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Hi Kevin,
You said:
- Should I interpret this to mean that we choose to be separated from God, rather than
God leaving us?
Bingo! You are right on the money!
By our free will. Let's use an example that deals with politics:
If we know
their is a pro-life candidate for President and we know
that the Church teaches that life
issues come
before all other domestic or foreign issues, yet we choose a pro-abortion
candidate; by our own free will, we are choosing to separate ourselves from
God and his Will.
We are choosing Hell.
You said:
- Is it true that God never abandons us no matter what we do?
Yes, the only sin God can't forgive is when we choose to
refuse His forgiveness through His ministerial priesthood:
(John 20:19-23) through Confession.
Another question you may have:
Can a person just choose to vote for the
pro-abortion candidate before the election and go
to Confession after?
The Answer:
Not unless there is a firm purpose of amendment not to do it again in
future elections.
Lacking that amendment, the penitent will be making
a sacrilegious Confession which is a grave offensive
against Our Lord. The Confession will be null and void.
Because there is no really remorse for the sin. Unlike
concupiscence, which for many is an ongoing struggle
with our human frailty, a Catholic with a well-formed
conscience is saying [he/she] is sorry for voting for a
pro-abortion candidate, when they really are not.
Maybe this was the passage you were referring to:
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is
wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and
those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate
and constricted the road that leads to life. And those
who find it are few.
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's
clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their
fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from
thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good
tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree
bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their
fruits you will know them.
"Not everyone who
says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in
heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out
demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your
name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never
knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'
"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on
them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. (Sidenote: See Matthew 16:16-19)
The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and
buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been
set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these
words of mine but does not act on them will be like a
fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the
floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."
When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Matthew 7:13-29 |
Hope this helps,
Mike
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