put these 'less than deadly¯ sins in a drawer to be forgotten or overlooked. We must be aware of
them, reflect on them, ask for forgiveness from God for them, and do better tomorrow.
This passage also gave me reason to reflect on my role as a parent, as I have 2 boys ages 8 and
4. I know that I, as we all do as parents, have a responsibility to not only avoid sin myself but also
to provide guidance for my boys about sin, the fact that just because is might not be 'deadly¯
doesn?t make something wrong less of a sin, and to ask for forgiveness and guidance when they
do sin.
As John the Baptist reminds us in the Gospel today, we can only receive that which has been
given to us from Heaven, and from God. There is only one God to whom we must place all our
faith, and to whom we must pray, and none other. We all have things in our lives that we view as
'important¯ or 'valuable¯, but none of those things can be given greater importance than our faith
in God. God is the only 'bridegroom¯, as John references, whose voice we should rejoice at
hearing, and no one else. But I also take this to be a veiled reference to
material wealth or possessions in my own life- yes, I like them, but I must
be mindful each day of who and what are TRULY important, and that is
God and God alone. Easier said than done at times, but something we
must reflect on often to be a better Christian.
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for my sins today, and love me despite my imperfec-
tions.
Give me your guidance and wisdom to do better tomorrow, and act more
as you would.
Give me your strength to live my life walking in your footsteps
Give me your love, so that I may better love others.
Amen
__________
Michael James
Parishioner
