Homily on Pornography and "Covenant Eyes"

Pornography and the temptations of Jesus 

The Devil tempts Jesus in the desert, and we first of all need to understand that Jesus was in fact TEMPTED.

It can be a temptation for us to think of Jesus as a robot, or that Jesus is God pretending to be a human being, but he is a human being like us.  In the book of Hebrews, we find in chapter 4 that Christ was tempted in every way we are, but did not sin.

 

And so I would like to briefly preach about one of the greatest temptations to sin that our world has ever known.  And that is the temptation to view explicit material, particularly on our phones and computers.

 

When I was 7, despite being homeschooled, I was exposed to explicit material at a friend’s house when my friend found his dad’s magazines.  It is not a matter of IF your child or teen will be exposed to explicit material, but WHEN.

 

“The use of pornography by anyone in the home deprives the home of its role as a safe haven and has negative effects throughout the family’s life and across generations”

“Create in me a clean heart” a pastoral response to Pornography” by the USCCB (2015)

Pope Francis also questioned social media for the first time in 2015…why 2015 for both the USCCB and Pope Francis…because 2015 was the first time the majority of U.S. teens had a smart phone.

A recent study found that 82% of teens and 72% of preteens sleep with their phone in the bedroom

            This places kids at greater risk to exposure to explicit content, encourages isolation, and makes it more difficult to have accountability

I also counsel every person who struggles with viewing explicit material that the pornography industry is the greatest human trafficker of children and vulnerable adults in the world so even if the video or image you click on does not involve a child the pornography industry gets money from that view and so any time you view any explicit material you are helping to fund human trafficking.  NO one here wants to see their child or a niece or nephew or friend or relative human trafficked. 

The 4 parishes of Dearborn County have been asked by the Archdiocese to pilot a totally free program called “Covenant Eyes”.  It works!  My parents have used it for 20 years.

As you leave Mass today, there is an ebook on how to create a safe environment for your family

 

Jesus was tempted, and you and your family certainly face graves temptations and guaranteed exposure to explicit material.  Please take advantage of the resources we are offering as you leave Mass this morning!

 

Many of our homes have glass TV screens that we stare at, glass smart phone screens that we stare at, glass tablet screens that we stare at, and glass laptop screens that we stare at… but at the end of this Mass we have a few minutes to stare at the only glass screen that will bring us any lasting peace.  At the end of this Mass we will have a few minutes to stare at the glass screen of a monstrance with Jesus’ Real Presence right behind it.  Let us gaze on Him, and allow Him to heal all our ills and grant us His peace!