The human ego prefers anything, just about anything, to falling, or changing, or dying. The ego is that part of you that loves the status quo – even when it's not working. It attaches to past and present and fears the future.

Sin happens whenever we refuse to keep growing.

If we seek spiritual heroism ourselves, the old ego is just back in control under a new name. There would not really be any change at all, but only disguise, just bogus self-improvement on our own terms.

We Catholics must admit that there is a constant temptation among us to avoid the lectionary and the Word of God for private and pious devotions that usually have little power to actually change us or call our ego assumptions into question.

Change is not what we expect from religious people. They tend to love the past more than the present or the future.

If our love of God does not directly influence, and even change, how we engage in the issues of our time on this earth, I wonder what good religion is.