transcript
Speaker 1:
[00:00] Welcome to our Daily Rosary Meditation. Today, the Ninth Commandment. Let's begin in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:
[00:08] Amen.
Speaker 1:
[00:09] Let's call to mind all those we've promised to pray for. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day, he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Speaker 2:
[00:40] I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[00:50] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Speaker 2:
[00:56] Give us to stay our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[01:07] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[01:14] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our insinuance, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[01:19] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[01:26] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our insinuance, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[01:31] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art, thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[01:38] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our insinuance, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[01:43] Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:
[01:45] As it was in the beginning, as now and never shall be, world without end. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[01:50] Our first mystery. The Ninth Commandment warns against lust. The way men and women use each other to get what they want. St. Margaret of Cortona is probably a saint you've never heard of, but she is the perfect patron saint against the deadly sin of lust. Margaret possessed tremendous physical beauty, and she craved affection. When she was 16 or 17, she fell in love with a wealthy young man, and they began to live together. They had a son, but never married. He was not the type of man who could make a mature commitment. Nine years into the relationship, tragedy struck. Her lover had gone on a hunting trip with business partners, but he never returned. Finally, his hunting dog came back, tugging at her dress to follow him. She followed the poor beast very far into the forest, where the dog directed her to her lover. He had been murdered by his companions, who were settling a debt, and he was left to rot in the woods. At the appalling sight, Margaret was stunned like one struck by lightning, and filled with terror, she asked herself, Where is his soul now? In the decaying corpse of her former lover, Margaret was given a dramatic, vivid image of what lust does to the soul. Then in there, she firmly resolved to change her life, and like the prodigal son, she returned repentant to God. In what way are we called to do what Margaret did? Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Speaker 2:
[03:58] Give us to stay our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[04:09] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[04:16] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[04:21] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[04:28] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[04:33] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[04:40] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[04:45] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[04:52] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[04:57] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[05:04] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earnst now and at the hour of our death.
Speaker 1:
[05:10] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[05:17] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[05:22] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[05:30] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[05:35] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[05:42] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[05:47] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[05:54] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[05:59] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[06:06] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[06:12] Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:
[06:15] As it was in the beginning, as now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[06:19] Oh, my Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[06:20] Forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy.
Speaker 1:
[06:27] Our second mystery. The desire for sexuality is a good thing given by God. Likewise, the desire to be loved and cherished, the desire for family, for kids and grandkids, for companionship, these are good things too. But lust is disordered desire. Lust is the desire to use another person sexually to get what you want. And both men and women struggle with lust, often in different ways. Men tend to use women for physical gratification. Men use their wives in sex. Men use women in pornography. Men use women with the second look, reducing them to a body for sexual pleasure. But women also use men to get what they want. What does a woman want most? Boy, I wish I knew the answer to that. Actually, women want to be valued, cherished, protected and loved, and very often they want a family. They want kids and grandkids. These are all good things. And women can fall into lust by using sex to get what they want. Recall, lust is just to use a person sexually to get what we want. A woman shouldn't view a man as a means to get her those things. The man she marries is a person she should love. And to love means to want and do what is good for the other person. We get married and have a family not only because it will be good for us, but it will also be good for the other person. Marriage and children are the way we grow in love and responsibility and build the kingdom of God. That's the motivation, not simply getting what we want. I love the phrase in Italian, ti voglio bene. It means, I want your good. It's a way to say, I love you. Ti voglio bene. I love you. I want your good. That is the motive we must practice. So let's examine our motives and make the decision to act out of love, to do what is good for the other person rather than use them to get what we want. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Speaker 2:
[09:14] Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[09:26] Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[09:33] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our midst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[09:38] Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[09:45] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our midst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[09:50] Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[09:57] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our midst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[10:02] Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[10:09] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our midst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[10:14] Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[10:21] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our midst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[10:27] Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[10:34] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our midst now and at the hour of our death.
Speaker 1:
[10:39] Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[10:46] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our midst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[10:51] Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[10:58] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our midst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[11:03] Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[11:09] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our midst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[11:15] Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[11:21] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our midst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[11:26] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:
[11:30] As it was in the beginning as now and never shall be, world without end. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[11:34] Oh, my Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[11:35] Forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy.
