Today is the Memorial of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, the Little Flower of Jesus. She is remembered for the simplicity and practicality of her faith, the little way. But, in the simple practical faith she practice was plagued by scruples, which is guilt and anxiety about moral or religious issues. Mental health professionals define scruples is a moral or religious obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).
Maybe, more people should
have guilt and anxiety on moral and religious issues.
Sometimes, it takes hardships
for people realize their faults. The Jewish people realized theirs during the Babylonian
captivity. The prophet Baruch wrote – “Justice is with the Lord, our God; and
we are flushed with shame”
“We neither heeded the
voice of the Lord, our God, nor followed the precepts the Lord set before us.” “… each went after the devices of his own
wicked heart….”
The lack of a moral compass
or a religious base can lead to a wicked and harden heart. God told us through
Moses and Jeremiah that people are hard hearted. Isaiah wrote about insensitive
and hard hearts. Daniel wrote about arrogant hearts.
In the gospel of Mathew, Jesus
speaks about hearts that have become dull. The King James Version of the bible,
the words are “The hearts of the people is waxed gross”
Sadly, today many lack scruples.
So many people’s hearts
are hard about so many different things. Hearts are waxed gross. Faith has
become dull. A lack of scruples allows people to hear but not understand and to
see but not perceive.
One political leader’s remark
on their Bishop’s statement against abortion was “I’m just don’t agree.”
Consider what Jesus told
his apostles, “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you
rejects me - whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
If today you hear his
voice - harden not your hearts.
St. Therese, little
flower of Jesus, pray for us.
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