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Thursday, October 9, 2008

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St. Denis & Companions
St. John Leonardi


Galatians 3:1-5
Luke 1:69-75
Luke 11:5-13

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the battle for the mind

"You senseless Galatians! Who has cast a spell over you?" —Galatians 3:1

Paul didn't describe the Galatians as being heretics or teaching bad theology. Rather, he accused them of having gone out of their minds and of being under a spell. Paul didn't maintain that the Galatians had misused their minds but lost their minds; they had been brainwashed. This seems to be the case today. For instance, the "pro-choice" arguments justifying abortion are so illogical and unscientific that only a generation of mindless people could take them seriously. Moreover, in our secularized culture, people claim they have the right to sin by committing homosexual acts, pandering pornography, killing themselves, sterilizing the poor, and starving the seriously sick. However, neither an individual nor two "consenting adults" have the right to pollute and pervert our society. How is this even a possibility unless most people have lost their minds?

How can we lose our minds? How can we be brainwashed? We lose our minds by indulging our carnal desires (see 1 Pt 2:11). Our minds deteriorate "through illusion and desire" (Eph 4:22). If we do not crucify our "flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal 5:24), our carnal desires will crucify our minds. We will no longer think Biblically, morally, and logically. Because the devil wants to brainwash us, we either are taking on the mind of Christ (see 1 Cor 2:16) or becoming mindless. Therefore, "do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Rm 12:2).

Prayer:  Father, give me "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:16).

Promise:  "If you, with all your sins, know how to give your children good things, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him." —Lk 11:13

Praise:  St. Denis and companions truly had the mind of Christ as they laid down their lives for love of God and His Church.

Rescript:  †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, May 1, 2008

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