Word to the Wise
Friday, October 24, 2025 - Friday in the 29th Week in Ordinary Time
[Rom 7:18-25a and Luke 12:54-59]I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil is at hand. For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from the mortal body? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. [Romans]
The struggle between good intentions and bad conduct is one that even the most faithful Christian experiences at one time or another. On an extreme level, it describes the dilemma of a person who has become addicted to something - e.g. alcohol, nicotine, pornography, etc.. On a less extreme level, it describes the tug of war between appetite and reason. The "sin" that St. Paul is describing is the attractiveness of those things prohibited by the Mosaic Law. The "flesh" or "body" he speaks of is the entire person, not just particular physical parts. As he notes, if it wasn't for the Law, he would not know what "sin" is! It's a little like the child being told not to do something that he or she is attracted to.
For Paul, the way out of the dilemma is through faith in Christ that leads to holiness. This is a recognition that we need the help of God, revealed in scripture/tradition, and the natural law God has inscribed in human reason to make healthy decisions when confronted with attractive but destructive alternatives. [Those who go through 12-step programs to overcome addiction know the need of the "higher power" required in the process.]
The sacramental tradition of the Church, especially manifested in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, can help us with God's grace, but we must exercise the gift of free will, enabled by that grace, to overcome sinful conduct whether in action or in intention. Guilt and shame that prevent one from seeking the practical help that is available can frustrate the goal of the sacrament, which is holiness of life. St. Paul's dilemma is ours as well. AMEN