We tend to replace God

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA
May 29, 2018

WE have to be most careful with this tendency of ours. We like to make ourselves our own God, defining what is good and evil, as if we were the ones who created the universe and established the law that governs the whole of reality.

It started with our first parents who, in their devil-instigated illusion that by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they by their own selves would know what is good and evil, thought they didn’t have to refer to God to know about what is truly good and evil.

And it has grown worse from then on. Even if the Redeemer has already repaired the damage caused by it, this tendency continues to hound us. That is why we cannot exaggerate the need to be most careful with this intoxicating tendency of ours.

This phenomenon is somehow dramatized in that gospel parable about a man planting a vineyard and leasing it out to tenant farmers who did not remit the proceeds to the owner. (cfr. Mk 12,1-12) They even killed the son of the owner who went to collect the earnings. In spite of the favor given to them, they decided to make the vineyard their own.

The precious lesson to be learned here is that of deep humility and gratitude. That’s because we get easily drunk by the many good things God has given us such that we can think that these good things can just be ours. They do not have to be referred to the giver or owner of these good things.

In the case of our first parents, they enjoyed tremendous privileges. They were not supposed to die. They suffered no pain. They enjoyed complete integrity in their own lives and harmony in their relation with the other creatures.

And even if it was told to them clearly that while they can enjoy all things in Paradise except to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they thought that at the suggestion of the devil they can do away with that prohibition because the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was enticing to the eyes.

In other words, they thought they can know on their own what is good and evil without having to bother God. In short, they expropriated for themselves what belongs to God.

This is what is happening these days in many places. Abortion is now ok. Pre- and extra-marital sex is now ok. Divorce too. Some countries have legalized euthanasia. Pornography is now considered normal and natural. Corruption is presumed to be standard procedure. And a lengthening list of etceteras.

We need to recover the right and original order of things. Everything that is true, good and beautiful can only come from God. Outside of him, we have the opposite no matter how convincing they may appear to be true, good and beautiful to us.

Let’s hope that we can make it a habit to refer whatever piece of data, information, skill, etc. we acquire to God, using it to give glory to God and for the good of all. This is what is called as having rectitude of intention. Otherwise, these otherwise good things will sooner or later fall into the play of our weaknesses and the tricks of the devil. They will soon be used for the sake of pride, greed, lust, vanity, etc.