A chance for everyone!

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery;' but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. 'It was also said, 'Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,' but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery. 'Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,' but I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can't make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one. 'You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'* But I tell you, don't resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and don't turn away him who desires to borrow from you. 'You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor,* and hate your enemy.*' But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.

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	A chance for everyone!

By LOA Editorial Office,
Love One Another! 2017-38
The Movement of Pure Hearts

In times of programmed demoralization, and disregard and rejection of the Decalogue, the Movement of Pure Hearts (MPH) is God’s help in attaining the gift of a pure heart.

A chance for everyone!

Without a pure heart a person is incapable of loving, and without love, he will never achieve either happiness or eternal life. It is God’s will that we reach sanctification, that is, we should mature in love, restrain ourselves, and “abstain from fornication; that each one of you know how to control your own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God” (1 Thes 4:3-5). “The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body” (1 Cor 6:13).

Every person carries within himself the heritage of original sin, and with it a tendency towards an egotistical focus on himself and the seeking of happiness through the flesh, the eyes, and pride of this life (comp. 1 J 2:16). Living according to the logic of disordered love breaks down the human capacity for loving, and ultimately can lead to total egoism – that is to hell. The temptation to live according to the logic of egoism appears distinctly in the sphere of human sexuality, which suggests that sensual experiences are the most important thing. In his strategy of temptation, Satan, who is the “father of lies” (John 8:45), identifies love with sexual pleasure and completely ignores the spiritual dimension of the human person. This demonic lie is the root cause of the evil of all the sins of impurity such as premarital sex, homosexual acts, pornography, as well as every stimulation of sexual pleasure through masturbation or petting. These sins destroy love, and deepen egoism, addiction, and enslavement.

In his strategy of temptation, Satan […] identifies love with sexual pleasure and completely ignores the spiritual dimension of the human person

In contrast, the marital relations of women and men are, according to God’s plan, supposed to be a spiritual union of spouses expressed through their intimate physical union. The Lord God wishes for every sexual act between spouses to be a distinct expression of their mutual love, a selfless and complete gift of self and at the same time a sign of the sacrament of matrimony, by which the spouses take part in the life and love of God, One in the Holy Trinity, and become His Icon. In such context, their mutual love having its source in Christ present in the sacrament of matrimony is the most important. Sensual pleasure is an experience accompanying spiritual love. Only a person with a pure heart can love; a person is free when he masters the ability to control his passions. “The alternative is clear, either man governs his passions and finds peace, or he lets himself be dominated by them and becomes unhappy” (CCC 2339). A person enslaved to sins of impurity, and addicted to sexual sensations is not free because he acts under the influence of the power of evil and a blind internal drive.

Every day commit yourself to working systematically on developing your character

Only Jesus can free a person from this slavery. Only He returns purity to the heart and teaches one to love selflessly. That is why the Lord Jesus invites you to the Movement of Pure Hearts – to His school of maturity in love and His “clinic of pure hearts”, in which He heals all wounds and enslavement caused by sin.

What is necessary is simply to cling to Jesus in the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist with all our weaknesses, enslavements, and sins. Then, the Lord Jesus will forgive us our sins, heal us, and break down all the overwhelming ties to evil. He will fill us with love, freedom, and peace. What is necessary from our side is complete obedience to God’s commandments and the Gospel, faithfulness in daily prayer, regular confession, and, if possible, daily Eucharist and adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament, along with perseverance in working on our characters and practicing asceticism.

The Movement of Pure Hearts

Peter, a student, wrote to the editorial board, “I determined once and for all to finish with my sinful life and entrust myself completely to the Lord. My past life was not ideal. One day after a long period of impurity I determined to bring an end to it. I went to church and asked for a confession. Today I know that the Holy Spirit bestowed His grace on me, and that it is thanks to Him that I had enough courage to go through with it. It was the first time I had ever confessed so sincerely. I apologized for everything that had weighed down my soul for so many years and that had built a wall between myself and God. God, in His great mercy forgave me and sent me immense peace of heart. Now my life has changed for the better, but if I don’t have true determination, I know I have little chance. Joining the Movement of Pure Hearts motivates me to struggle with sin and temptations.”

From another standpoint, Luke wrote: “Please enter me into the Book of Pure Hearts. I want to start working diligently on myself to be able in the future to offer a pure heart to my wife. The path to purity won’t be simple or easy – I already know about this – but I also know that with Jesus’ help along with the Virgin Mary I will manage. For many years I have been mired in a deep swamp, and my life wasn’t in fact true life, but was rather a lost existence. However, from the time I began to read ‘Love One Another!’, something started to change in me… I recognized that Jesus exists, and that He won’t abandon me; that He had always been with me. I entrust everything to Him, and especially the relationship with my girlfriend so that He, if it’s His will, will lead me to marriage with my girlfriend, and help us to start a family patterned after His Holy Family.”

Jesus Christ frees us from all kinds of enslavement and dependency. He forgives us all our sins, heals every spiritual and emotional wound, and teaches us to love with pure hearts. For our part we have to offer our full assent and cooperation. That is why we should surrender ourselves to Jesus completely every day, so that He can heal, treat, and spiritually transform us. The treatment that the Lord Jesus proposes depends on radically rejecting sin and everything that leads to it, regular recourse to the sacrament of penance, and, if possible, daily Eucharist and adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament along with daily recitation of the rosary and reading the Holy Scriptures. It is necessary to be patient and diligent, never give in to discouragement, and come out of every sin through the sacrament of reconciliation. The Lord Jesus assures us that: “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mk 13:13).

The Lord Jesus invites everyone to join the Movement of Pure Hearts

When and how can someone join this community? Any time! First, go to confession, and when you receive Jesus in Holy Communion, surrender yourself to Him as His exclusive possession, praying the Prayer of Entrustment of the MPH.

Let the editorial board of “Love One Another!” know about your entry into the MPH and write a short testimony so that we can send you a special blessing and enter your name into the Book of Pure Hearts. Pray the Prayer of Entrustment of the MPH every day, remember the obligations in the prayer and put them into practice in your life. When temptation arises, turn immediately to Jesus and Mary with an earnest request for help. Remember: “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor 10:13).

Every day commit yourself to working systematically on developing your character. Organize your daily plan of activities to find time for prayer, work, and rest. Faithfulness to these obligations will fulfill God’s will and will signify your consent to be guided by Christ’s power in overcoming your egoism and learning to love with a pure heart.

Remember that the teaching magazine of the MPH is “Love One Another!”. Read this quarterly regularly and follow its teachings in evangelizing your environment. Every day pray for all the members of the MPH. Here at the publishers, we pray the rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy every day in your intention. From the bottom of my heart I bless your daily effort of walking the path of faith and forming your character.

Fr. Mieczyslaw Piotrowski S.Chr.
and the editorial staff

Source: https://loamagazine.org/archive/2017/2017-38/a-chance-for-everyone

The above article was published with permission from Miłujcie się! in April 2021.

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