Speaker 1:
[11:42] Our third mystery. Pornography is one of the most common ways people break the Ninth Commandment. But what are the practical steps to overcome this addiction? The first step is to restructure your environment so that you avoid the near occasion of this sin. That means you have to find the patterns, the routines, the steps. Some people even call them the rituals leading up to your fall. All addicts have these. They don't decide to sin out of the blue. There's almost always a pattern that leads up to the sin. So what is the ritual that begins your descent into lust? Maybe you just start browsing YouTube, looking for something interesting. Maybe you have a work project due, but you really don't want to start it. Maybe you look at your phone after you get the kids to bed, or during your lunch break, or after your wife has said good night. Maybe you watch a show or a sports game or a movie. And then when it's over, you don't really want to go back to real life. So you start wondering what other entertainment you could look for. Maybe you look at porn every time you have a couple of drinks, but you still don't want to go to bed. Anyway, you need to figure it out. What's your ritual? What's the place? What's the time? What's the device? And you need to make a change. You need to avoid beginning that ritual. Avoid that place. Rearrange the furniture. Figure out what time a given device needs to be put beyond your reach. It takes a strategy. So put in the thought, make a plan, and then put it into action. Because if you don't, you'll never get free of this thing. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Speaker 2:
[13:53] Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[14:05] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[14:12] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[14:17] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[14:24] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[14:29] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[14:36] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[14:41] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[14:48] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[14:53] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[15:00] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[15:05] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[15:12] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[15:17] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[15:24] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[15:29] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[15:36] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[15:41] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[15:48] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[15:53] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[16:00] Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[16:05] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:
[16:08] As it was in the beginning, as now never shall be, world without end. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[16:12] Oh, my Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[16:13] Forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy.
Speaker 1:
[16:21] Our fourth mystery, no one overcomes addictions alone. So choose one person, a friend, a mentor, a spiritual director, and tell them plainly, I need your help to break this, and set a fixed check-in time, daily or weekly, and put it on the calendar. At every check-in, do exactly this. Say what happened, no hiding, no vague language. Name the trigger, the time, place, emotion, and situation. Describe the pattern, what you did leading up to it. And decide on one concrete action to change. Then between check-ins, text or call immediately when tempted. Install accountability software on whatever device it is that gives you your trouble. Or remove access, move devices, block sites, change routines. Willpower alone won't do it. You got to follow your strategy. And this breaks the cycle of temptation, fall, shame, isolation, and repeat. Because if you stay hidden, you're going to stay stuck. And trying to quit alone almost always fails. Real, consistent accountability is one of the fastest ways to be set free. Because if you bring it into the light, you can break it. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Speaker 2:
[18:04] Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[18:16] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[18:22] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our insinuance, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[18:27] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[18:34] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our insinuance, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[18:39] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art, thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[18:46] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our insinuance, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[18:51] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art, thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[18:58] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our insinuance, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[19:03] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art, thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[19:10] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our insinuance, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[19:15] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art, thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[19:22] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our insinuance, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[19:27] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art, thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[19:34] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our insinuance, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[19:40] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art, thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[19:46] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our insinuance, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[19:52] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art, thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[19:58] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our insinuance, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[20:04] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art, thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[20:11] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our insinuance, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[20:16] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:
[20:19] As it was in the beginning as now, never shall be, world without end. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[20:23] Oh, my Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[20:24] Forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy.
Speaker 1:
[20:31] Our fifth mystery. Needless to say, Christ is our Savior from sin. So good luck trying to beat any vice, especially lust without his help. And frequent and regular confession is a powerful weapon to overcome lust and the addiction of pornography. First, the devil likes to hide in the darkness, and he hates to be driven into the light. And when we bring these sins into the light of Christ in the confessional, the devil flees. Second, in confession, Christ forgives us and he gives us an increase of his divine life. That is the power to overcome any temptation and sin and live with genuine love and chastity. Third, confession creates a pretty powerful accountability. When you go to confession regularly to the same priest, you don't want to keep coming back with the same sin. Plus, it forms your conscience and strengthens your resolve. And yes, it is humbling. But that's exactly why it works. If pride feeds the addiction, humility certainly helps to break it. Our lady has asked us to go to confession at least once a month. But if you go once a month, it will usually turn into two or three months. So I suggest go every two weeks, and you'll go at least once a month. And after a year or two, you'll be amazed at how regular confession has set you free from so many bad habits and sins. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Speaker 2:
[22:32] Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[22:44] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[22:50] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[22:55] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[23:02] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[23:07] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[23:14] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[23:19] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[23:26] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[23:31] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[23:38] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[23:44] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[23:51] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[23:56] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[24:03] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[24:08] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[24:15] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[24:20] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[24:27] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[24:32] Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[24:39] Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us and earnst now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[24:44] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:
[24:47] As it was in the beginning as now never shall be, world without end. Amen.
Speaker 1:
[24:51] Oh, my Jesus.
Speaker 2:
[24:52] Forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy.
Speaker 1:
[24:59] St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, oh Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, and proud throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. In the name of the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:
[25:22] Amen.
