A reading of the holy gospel according to Saint John. Now this is a continuation of our Lord's discourse with Nicodemus, who remember was a pharisee who came to Jesus in secret. So we could this is just a continuation of that discourse. So our lord said then speaking to Nicodemus, the one that is with a capital o, the one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly.
And he speaks out on earthly things. The one who comes from heaven, who is above all, testifies to what he has seen and heard. But no one accepts his testimony. They close their ears to it. Whoever does accept, now listen, whoever does accept this testimony certifies that god is truthful.
For the one whom god has sent speaks the words of god. He does not ration his gift of the spirit. The father loves the son and has given everything over to him. This is our lord speaking. Now whoever believes in the son has life eternal.
Whoever disobeys the son will not see life, won't even see it, but must endure the wrath of god. And this is the good news of the lord. In the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, amen. You see, no no those those words at the end, will endure the wrath of the lord. See, so many people say today, you hear it all around you.
You it from Catholics. People go to mass every Sunday, receive communion. God will understand. Of course, they're living without the benefits of the holy sacrament of matrimony. God understands we love each other and he loves us.
I think it's perfectly alright to commit a little bit of fornication or adultery. It doesn't bother them because God will understand. God knows what love is. God is good. They forget these texts.
These they forget these texts. Now notice the pharisee. The pharisee had some conception of Jesus. He had some inkling of that that Jesus was something special. Now keep in mind he's a pharisee.
So he comes to Jesus in secret. So he does something about his doubt. Notice, he has a doubt. Now he does something about the doubt. He comes to Jesus and tries to talk with him, and he does.
And this dialogue between Jesus and the Pharisee, Nicodemus, is extremely important in Saint John, which you you should read it in its entirety, not in little pieces as we're doing here in the morning. And notice how strong our lords, He who disobeys will suffer. They won't even see life and they will suffer the wrath of god. You'll hear people they say, well, god knows I'm sincere. Well, you know, even the devil was sincere.
No ever nobody ever accused the devil of being insincere. Nobody ever accused Hitler of being insincere. Nobody ever accused Stalin of being insincere so much for the virtue of sincerity. God wants action. He wants us to be straightforward.
He's not going to be satisfied. Well, you know, after all, god loves us all. After all, you know, here's the keyword of today, not the pursuit of truth, but the pursuit of tolerance. We must all be tolerant. If you wanna say two and two or five, be my guest.
If you wanna say all music is equally good, be my guest. We mustn't criticize. There's no such thing as good, better, and best. Any all you can say about anything is that it is. Absolute existentialism.
And this is in the Catholic church today. Here are here are devout Catholics I I'm not pulling this out of the air. Devout Catholics who don't accept the church's teaching on abortion. I can argue abortion on on none revelation of grounds, but the thing is that there's no question about the doctrine of the church about abortion. No question about it.
And yet they'll say, you can't change my belief. Nothing you say will will have changed my mind. That has been thrown at me. I've never had an argument on abortion. You'll notice the pro abortion people never talk about the baby.
They talk about the woman, always, and they're smart. I had no intention of talking about this this morning. I wanted to to bring up one subject. And if you if you're getting nauseated with my bringing it up, good. That's fine.
I'm I'm getting home to you. Read the New Testament for god's sake. For god's sake. You can buy it at the back of the church in that little green for for little for for $4 and something. How many of you have read the acts of the apostle?
I'm not gonna ask for raising of hands. How many have read it? It's a short and yet it's it's absolutely dramatic reading. It's the most dramatic book in the in the New Testament. It is the only account we have of what happened to the church of Christ after his resurrection.
It reads like a dime store novel in places. It's absolutely exciting if you read it as a book and not shatter it into pieces as we do this kind of business. You wouldn't dare do this with a novel. You wouldn't dare do it with a comic strip to take a what is a book. Remember, every the the gospels, each one is a book.
There's no such thing as the book of the bible. The bible is made up of a whole lot of books. And the New Testament of each gospel is a book, each letter is a book, the book of Revelation is a book. The word bibia means library, not a book. The word bible comes from bibia which means library.
The New Testament is about a half an inch thick. You could read the whole thing in one you know, or say two or three settings sittings. But we don't do it. Catholics don't do it. Why?
Well, I can't I you you answer there are lot of answers to it. But the thing is we should be able to answer, I'm not gonna be among those who who haven't who don't read the New Testament. There are plenty of people who do read it and plenty of Catholics who do, who have it by their bedside, who carry it with them. Not entirely. But there are plenty who have not read the New Testament and has to sit down and read it as a book where you begin with page one and go to Phenus.
It makes no sense to deal with the book in these little patch things. You you wouldn't dare do it with a contract. You wouldn't you wouldn't do it with any or or a letter from a friend. You'd say that's nonsense to read two lines today and two lines tomorrow. Now you could do it with the invitation of Christ because it's not a it's it's not an argument.
It doesn't present as it's just simply statements like the ponce of Pascal. So I beg you, if you don't own a New Testament, get one. If you have one, keep it near. If you keep it near, read it. And I say do it for God's sake.
In the name of the father, and the son, and the holy spirit. Amen.