Love God’s Law (Ps 119:165) by Alton Pelowski

22 May Love God’s Law (Ps 119:165) by Alton Pelowski

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“Those who love your law have great peace, and for them there is no stumbling block.”  ~ Ps 119:165 (full readings)
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Alton’s Reflections: We live in an age when most people in the Western world embrace moral relativism. Along with the denial of universal moral truths comes the denial of natural law, which St. Thomas Aquinas explained is based in the eternal law of God. In fact, the very idea of such law is perceived as something negative: a restriction of human freedom and thereby an impediment to happiness. Yet, the truth is that the law of God, which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ (cf. Mt 5:17), does not restrict freedom but rather teaches us how to be truly free. This is because our freedom is directly related to the truth of how we are created. As today’s responsorial psalm proclaims: those who love God’s law have great peace. The lives of the saints are universally characterized by abiding joy, even amid suffering, and there truly is “no stumbling block” for them. By contrast, the culture of death recognizes no law except for man-made positive law and reduces freedom to simply the “choice” between options. Such a perspective inevitably results in a conflict of the “strong” against the weak and voiceless. And far from bringing great peace, acting in such a way that denies the moral law and human nature — that is, sin — ultimately leads only to despair and heartache. Building a culture of life begins with the joyful and peaceful witness of those who love God’s law.
* Alton Pelowski is the editor of Columbia, the magazine of the Knights of Columbus, and a graduate of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. He is a LIFE Runner and has run 10 marathons in 10 different states in the past 10 years.
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Faith Challenge: Take some time to examine your conscience. Do you love God’s law, or do you fall into the temptation of seeing it as a restriction on your freedom? Do you believe that loving God’s law will bring great peace? Can others see this peace manifested in your life?
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Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day: St. Rita of Cascia
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Faith Quote: “To claim the right to abortion, infanticide and euthanasia, and to recognize that right in law, means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others and against others. This is the death of true freedom: ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin’ (Jn 8:34).” ~ Blessed John Paul II (Evangelium Vitae, 20)
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Through Christ our Lord,
Alton
Phil 4:6-7