Past Reflections
Find past weekly reflections by date
- 04/28/2012 - Leap of Faith
- 04/07/2012 - A CONVERSATION FOR EASTER and PASSOVER
- 11/23/2011 - Thanksgiving: Giving Thanks In Tough Times
- 11/13/2011 - Father Beck Interviews Judith Light
- 11/06/2011 - Father Beck Interviews Judy Collins
- 10/16/2011 - Father Beck Interviews Julianne Moore
- 09/22/2011 - Joel Osteen and Fr. Beck
- 09/01/2011 - Election 2012: God's Role in Politics?
- 07/31/2011 - NASCAR, Budweiser, Goodyear and God?
- 07/17/2011 - The New God Squad
- 07/10/2011 - Casey Anthony: What Would God Say?
- 06/19/2011 - For My Father on Father's Day
- 05/22/2011 - Will the world really end on May 21st?
- 05/07/2011 - Is Bin Laden pure evil?
- 04/24/2011 - Fr. Beck on MORNING JOE
- 04/10/2011 - Cokie Roberts on her Inter-faith marriage and more
- 03/20/2011 - Joy Behar on Faith Parts 1 & 2
- 02/20/2011 - Cairo & Lara Logan
- 02/12/2011 - Digital Confession
- 01/30/2011 - The great celibacy debate
- 01/23/2011 - What Have We Learned From Tucson?
- 01/16/2011 - Lessons From the Tucson Tragedy
- 12/27/2010 - The Redeeming Power of Santa
- 12/12/2010 - Moment of Faith: Charity
- 11/21/2010 - Finding A FRESH Way to Look At Life
- 10/31/2010 - Final Chance for Charlie Sheen?
- 10/24/2010 - Spirituality of THE SIMPSONS?
- 10/17/2010 - Faith in the Mine, Religion, and Teen Suicide
- 10/10/2010 - Hate Speech: How Can It Be Christian?
- 09/26/2010 - Throwing Rocks at Faith
- 09/12/2010 - The Price of Religious Hostility
- 08/29/2010 - A Time For Tolerance
- 08/22/2010 - The Perils of Perfection
- 08/15/2010 - EAT PRAY LOVE and Clergy Burnout
- 08/08/2010 - The Power of Charity
- 07/18/2010 - Mel Gibon, Lebron James, and a "Gangster Priest"!
- 07/11/2010 - Does Lindsay Lohan Need To Find Humility?
- 07/04/2010 - America's New Found Vampire Obsession
- 06/27/2010 - What Happens When Faith is Lost?
- 06/13/2010 - Adultery on the Rise
- 06/06/2010 - 25 Years in the Cloth
- 05/30/2010 - Supreme Court Takes Ethical Stand
- 05/23/2010 - Little Girls As Go-Go Dancers Is Not Okay
- 05/16/2010 - Vanessa Williams on Her Faith
- 05/09/2010 - Coming Out to God
- 05/02/2010 - Forget Love, Can't We Just Be Civil?
- 04/25/2010 - South Park Death Threat?
- 04/18/2010 - Are Gay Priests the Problem?
- 04/11/2010 - Who Cares What Would Jesus Do?
- 04/04/2010 - Easter Whether We Like It Or Not
- 03/28/2010 - Will A&P Catholics Still Flock to Church on Palm Sunday?
- 03/21/2010 - The Pastor Who Bares It All
- 03/14/2010 - SO, ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY?
- 03/07/2010 - French Confession: Call It In
- 02/28/2010 - Fasting From Comparisons and Competition
- 02/21/2010 - The Path of Redemption for Tiger Woods
- 02/14/2010 - The Power of Half
- 02/07/2010 - Human Bed Warmers More Than a Gimmick?
- 01/30/2010 - Standing Up For Sitting Down
- 01/23/2010 - How Can I Keep From Singing?
- 01/16/2010 - Images of First Family Makes Fur Fly
- 01/09/2010 - The Prized Cross
- 01/03/2010 - Here's To A Better 2010... And A Better You!
