By REY FLORES
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, or so the song goes. Jack Frost is nipping at our nose, chestnuts are roasting by the fire, grandpa is slugging down the eggnog, the IRS is in our pockets, and the NSA is spying on us 24/7.
I know it’s hard to separate ourselves sometimes from the craziness of the world like our jobs or the constant bad news about the latest mass shooting, riot, or ISIS beheadings, but let us take a break this Christmas week. Let’s enjoy our surroundings at home, at our parishes, and even in the annals of our own consciences.
This Christmas, I’d like to give the gift of an open exit door to all the Catholics still in the Church who think that they can change the rules according to their own desires and wishes.
Are you someone who still thinks it’s OK to use contraception within the sacred bond of your own marriage? Contraception, in any form, is not allowed for us Catholics because contraception interferes with God’s will. One would think that this is obvious, but there are still plenty of Catholic married couples who do use birth control.
You might think: What’s the harm in being responsible adults and having a vasectomy or contracepting? After all, with one or more kids already, God probably wouldn’t want to burden us unnecessarily with yet another baby, now would He?
And you might further think: Kids are expensive little rascals. It would be irresponsible to make love to one’s spouse without taking the necessary precautions to avoid any unplanned or unwanted pregnancy.
Even some of our own pastors and other priests and high-ranking bishops wouldn’t frown upon such steps that some Catholic married couples are still taking to avoid bringing a child into the world when it isn’t really “convenient” for a family.
We tell ourselves: “God understands me. He’ll forgive me. He knows it isn’t fiscally possible for us to bear another child at this point. We might have to give up our cable TV or drive an older car.”
And how about you, sir?
What’s the harm in looking at a little porn on the Internet? After all, a man is a man and he doesn’t hurt his wife by indulging himself here and there. Right? A priest once told me that there is nothing wrong if a man once in a while needs to “let off some steam” by looking at porn and committing an impure act.
And it doesn’t always need to be porn, right guys? Perhaps it’s that one gal at the office who always flirts with the guys, especially at the company Christmas party. Maybe it’s one of the pretty ladies at our own parish that we may like to check out every Sunday.
Let’s see who else is ready for the exit door. . . .
Perhaps you are one of those gossips who likes to chit-chat behind people’s backs, before and after Mass no less. “Did you see that awful dress Mrs. So-and-So was wearing this morning? She looked dreadful, didn’t she?” or “It’s a shame Mr. What’s His Name is such an alcoholic. He’s lost three jobs in just the past two years! How does his wife stand it?”
All of us have problems and unless you are acting in charity to help any of your fellow parishioners through some hard times that they may be experiencing, mind your own business.
Our how about the cohabitating couple or the practicing homosexual, or someone who supports things like same-sex marriage and abortion?
Lastly, are you a member of the clergy who unnecessarily allows lay members of your parish to distribute Communion for you? Are there really so many people waiting to receive Communion that they can’t wait a few minutes until an actual priest can administer the sacrament?
The exit doors are readily available. We don’t want people to leave, but it does take some self-honesty on the part of all those people described above.
The Catholic Church is not for the lazy, but if you can’t handle it, the exit doors are right there.
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(Rey Flores is a Catholic writer and speaker. Contact Rey at reyfloresusa@gmail.com.)
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