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Monday, October 25, 2004

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Ephesians 4:32—5:8
Psalm 1
Luke 13:10-17

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dirty jokes

"As for lewd conduct or promiscuousness or lust of any sort, let them not even be mentioned among you; your holiness forbids this." —Ephesians 5:3

As long as they don't commit adultery or fornication, many people feel they have done all right. Yet the Bible tells us to be pure as Jesus is pure (1 Jn 3:3), not even to look lustfully (Mt 5:28) or mention sexual impurity. So much for dirty jokes and the  vast majority of TV programs and commercials.

The Lord considers our bodies temples of the Holy Spirit. He's the Owner of our bodies, including our sexuality, because He paid for them with His blood (1 Cor 6:19-20). However, He does not exercise His right of ownership over our bodies. Rather, He calls us to freely offer our bodies to Him as living sacrifices (Rm 12:1). Jesus wants your body and calls you to purity. He loves your body so much He will raise it from the dead, glorify it, and take it to heaven to be in touch with His Body forever.

Our bodies can be clean and fly away, or they can be dirty and earthbound. Let Jesus love your body. Give your body and sexuality to Jesus.

Prayer:  Jesus, I repent of sexual sins. Take away the guilt. May I be pure and feel clean.

Promise:  "Should not this daughter of Abraham here who has been in the bondage of Satan for eighteen years have been released from her shackles on the sabbath?" —Lk 13:16

Praise:  Several young men were so challenged by the sexual abuse scandals in the Church that they felt spurred to accept vocations to the priesthood, entered the seminary, and, in a spirit of reparation, dedicated themselves to being holy and above reproach.

Reference:  (For a related teaching, order our tape Sex, Speech, and the Risen Life on audio AV 4B-3 or video V-4B.)

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, March 30, 2004


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 1, 2004