By Cindy Brewer
I knew a young man, probably in his late teens, who used to attend daily Mass and had entered the seminary. He was quiet, humble, and very handsome. I don’t know what happened between when he left for the seminary to when I saw him years later.
He was still a good-looking guy, but now there was a harshness and darkness about him. All the gentleness, kindness, and sweetness had been chipped away.
While speaking with him, I learned that he no longer believed in God. I didn’t ask how this happened except that now he viewed Jesus and his way as weak.
When he decided Jesus wasn’t a tough enough figure to follow, he gave up God. What’s strange is that when he left God behind, it’s as though his inner beauty also left.
In the book “Oh my Jesus – The Meaning of the Fátima Prayer,” the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the three Portuguese shepherd children was described as, “a mysterious woman, robed in white and shining with a beautiful purity (pg. xii).”
Purity is beautiful. When this young man was pure he was handsomely beautiful. When he left God behind, his beauty had darkened.
So, young men and women, hold onto purity of word, mind, and body if you want to remain beautiful in God’s and others’ eyes.
If you have fallen and lost your purity, with God there is always hope. Make a good confession by receiving the sacrament of reconciliation.
Don’t be scared; the priest really has heard it all. If you’re embarrassed, receive the sacrament at a different parish. But go! The feeling you’ll receive afterward will be greater than your earlier fear. It’s always worth it.
Our Lady of Fátima also spoke of purity, saying in 1917 that the sins against the 6th and 9th commandments (sins of impurity) were the reasons most souls were lost to hell.
To help avoid these sins, please read Fr. Ed Broom’s article, 10 Ways to Win the Battle for Purity, at https://catholicgentleman.com/2016/01/10-ways-to-win-the-battle-for-purity/