Speaker 1:
[25:24] Teresa, before we jump into our conversation, I want to acknowledge there was some confusion about what I said regarding the death penalty, and that's completely understandable. The reason for the confusion is this. We don't always distinguish between two kinds of moral judgments. There are things that are always wrong, no matter the situation. For example, intentionally or directly killing an innocent person is always wrong. That never changes. However, directly killing a guilty aggressor is not always wrong. And whether that should be done depends on the situation. That requires prudence. The death penalty falls into that second category. The Church has always taught that in principle, the state may have the authority to use it. That's why it's never been taught as something intrinsically evil. At the same time, the Church also teaches that whether it should be used today is a matter of prudence. And the last several popes, looking at the conditions of our modern world, have concluded that in practice, it should not be used. So the Church's fundamental moral principle hasn't changed. What changed is the judgment about whether the death penalty is a wise and necessary action in our time. And that's the key distinction. Some things are always wrong. Some things must be judged based on the situation, by considering the object, the intention, and the circumstances. So starting April 24th, we're going to give a little series on the church's framework for judging every human action. And once you see it, you'll understand not just this issue, but almost every moral question you've faced, you'll see it clearly. So I hope you'll join us for that short series on moral principles. So what were you reflecting on with this meditation?
Speaker 2:
[27:44] My first thought was the first time I've gone through the commandments, and I was like, wait, there are kind of two on lust.
Speaker 1:
[27:51] No. Very good that you see. The sixth commandment was on actions.
Speaker 2:
[28:01] Yeah. No, no, no. That's what I'm getting to. I understand that there's a difference here, but that was the first thing that struck me, was I was like, wait a minute, we did this. But specifically thinking, coveting is such an interesting sin, because I was just really reflecting on this way that when you want what you can't have or what you shouldn't have, it also keeps you from loving and properly experiencing the things that you do have.
Speaker 1:
[28:28] That's exactly right.
Speaker 2:
[28:29] That is applicable across all of the things that you talked about here, whether that's pornography and the way that that ruins your, your actual real relationships in your life, the things that you should take the highest joy from and should have the most satisfaction in, doles everything else around it. Or coveting someone else, but they have the things around them, just the things that aren't for you. Because God really did intend the greatest thing for you, and you will get what he intended for you, and you will be the most satisfied in it. But in wanting what you can't have or what you shouldn't have, what you will not have, you just, all you do is lose joy.
Speaker 1:
[29:09] That's exactly right.
Speaker 2:
[29:10] For what you actually have.
Speaker 1:
[29:12] That's exactly right.
Speaker 2:
[29:13] So I was, that surprised me. And I think, I especially realized that because of the difference in those two commandments.
Speaker 1:
[29:23] I was, this commandment brings up a very common theme, I find, when giving spiritual direction to men, and not pornography. I've given spiritual direction to a lot of men, and my spiritual director has given and gives spiritual direction to a lot of women. And there's a common thing that we find. We kind of, she and I kind of share notes. And there's a common temptation that we find that women, once they get grandchildren, they have a tendency to neglect, to forget about their husbands. And I've found it to be almost, I've done a little survey, a little off on the side survey with men. Once they become grandparents, I'll joke and say, oh, you don't matter anymore. And they say, that's exactly right. And I'll even say that to women. And they say, oh yeah, just the grandkids. So it highlights, it highlights a temptation that the woman at a certain level, used the man to get married, to get kids, to get grandkids. And once she got what she wanted, then neglects, does not love or care for, as she should, the man. And it's...
Speaker 2:
[31:00] In a sad way, I will say, that does still then impact your children and grandchildren, because it's very important for them to have the example for their future and for their relationships, that they see real love and care between their parents and grandparents.
Speaker 1:
[31:18] Exactly, that's exactly right. So, it's a temptation that I see... It's a sin that I see play out.
Speaker 2:
[31:28] And it's overlooked, because it is love and care for someone, but there's an order to these things. That's a good point, it's a very good point.
Speaker 1:
[31:35] Yeah, yeah, so, something to think about.
Speaker 2:
[31:38] Yeah, the way that wanting something else can dole the real love that we should share with the people we are responsible to, and especially significant others.
Speaker 1:
[31:52] I really, again, I know, I know, I don't pronounce it correctly, but I love the Italian phrase for I love you.
Speaker 2:
[32:00] Ti voglio bene.
Speaker 1:
[32:01] Thank you. Say that again.
Speaker 2:
[32:03] Ti voglio bene.
Speaker 1:
[32:04] Yeah, it's really beautiful.
Speaker 2:
[32:05] I'm so bad at Italian too, so I have no reason. I only know you say ti voglio bene.
Speaker 1:
[32:09] Yes. Ti voglio bene. Ti voglio bene. I want your good. It's a way to say I love you, but it really is precise. I'm working for your good. So beautiful. It really captures the essence of love. So let's make that our resolution today to really work for the good of our spouse and the people in our life. Thanks for the conversation.
Speaker 2:
[32:38] Thank you.
Speaker 1:
[32:39] And let's be apostles of friendship, good conversation, and the rosary. Share this with others.