“Little children, keep yourselves from idols”.
I have often meditated on this Scriptural verse.
Dear Dr. E., I perceive that you offer this from 1John as a reminder of the “idol-worship” that is so often referred to as a Catholic practice by non-Catholics on this forum.
It occurs to me that if that were possibly your intention with this quote, that it’s perhaps more in line with the complaints of non-Catholics to refer to “graven images”.
When I think of the “idols” to whom St. John refers, I am more inclined to reflect on the everyday idols in our lives that cling to our consciousness and get in the way of our daily and hourly focus on the Lord. Of these idols, there are many, and they are often doing their insidious work quite unobserved by us.
I would like to just a handful:
*desire for personal affirmation from others
*desire to be noticed and/or praised
*desire to know everything and to let that fact be known
*desire to be the recipient of worldy pleasures
*the hidden pleasure of schadenfreude
*the habit of uninvited interference in the lives of others
*the focus on information and learning rather than wisdom
*the “here I am” as opposed to “there you are”
*the addiction to activity rather than silent repose
*the desire to escape pain rather than embrace the Cross
*television
*cyberspace and it’s companions: the keyboard and anonimity
I mention this mere handful and these are only a very few of the idols that we seldom perceive are capable of robbing us of closer union with God. There are many more such idols, depending on the culture and the times in which we live. Each age and each culture offers its own enticements to put idols in our lives.
As for “graven images”, I have been a Catholic for many years and I have never once worshiped a graven image.
I send my regards and am respectfully,
ROE
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God" -- Exodus 20:4-5"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Only God knows the heart, yours and mine. I pray to Him alone for His mercy alone which, God willing, we both receive through Jesus Christ.
I hope your chores have been lighter lately.