We heard in the epistle, St. Peter says,
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims to refrain yourselves from carnal desires which war against the soul.
The first thing St. Peter does is want to remind us of our situation in this world, of our condition.
That is, that we are to be as strangers and pilgrims.
Strangers, that is, we should never feel like...
We're completely at home in this world, but we should feel a little bit out of place
because this world is not our true home, but our true home is in heaven.
And we should remember that we are pilgrims as well.
That is, that we are simply passing through this world, and our time in this world is relatively brief.
And he says,
Calling this to mind, this truth,
that we are strangers and pilgrims in the world,
we should refrain ourselves from carnal desires.
Here, St. Peter is exhorting us to practice the virtue of temperance
and to avoid sins and vices such as gluttony and lust.
Because these carnal desires tend to bring us down,
draw us down to the earth,
and it is opposed to the Spirit.
He said,
These are the true and noble desires of the soul.
And then he says that we should do this,
that is, we should restrain ourselves from carnal desires which war against the soul,
live holy lives.
Why?
So that the Gentiles, that is, unbelievers,
may, by the good works which they shall behold in you, glorify God.
That they may glorify God.
That is, that they themselves may be converted and begin to lead virtuous lives.
And it calls to mind just how important it is to live a good example,
to live lives of good Christian example.
There are many Catholics who formerly practiced the faith
who say that they don't practice anymore because of the bad example
that they saw either in the sisters that were educating them in their Catholic school
or their brothers or priests who gave bad example.
There are others who don't approach,
who don't approach,
who don't approach,
who don't approach,
the Catholic Church, other Christians who maybe would otherwise be inclined
to enter the church, but are scandalized by the bad example of Catholics.
In fact, it was Cardinal Newman who said something to the effect of
the hardest thing about becoming a Catholic is having to deal with other Catholics,
the bad examples that they were giving.
We also remember how important good example was in the life of St. Francis,
how he continually exhorted his brothers to, above all,
preach not so much by words, but by good example.
Again, let's follow our Holy Father's advice and counsel, as well as that of St. Peter,
and strive to live holy lives and give good examples.
That others, too, may come to glorify God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
© transcript Emily Beynon