Obstacles We Create
Last fall I read Pope Francis’ new encyclical Dilexit Nos on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I found the document thoughtful but it left me with questions as I am not familiar with the details of the Sacred Heart Devotion. So, I searched for some books on the devotion. I am presently reading the first of two books I purchased. It is The Devotion to the Sacred Heart by Fr. John Croiset, S.J. (translated by Father Patrick O’Connell, B.D. from the French of the final edition published at Lyon in 1694. Second Edition. Charlotte, NC: TAN Books. 1988.).
My article today is inspired by my reading of this book but is not on the book itself. It is my own reflection on the question of what obstacles we place in our relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the inspiration is most directly but not solely rooted in the Part II of The Devotion to the Sacred Heart).
If we seek a relationship with Jesus, one might ask why we would put obstacles in the way of the relationship. In most cases, I don’t think we would do it deliberately or knowingly.
If we create obstacles to our relationship with Jesus deliberately, I think it might be likely that we are mad at God about something. It would be likely based on God not answering our prayers the way we want. For example, in the movie God’s Not Dead, Professor Radisson says he is an atheist. Why? Because when he was a kid, his mother was dying and, of course, he asked God to cure her. When she died, he rejected God. His anger put the ultimate obstacle between him and God. Atheism might be the ultimate obstacle but it doesn’t stop God! (spoiler alert – at the end of the movie, he returns to faith.)
I think it is far more likely that any obstacle we put between God and us is unintentional. We may willingly perform the action that creates the obstacle, but only because we don’t understand that it creates an obstacle.
This might occur because in our humanity, we can’t see the whole picture. We act with the best intent but we simply don’t have all the facts (God does). So, we make a poor choice.
We also place obstacles to our relationship with Jesus when we sin. When I say the obstacles are created unintentionally, I am referring to sinful actions that we do not know are sin. If they are mortal sin, they break our relationship with God. He can fix that in the Sacrament of Reconciliation!
However, not all sin is mortal. There is less severe sin that we call venial sin. Venial sin wounds our relationship with Jesus but it does not break it. It does cloud our judgment and then leads down a slippery slope towards mortal sin. Venial sins are forgiven when we participate in Mass with a contrite and repentant heart. Venial sins can be confessed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
For something to be a sin, three things are required. First, it must be grave matter, meaning it is something that our faith teaches is wrong. Second, we must know that it is a sin and, lastly, we must consent to the action.
Regarding the second, one might think that ignorance is bliss. If we are truly ignorant through no fault of our own, God knows that and judges us accordingly. However, if we choose to be ignorant so that we aren’t held accountable, we place a huge obstacle between God and us. We cut ourselves off from what God teaches us.
We also place an obstacle in our relationship with Jesus when we say there is no such thing as sin. A quick search on https://www.biblegateway.com/ of the word “sin” in the New American Bible Revised Edition says the word “sin” is found 319 times in the Bible. Sin is real. Jesus Christ came to set us free from our sins (see John 3:16-17).
We need to be careful to never take God’s forgiveness for granted. We can be assured of God’s forgiveness (for an example see Luke 15:11-32, commonly known as the story of the prodigal son). However, if we take God’s mercy for granted, are we really sorry for any sin we commit or are we taking advantage God’s generous mercy? How do you feel when people take advantage of you? Are we placing an obstacle between us and God in taking his mercy for granted? God is eager to forgive us. The question we must ask ourselves is “are we truly sorry”.
When else might we create an obstacle in our relationship with Jesus? Here’s a question for you. When you pray, do you open your whole life to God’s grace or just the part you want him to fix? Do you ask God in pray to fix a problem in one part of your life but do not allow him to change a different part of your life that you like just the way it is? What makes you so sure that you are right?
Another way in which we create obstacle(s) between God and us is when we think we know better than God. Who would ever think they knew better than God? My last paragraph is one example. Another example can occur when we embrace worldly thinking and reject something our faith has taught as from God. I think the biggest example of this is the modern world thinking about sexuality.
The Sixth Commandment says, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14, Deuteronomy 5:18). Our faith has taught for centuries that this means no sex with a person you are not married to,\ and prohibits sexuality activity with people of the same sex (for more on this see my webpage on Catholic Morality and Sexuality and scroll down to the sexuality and gender section). Now, our faith’s teaching on sexuality, even what it means to be male and female, is being rejected.
The final way in which we can create an obstacle between us and God that I would like to discuss today is settling for being lukewarm in our faith. Who am I to say being lukewarm in our faith is bad? Actually, it’s not me. It’s in the Bible. We read in Revelation 3:15-16, “I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
How seriously do you take your faith? We may say we believe but do we make any effort to be on fire with our faith? It is not enough to be lukewarm. To fail to put real effort into our faith can become the sin of sloth.
Do you allow God to be in control of your life or do you maintain control for yourself? Let God be in control and let him remove the obstacles.
Peace,
Fr. Jeff
In your blog you discuss obstacles we create ourselves but I also think of the many obstacles we face on any given day that we do not create. These obstacles take many forms (and certainly include personal battles) but I’m specifically referring here to those obstacles imposed on us. These include but are not limited to happenings in the news of the day or the government and its persistent pushing of abortion, transgender rights, or just the consistent lying from the media. In addition we have the degradation of Sunday into “Just another day” as well as the Muslim movement treating women and children so poorly. These all put our mind in a state of unrest and questioning but are truly only a few examples of outside obstacles we must fight.
I think John’s reading today is very germane to this topic as it tells us what is most important in our faith “love one another, because love is of God”
If we can let this be our motto then maybe our faith will not be lukewarm and we will be better able to resist outside obstacles.
Yes, the world places obstacles before us. Some deceive us from the truth, like modern gender theory.
Some make it hard to know the truth because they generate many words that distract us and occupy our thoughts but never speak the truth.
When we wish to speak the truth, sometimes a great obstacle is placed before us in that we are told to be silent in the name of tolerance. I don’t think you will find a definition of tolerance that requires silence. Tolerance requires love but not silence. Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more” (John 8:11).
John repeatedly speaks of love, including today’s first reading. I think one of the great challenges today is to know what love is. People seem to think that love means letting a person do whatever they want. I disagree. Love means telling a person what is good for the them (what God teaches us!). Does not a parent stop a toddler from touching the hot stove so they are not burned?
Yes, God is of love. That means He is eager to forgive us over and over. God the Father shows us love in sending his Son to die for us (see John 3:16-17). Jesus defines love for us when He says, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).
If we want to love, we need to listen to and follow the example of our Lord.
Peace,
Fr. JEff
Your comment “ I think one of the great challenges today is to know what love is” is so important to reflect on. There appears to be much confusion as it pertains to love of God and God’s love for us. Although it seems to be too simple of a solution, God’s love and our love of him is the answer. Everything else is secondary!