desires and proper behavior - 32nd week tuesday 2014

Somebody once said, "The more I say 'No' to myself, the more I say 'Yes' to the Holy Spirit."  This is what St. Paul has been saying in many of his letters, written in different ways but always expressing the same sense.  In Galatians he talked about crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires, and to go against the desires of the flesh, to say NO to our worldly desires.  In Ephesians Paul wrote about the old self deteriorating because of desires.  Turning to Titus in our first reading today Paul gave the same entreaty saying, “reject godless ways and worldly desires.”

Why is St. Paul so concerned about our desires?  A Philosopher by the name of Thomas Hobbes said that human desire is the fundamental motivation of human action.  It is our desire that moves us to act, it is our desire that makes us decide how to act, it is our desire that makes us decide what to do.

Many times our desires, when these are not tempered by reason can become an obsession.  Our desires can enslave us, and they can be destructive.  Be aware as to what is enslaving you.  These can be things; it can be reputation; the desire to please others can be a compulsion that can many times leave us angry and bitter; for a student the race for high grades and the competition for honors can leave us exhausted.  Parents should be aware also of what they desire for their children.  I have known children enslaved and burdened by the desires and wishes of their parents.  Paul said, let us not be enslaved by worldly desires. 

Paul also insisted on proper behavior.  He said older men should be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and endurance; older women should be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to drink, teaching what is good, so that they may train younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers. There are two reasons why Paul is insistent with proper behavior which he narrated in his letter to Titus.    First behavior should be consistent with sound doctrines. Behavior should be consistent with our faith, with what we believe.  How can we profess faith in God when our actuations, our behavior do not correspond with our faith? 

Then Paul gives the second reason - the second reason flows from the first “so that the word of God may not be discredited.”  We must behave according to our faith otherwise we discredit the word of God, we discredit God.