The prodigal son, blinded by his passions, though himself prudent and strong enough to be his own governor and master, and flattered himself that his love of liberty and pleasure was not very criminal or unjust; but from, this root all vices have sprouted up, and are not to be restrained by him who opens to them such a door by shaking off the happy yoke of subjection, which is the divine ordinance. Such is the strange disorder of that mischievious passion, that though the prodigal son lived in dignity and plenty, and enjoyed all temporal blessings and all the comforts of life without feeling its troubles of knowing its miseries, yet he was not content. ... The prodigal youth seeing himself possessed of that dangerous liberty which he had so passionately desired, full of false joy at the prospect of imaginary happiness, went into a foreign country, to be at a greater distance from all troublesome advisers. His passions being so far yielded to, had no longer any bounds, and he denied his heart nothing of its irregular desires, being no longer master of himself. Unthinking and blinded, he squandered away his fortune, without keeping any accounts, or knowing how it was spent; he was surprised to find his hands empty, and himself starving, and that he had not yet found those enjoyments which he had promised himself; instead of which he had met with nothing but shadows and miseries. ... And this is how we go down the drain and into hell. We can outline it simply:
1. A love of independence, which we find trumpeted by the world, is taken from the Satanic Bible: do your own thing.
2. A love of your own will, which usually listens to nothing.
3. Being full of our own wisdom, that is thinking we know better than anybody how to run our lives. Oh, how foolish to think that puny us know better than God how to run our lives.
4. Self sufficiency, which is another way of saying that we think we can handle everything ourselves. God has called our bluff in these days and said to man, you think you can run it so well? OK, I am going to do the worst thing I can to you; I am going to let you run things. Take a look at how man has run the world into the ground. We are so far in debt we can never get out; immorality is the rule and virtue an exception; crime is rampant.
5. Finally this self-sufficiency and human wisdom leads us to rebellion: All who contradict his passions, or tell him the truth, are odious to him; the counsels of tender parents he calls old fashioned; those of God's annointed too severe and scrupulous; those of the old and experienced, cowardly and mean spirited.
Let us abandon our way of doing things for God's way and seek advice of our parents, religious superiors and other wise people who are learned in the path of virtue, so that we can avoid falling into sin. If we are in sin, let us ask for help from these people to get out of sin and back on the path of happiness and holiness.
PRAYER; Saint Mary Magdalene, you fell into sin and were brought back from this miserable state. Help us to return to the path of holiness and happiness. Amen.
