Books Case

There is a difference between good and evil; virtue and vice. Today, that difference is not readily apparent. To be virtuous requires a continuous act of the will. The same holds true for vice. The manner in which we are trained or train ourselves determines the direction that we will take in our journey through life.

The American people, over the last half of the 20th century, have rejected Christian morality in favor of hedonism, a move inspired by our desire to serve our "fleshy" interests. Essentially, hedonism professes that "what is pleasurable is good; what is not pleasurable is evil." While hedonism has been traditionally associated with paganism, it would be more appropriate to identify it with the wealthy pagans when there were only two classes, the rich and the poor.

The Jews did not crucify Jesus. Jesus was crucified by the Romans. The sacrifice of Jesus was not unlike the sacrifice demanded by God of Abraham with his son, Isaac, but later revoked. Jesus was fully aware of the sacrifice that He was to make. He could have avoided it simply by moving to Egypt, as did his foster father and mother when Herod was seeking him. Jesus' death on the Cross was not a humiliation; it was an infinite expression of love all mankind.

Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. But, Jesus is not physically present to provide us with the needed direction. He appointed Peter as the authorized teacher in his office as pope with the intent that Peter would continue to guide all of his children until He returned.

If we wish to be united with Christ, we must live the good life. We must will to be good and follow the proper guidelines that lead to goodness. The Church teaches us clearly how we must live. Jesus said, when referring to the Pharisees, listen to their words but do not follow their example. We must listen to the Church and beware of the false prophets and the anti-Christs who appear all too often inside of its doo