As I begin this blog. May I do so by planting a seed worthy of discussion? Anger is one letter away from danger. One more time for the record. Anger is one letter away from danger. How many of you readers including myself ? Have said or done something to someone. While in a rage. That we wished after the fact. We could reel  back in and have a do over. I myself have done some really regretful things in my lifetime. Which fall directly into this category. And so to the word of God we go in the book of Ephesians chapter 4 verse 26 and 27…Be angry and sin not. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. Neither should you give place to the devil. It is from this scripture that the door is opened wide to the Catholic teaching of mortal and venial sins.

We see here. That anger is one thing. And what occurs after anger has festered is quite another thing indeed. We also see in verse 27…and it is no surprise. That to give into anger is to be in agreement with none other than the devil himself. Now back to mortal and venial sins. A mortal sin is a deadly sin. It is nothing more than a premediated…well thought out…exercise of the will. You thought about robbing a bank at gun point. You plotted out your entry and get away for weeks. You were prepared to shoot anyone who got in your way. You created an alliance with two other individuals to be involved. And you committed the crime. A venial sin is liken to an impulse. While shopping…when you exited the store. You saw a woman getting into her car having left her handbag in the shopping cart seat. You could have shouted or run over to her. But instead you slowed your roll. Allowing her to drive away. And you just enough time to grab the bag and split.

For those of you that read my blog regularly. May I bring to your recollection the following. Jesus said that if we even look at another individual in a lustful gaze. We have already committed adultery in our heart. Venial…..If I hunt down and plan to have a rendezvous with a hooker…Mortal. Capish? And as is always the case with this Pundit. I will take a little diversion. The other night while watching Joel Olsteen. Who by the way I love and hope he reads this blog. Even though I being a Catholic would not be welcomed at his blend of Christian church. As his singers were on the stage with flashing lights and some with funkadelic hair- dos. One of the main singers…a young woman. Was wearing a pair of sprayed on jeans. And a pair of retro hooker heels from the seventies. She might as well have been wearing a string bikini. How I ask you is this allowed to go on? As someone who has been fighting for decades to deal with the lusts of the flesh. Oh and by the way…I know you don’t have a problem with that. Here is this girl on a national stage were God is so called being glorified. Pimping herself out to the television audience. Disgusting and vulgar…And did I say disgusting and vulgar?

Ladies….long flowing dresses…no cleavage… minimal if any make-up. Do not cause your brother to sin. Got it? Think I’m a drag? Well feast your eyes on this my religious friend. First Timothy chapter 2 verses 9 and 10. Yeah I know my Pentecostal friends. You cant drink a glass of wine. But you can wear an evening gown with a slit up to your butt.

This is what Paul was telling Timothy to teach to the church….In the same way…Teach that the women should adorn themselves with modest apparel. With shamefulness and sobriety. Not with decorated or adorned hair. Wearing of gold or pearls. Or costly garments. But rather with the kind of garments which are becoming to women professing godliness. And that with good works as well. When was the last time your pastor addressed the ladies with this message? Can you say never? Half the congregation is in total denial of the apostles instruction. They are and have handed themselves over to a state of perpetual compromise. I don’t know how I started with anger and ended up here. But that’s the working of the Holy Spirit. So here we go again. As it is with all forms of sin in the life of a Christian. God wants us as mature men and women to recognize things before they have a chance to take root. So many clichés come to mind. Nip it in the bud. Bury the hatchet. And in this particular scripture. Don’t let the sun set on your anger. Its very hard to be angry when you are praying.

Its very hard to be angry when we are reading Gods word. And its also very hard to be angry when you are asking someone to forgive you. Take the high road my friend. And God will bless you for doing so….By the way. Paul and all of the early apostles. Were first hand disciples of
Jesus. And as is the case with this instructional letter to Timothy. They were both teaching. And demonstrating. And setting up bishops. As they established churches. There was no bible so to speak. All of the how and why was done by word of mouth and oral tradition. This was the beginning of what was to be referred to as Catholics. A name first given by historians who were tracking our early churches movements. And that same oral tradition as it pertains to the garments. The mass. The Eucharist. And the order and government of the church. As well as what is and what is not acceptable. Is still upheld today. With Pope Francis as the head in a long unbroken lineage. Which began with Peter as the first……To be continued