Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Complacency

Spiritual laziness

blandness or staleness

Turn on the faucet on sink…lukewarm, not comforting warm not crisp cool

Not salty butter on toast nor sweet jam, but bland saltless margarine

Not yes, not no, but ‘meh’

complacency has no flavor or nutrition

doesnt move you

activity is life, not animation of body intenrnally, no animus, leads rot

Complacency rots

Whats worst belief about God

zealous false religion

ya definitely no good

but motivation to engage God

Surely atheism

belief against God

again strong motivation to engage God

not atheism, but complacency, spiritual sloth:

uncaring , barely a thought to trouble self with who or what God is, deism or agnosticism

deism

agnostic

at least atheist is strongly bothered by question of God

question of God barely bothers the agnostic or deist

not acting for or against God

Think of poor man lazarus on the doorstep

Early Church saw him as a stand in for Jesus

dogs, gentiles nourished by his wounds

but the complacent man focused on other things doesnt even acknowledge

the lazy agnostic is like the rich man to the poor man lazarus sitting on his door step

doesnt bother

doesnt attack him

doesn’t help

doesnt even care to think about him

To the complacent, God is an eyesore to be simply ignored.

if ignore God, how could ever engage God?

at least the atheist engages with God

What Leads to this Complacency + Cures

thinking not being for or against God not choice

like magic trick

gorilla basketball psychology trick

-How agnosticism is a choice and prob-

if we are complacent we will think its magic, the distraction works

must not throw up and say ‘meh’

to realize its a trick we must be active, and looking not lazy.

thinking can’t know God exists

Did you know Catholic doctrine that we can know God exists thru reason?

surrounded by both atheists and religious alike who think faith and reason are somehow opposites.

so easy to think this

certainly belief is more important since it shows love

but there is plenty of reason to show rational, and even so much we can know

Brief explanation

type of evidence (if lookign that way of course wont find)

logical deduction or logical analysis (2 ways)

[Biggest for agnostic and deist alike:] being attached to something else

picture of a car covers even grand mountain

‘let your brothers listen to Moses and the law’ If don’t, wont really believe even if they see the dead rise.

surprised how little miracles or encounters with demons effect

not about know but love

slapped miracle or sign means want something else to be your reality, your vision

prefer another reality, have some picture covering your eyes from front of you.

dont expect the sign to change much

if wanted to be true you would look for evidence,

break from picture in front

God really is there behind covering

requires time eyes to adjust, a glimpse wont do

in zealous seeking is lukewarmness heated or cooled.

we really seeking?

spend as much faith as one measly class?

Conclusion

spiritual lukewarmness bland

rich man not complacent riches would not have destroyed him

complacent are we?

Where is our zeal?

doubt agnostic as the rich man leaving God as ignored as Lazarus on the doorstep of our house, but just how far from that are we?

are we hot, cold, or tragically lukewarm?

Complacency and agnosticism

Hot or cold, but lukewarm, spit out

agnosticism is type of sloth

dont think the great signs of Christ rising will be enough

if not convinced by law, prob not convinced by signs and even if did what profit?

Know the church teaches as a matter of doctrine that we can know God exists from reason?

not say rev not imp or necessary for other aspects

Notes:

fathers

Chrysostom: those brothers like the rich man cannot be saved except if someone rise from the dead

but won’t believe since won’t hear the OT (like Marcion)

Augustine: Lazarus is Jesus

dogs are gentiles sustained by His wounds

Permanence of hell (no repentance after death)