Before King Antiochus died, he looked back over his reign and observed: "I was kindly and beloved in my rule" (1 Mc 6:12). King Antiochus thought he was a "nice guy" and benevolent king although he:
Likewise, Hitler and Stalin may well have thought of themselves as wonderful humanitarians who did so much good for the human race even through concentration camps, gas chambers, starvation bunkers, and gulags.
The human capacity to deny the reality of sin is shocking. We can abort millions of babies supposedly to show how compassionate we are to the poor. We can break the Church into pieces and say we are obeying the Lord rather than defying Him. We can build a culture of death and be proud of our progress.
Let us cry out: "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!" (see Lk 18:13)
| PRAYER: | Father, free me from self-deception. |
| PROMISE: | "They become like angels and are no longer liable to death. Sons of the resurrection, they are sons of God." –Lk 20:36 |
| PRAISE: | St. Catherine is said to have had a vision of Baby Jesus before her Baptism. After her Baptism He introduced her as His bride. God used her wisdom to convert fifty pagan philosophers and the empress. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College