Catholic Word of the Day: LUST, 08-13-09

CatholicReference.net ^ | 08-13-09 | Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary

[Salvation]

Featured Term (selected at random):

LUST

An inordinate desire for or enjoyment of sexual pleasure. The desires or acts are inordinate when they do not confirm to the divinely ordained purpose of sexual pleasure, which is to foster the mutual love of husband and wife and, according to the dispositions of providence, to procreate and educate their children. (Etym. Anglo-Saxon lut, pleasure.)

All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

[Salvation]

I would say that "LUST" is alive and sadly doing very well in our modern U. S. society.

We need to pray more, in my opinion, that people may cling to their spouse and not engage in this sin.

Your comments?

[Salvation]

Catholic Word of the Day – not linked – but you can do a search to find them.

 

Salvific Will	Holy Spirit	Transplantation of Organs
Spiritual Espousals	Addiction	Coenobium
Irascible Appetite	Development of Doctrine	Equiprobabilism
Advocate	Latency Period	Seven Sacraments
Rosary	Epiklesis/Epiclesis	Consubstantiation
Restitution	Tabgha	Our Lady of Divine Love
Excommunication	The Holy Pillar	Imperfect Contrition
White Russian Byzantines	Lust

Catholic Word of the Day Ping!

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[Salvation]

Catholic Word of the Day (Group One) – not linked – but you can do a search to find them.

La Salette	Liturgy	Andacollo
Kings, Book of	Physiologus	Old Catholics
Baltimore Catechism	Armagh, Book of	Nature
Eulogia	Orders, Sacrament of	Missionary
Dominus Vocbiscum	Ichthus-Fish	Abbacy of St.Jerome
Invalid	Doctrinal Demythology	Metaphysics
Ecclesia Docens	Apostolic Signatura	Octaves
Religion as feeling	Temperament	Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Congregation for Catholic Education	Sponsor	Mystery Play
Paschal Candle	Imitation of Christ	Voluntarism
Matter, Sacramental	Notion	Chancel
Gabbatha	Gregorian Masses	Ordo
Resolution of Amendment	Supreme Evil	Archives, Vatican
Pride	Solovyevism	Natural Law
Revealed Law	Presbyter	First Saturdays
Alma Redemptoris Mater	Divorce	Jubilee
Procession	Teilhardism	Hysteron Proteron
Bodily Immortality	Vicar Forane	Intercommunion, Eucharistic

[Salvation]

 

Catholic Word of the Day (Group Two) – not linked – but you can do a search to find them.

 

Proclamation	Consecration to the Sacred Heart	Nominalism
Rules of Conscience	St. John Lateran	Hermeneutics
Doctrinal Universalism	Good Friday	Our Father
Soul of the Church	Latin Cross	Book of Sentences
Liber Pontificalis	Paraclete	People of God
Bodily Resurrection	Cardinal Electors	Subsidiarity
Striking the Breast	Transfinalization	Ordinary
Titular Sees	Wake	Knowledge
Polygenism	Sede Vacante	Peace Plate or Tablet
Heroic Act	Abbey Nullius	Vulgate
Founder	Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples	Vow
Impassibility	Vitandus	Dedication of the Months
Solemn Vows	Species	Dark Night of the Soul
Social Sin	Dialectical Materialism	Pharisaical Scandal
Inquisition	Precedence	Holy Chrism
Quietism	Natural Family Planning (practice)	Primitive Religion

[Misterioso]

Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary

An apt source for this topic, I would say.

[stuartcr]

I’ve always wondered why God would design us with a desire for something which He knew would be ordained as improper.

[Pyro7480]

He didn’t design concupiscence.

[stuartcr]

How do you know this as a fact? Isn’t God the creator of all?

[Pyro7480]

By that train of thought, you would make God the creator of evil, and that isn’t the case.

[stuartcr]

And you know this to be fact also? Do you believe God to be the creator of all, and can do anything?

