Friday of the
Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
(1 Kings 19:9a.11-16; Matthew 5:27-32)
Of the longings of the human heart sexual desire takes a
primary place. Beyond intimacy, men
want to dominate women and to use them for self-propagation. Women seek to manipulate men for protection
and for children to mother. Jesus
addresses this mutual exploitation with his commandments in today’s gospel.
Once again Jesus calls for a change of heart. His disciples have to avoid lust, the
inordinate desire for sexual pleasure.
Desire becomes inordinate when one seeks sexual relations with someone other
than his wife or her husband. Desire
also looms inordinate when it views one’s wife or husband as an object for sexual
pleasure. As Jesus’ instruction on
divorce indicates, spouses are to cherish one another. Marriage commits two people to love one
another in order to raise children in the likeness of God.
Jesus equating lust with adultery has caused many people
to feel a burden of guilt. Is such guilt warranted? We think so.
It is not that we want people to feel bad about themselves. To the contrary, we want people to feel
accomplished by foregoing pernicious desires.
Lust can lead people beyond adultery to abandonment of family. By itself, it redirects a person from his or
her primary responsibilities to dwell on fantasies. Although painful, guilt moves one to
repentance. It is part of the journey to
holiness.
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