Looking for a Definition

An impure thought is simply any thought that becomes an obstacle to out individual relationships with God; more basically, they are bad thoughts. They can flash in our minds for an instant when some does something that we do not like. When we hear profanity, they can flash in our minds. Some movies can create these thoughts. It is sometimes difficult to escape impure thoughts; the secular world use impure images to encourage us to buy products.

We live in an era dominated by impurity. It is in our television shows, movies, books, magazine covers, newspaper headlines. We can not escape it. There is so much impurity attacking our sensibilities that it is sometimes difficult to analyze what is impure.

My initial approach was too analytical; it searched for an internal movement. I wanted my impure thoughts to be active. I wanted to believe that an impure thought made me jealous. I was looking in the wrong place. I wanted a cause and reaction.

Impure thoughts had to be the band leader for all sin and vice.

Impure thoughts are simply there. They provoke responses. There is a little dollop of objective reasoning associated with impure thoughts. Our mind has to process the information and make a judgment.

Modern life provides us with many detours and diversions to living good Catholic lives. As a Catholic I am surprised at the number of contraception commercials on television. Within each message along with all of the potentially dangerous or harmful side effects is a subtle message to live in a manner that is not in keeping with Church teaching.

Sexual imagery is used to sell everything. It is so pervasive that is benignly accepted. With the Madison Avenue advertising world, everyone is secular, everyone has a price, everything needs to be replaced. Our consumerism creates a world of impurity; it permeates so many levels. This impurity is beyond simply bad; it constantly attacks our morals, attacks our goodness.

This impurity is rotting our society. Deciding between good and bad becomes more difficult each day because of the proliferation of impure images used to promote all types of concrete products and ideas within our society. We can turn off the television, avoid the movies; but the problem is still there.

How sad it is that there is no public morality anymore. Each day we exist within a conflicted, dirty society; everything is for sale in our society — including access to our souls. Constant exposure to these images, wears us down, confuses us.

Lucky are those who believe in God and who understand the danger of impure images used within a consumerist free economy. Lucky are those who are able to live with limited access to these image. Lucky are those who pray to God and ask for strength.

Lessons

The monotony of modern life annoys me sometimes, pleases me sometimes. Each day there are somethings to be rediscovered, an old anecdote retold, an old prayer to be taught. With patience and understanding there are many grave thoughts of sacrifice and obedience to be shared, discussed. I must always remember that I am a Christian. I must always be humble.

The ordinary good-fellowship of the Mass and of those moments when we are following the teachings of Christ and using our lives to serve God, we can experience a moment of a finer solidarity and goodness. One of the advantages of our situation is that we can, as it were, learn both goodness and holiness by observing and imitating it in others as we spend time doing God’s work. Charity, humility, and obedience require diligence and patience for our minds and our society encourage us to be independent individuals; when we reflect upon obedience, humility, and charity their usefulness can restore calm to our minds. I try to avoid getting caught in the madcap race of the immediate and instant gratification, instant resolution. Time is not the enemy; anxiety often is. Both goodness and wisdom require patience and silence. Our society allows and encourages us to be childish and selfish. As Christians we must remember that prayer can soothe our nerves, provide answers to the problems within our lives if we make time to pray and allow ourselves time to reflect, and to wait patiently for God’s guidance and assistance. Each of us are capable of making profound, inspirational statements about goodness, holiness, love, mercy, humility, obedience, charity, being Christian. Each of us has felt a moment of discomfort when we did not act appropriately with mercy, forgiveness and love; and yet, our hearts and souls still lead us toward God, still encourage us to be devoted disciples, believing in and living a life filled with love based upon the teachings of Jesus Christ.