Purity of Heart

Keeping our hearts pure has never been easy, and these days it seems even harder, as we are bombarded by the media and now social media where the push of a computer key can bring us instantly into dangerous territory, and feed our imaginations with images that can lead us to actions we will one day regret. The ninth commandment forbids coveting our neighbor's wife.  "Coveting" is covered by Jesus in his warning that lusting after a woman is already an act of adultery, even though there is no physical contact (yet!). (Mt 5:27). Avoiding "the occasions of sin", as the Catechism and moral teaching advocate, is solid advice.  The less we put ourselves in compromising situations, the purer our hearts will be.  This simple prayer by Fr. John Conley, CSC might help us:
Lord, give us time to be silent and prayerful, conscious of your personal presence, moment by moment, sustaining us. Call us to new decisions for faithfulness and purity of heart and whenever you call us by name may we reply, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." Amen.
Bro. Rene