to believe that the sacrament |
| become all important, to smother their innate desire to | | | | is a miraculous blanket which works independently of |
| become attuned to God. | | | | the individual's participation. Instead, the means is to be |
| To rectify such a situation, our individual characters | | | | seen as a tool to pass along God's grace as well as |
| must be altered; they need to correspond to that of | | | | to initiate interaction with Him. In effect, we take |
| our Model, Jesus. As we have learned from Him, a | | | | advantage of God's grace through the intercession of |
| charitable act must be rooted in the heart. Engaging in | | | | our priests, but only if we fully participate. When we |
| the act merely for the show of stacking up good | | | | are alerted to the truth, salvation is ours, because of |
| works will not affect our characters to in turn | | | | and through the sacrifice of Jesus. God's love is clearly |
| contribute to the transformation of our souls. Ideally, this | | | | expressed in the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. |