[Tax-chick]

It's important that he emphasizes "inordinate" in the definition. Sexual desire is not, in itself, the sin of lust, although we often use the terms synonymously.

I'm reminded of this verse, too: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)

"Lust of the eyes" is generally held to mean an inordinate desire for anything that can be seen, not just sexual stimulation.

[Tax-chick]

Sigh. I saw this movie.

[stuartcr]

Never saw the end though, I bet. I know for some, it’s easier to just say stuff like that, than to answer. I’m just looking to see how people answer. Doesn’t hurt anyone, does it?

[Tax-chick]

How do you know whether it hurts anyone?

[stuartcr]

That’s why I asked. Personally, I don’t see how asking someone about their beliefs could hurt them.

[Tax-chick]

By what authority or special revelation are you the arbiter of whether anyone is hurt or not?

[stuartcr]

None, as I’m not an arbiter of whether anyone is hurt or not. I repeat, that is why I asked you, and offered my personal thoughts on it. If you can’t answer, just say so. By the way, what does this have to do with my original question?

[Tax-chick]

Why shouldn’t the original question suggest further questions?

[stuartcr]

They should, but usually they have something to do with the thread, or other relevant questions.

[Jewbacca]

“I’ve always wondered why God would design us with a desire for something which He knew would be ordained as improper.”

Anything good can be corrupted, except love of G-d and following his commandments. (And even that can be twisted.)

A healthy sexual attraction overdone becomes lust.

Love for another can become obsession.

Enjoying food can become gluttony.

Patriotism can become nationalist facism, etc.

[stuartcr]

OK, thanks for the answer.

[Jewbacca]

To rephrase, it is the Jewish belief that these are not evil things, in and of themselves, but rather good things that are misused (or overused).

[stuartcr]

That makes sense, thanks.

[Salvation]

Also remember that during Creation God always ended the day’s work with the words, “This is good.”

However, after creating woman from the rib of Adam, God’s reply at the end of the day was “This is VERY good.”

Sexuality isn’t something — it is someone — your spouse and your spouse only.

Always remember man and woman are VERY good in God’s eyes; it is in the sinful eyes and heart and mind of man and woman that sexuality becomes bad and is used for bad purposes just as Jewbacca said.

[Tax-chick]

Sexuality isn’t something — it is someone — your spouse and your spouse only.

Brilliant line! What Jewbacca said was also very good.

[Jewbacca]

“Also remember that during Creation God always ended the day’s work with the words, “This is good.”

Except Monday. Seriously. Go look.

Mondays have, um, been bad since the start.

[stuartcr]

Thanks, I wasn’t aware of that. Seems to me, that 2 lustful people, have really got it made when they do get together. Why then, is it be wrong, for lustful people to seek out other lustful people?

[Salvation]

You’re spinning like a top. LOL!

[Salvation]

You are so right. I first heard that line form a priest. He walked into a Marriage Encounter training weekend and that was the sign on the wall. He said that he was so happy to see that sign that he nearly dropped his drawers and ran around the room yelling “Hooray!”

[stuartcr]

Not really, just asking some questions. My lustful days are long gone.

[Tax-chick]

I’m still amazed today at what a great insight that is. I’ll have to come up with a way to spread it!

[Jewbacca]

“Why then, is it be wrong, for lustful people to seek out other lustful people?”

I think the ramifications of promiscuous behavior are well known.

Despite the Hollywood story, it’s seldom clean. There is an emotional cost, certainly a physical risk, and a spiritual cost.

[Jewbacca]

"Also remember that during Creation G-d always ended the day’s work with the words, “This is good."

I was serious when I noted that G-d did not state "this is good" after the second day (Monday):

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. 3 And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day 6 And God said: 'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.' 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. 9 And God said: 'Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear.' And it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas; and God saw that it was good.

Etc.

In short, Monday's are just "so," not "good."

[Tax-chick]

Sure enough! I’ve never noticed that!

[stuartcr]

I agree, thanks.