mere human opinion. 

Catholics need to be aware of relativism as well, and not allow it to affect their lives.  However, it is also true that like secularism, many Catholics have been also poisoned by relativism.   The crisis that relativism has caused has particularly affected the way Catholics understand the moral teachings of the Church. Topics such as abortion, contraception, embryonic stem-cell research and homosexuality have become areas not only of controversy for some Catholics, but according to the news polls, most American Catholics openly defy and criticize the teachings of the Catholic Church on these basic aspects of moral teaching.  This is where the sin of pride comes in.

Pride is a terrible sin.  Pride says: non serviam; I will not serve; do not tell me what to do.  When a Catholic rejects certain aspects of Church teaching, a decision of the will has been made.  For example, it is very common today in America, that Catholics use contraception and do not attend Mass on Sundays.  It is very common that these same people do not go to confession or even mention these sins within the Sacrament of Confession.  It is also very common that these same people continue to receive Holy Communion. 

Within this dynamic, which is very common today, what happens is the following:  a decision to disobey is made.  The person continues to sin and continues to receive the Eucharist unworthily.  Eventually, that person's heart becomes hardened by sin and the person is no longer open to God.  The soul then dies and the person becomes like the walking dead. 

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.  They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother" (Matthew 2: 10-11). 

The journey of the Magi reminds us where the solution for secularism, relativism and pride may be found: the solution is Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life.  

One way that we can easily free ourselves from the errors of our time is to engage upon a serious study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  The Catechism is one of the greatest legacies of John Paul II's pontificate.  Informing our mind and conscience with the truth of the Catholic Church will free us from unfounded opinions and will allow us to be more fully integrated with our Catholic faith.   True freedom can only be found in the truth. 

-----

Father James Farfaglia, the Happy Priest, is the pastor of Saint Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, Texas.  Father has a hard hitting blog called Illegitimi non carborundum.  He has also published a book called Man to Man: A Real Priest Speaks to Real Men about Marriage, Sexuality and Family Life.  You can contact Father at fjficthus@gmail.com.  You can click here for the audio podcast of this Sunday homily.