- 12/19/2009 - Sleeping On A Bed Of Nails
- 12/13/2009 - Live Like You're Dying
- 12/06/2009 - So What IS Advent Anyway?
- 11/29/2009 - The Thanksgiving Of Listening
- 11/22/2009 - What Should We Allow on Our License Plates?
- 11/15/2009 - The Woman Mauled By The Chimpanzee May Now See More Clearly Than the Rest of Us
- 11/08/2009 - Scientology: Religion, Cult, Or Just Plain Weird?
- 11/01/2009 - From All Hallows Eve To Halloween
- 10/25/2009 - Smoking: Serious As A Heart Attack
- 10/18/2009 - Looks-Obsessed Culture Making Us Unhealthy
- 10/11/2009 - Where Are The Parents?
- 10/04/2009 - Kids Killing Kids: The Real Olympian Challenge
- 09/27/2009 - Turning 50
- 09/20/2009 - The Tragedy of War with Suicides
- 09/13/2009 - Do You Want to Deny Jesus Healthcare?
- 09/06/2009 - Is Labor Day A Spiritual Holiday?
- 08/30/2009 - The Lion Of The Senate
- 08/16/2009 - Exile is Not Always A Bad Thing
- 08/09/2009 - Aren't We All Clunkers, Really?
- 07/26/2009 - All Sparkle and No Stillness
- 07/19/2009 - POPE BREAKS WRIST and HIS MESSAGE LIMPS
- 07/12/2009 - A SAD GOODBYE TO SAINT GABRIEL'S YOUTH RETREAT HOUSE
- 07/05/2009 - Wading Into The River of Resentment
- 06/28/2009 - MICHAEL and FARRAH: TOO MUCH?
- 06/21/2009 - INFIDELITY: SEXUAL AND OTHERWISE
- 06/14/2009 - SARAH PALIN IS NOT LAUGHING AT DAVID LETTERMAN
- 06/07/2009 - AN AMERICAN IDOL?
- 05/31/2009 - STANDING ON A MOTHER'S SHOULDERS
- 05/24/2009 - The Living of FARRAH FAWCETT
- 05/17/2009 - ANGELS and DEMONS
- 05/10/2009 - The Buzz Heard Around The World
- 05/03/2009 - SWINE FLU and FAITH?
- 04/26/2009 - He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
- 04/19/2009 - MEL GIBON: Divorce, Annulment...Are You Kidding?
- 04/12/2009 - An Easter Message from Father Beck
- 04/05/2009 - Passion / Palm Sunday - Holy Week
- 03/29/2009 - WHY CHURCHES ARE LOSING MEMBERS
- 03/15/2009 - Introduction
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Email to a FriendJune 13, 2010 - Adultery on the Rise
by Father Edward L. Beck, C.P.
Sometimes God's law and human law align in a way that is provocative. A woman in Batavia New York has been criminally charged with adultery. Only the 13th person in the history of New York to be charged with the crime. Susan Corona was arrested with Justin Amend for allegedly having sex in a public park on a picnic table at 5 in the afternoon just a short distance from a playground with children. So, yes, it's against the law in New York to commit adultery. And although the law is rarely prosecuted, it raises some interesting questions. Adultery is so common today. Can you imagine if all of the cases were actually prosecuted? Our court systems would be doing nothing else. And yet, should adultery BE against the law? Or is it only God's law being offended? After all, people are married civilly too. So shouldn't they be held accountable for that legal contract? We prosecute people for breaking some of the other 10 commandments, like murder and stealing. Why not this one? I've leave the answer to your own speculation. But the occasions of adultery are astounding. Some statistics say about 50% of spouses have cheated, almost matching the divorce rate. And it's not always just about sex of course, but about intimacy, money, and a host of other things. This news reminds us that marriage is in trouble. Commitment in general is floundering. It's a tough road alone. But that's why religious traditions believe you must invite God into the union. Marriage is a menage a trois, with God being the third person of that Trinity. A belief that Divine love can help sustain human love, especially when it seems to be waning. So, yes, we'll get tempted, tired, bored, and feeling not so good about ourselves. Someone other than our spouses may seem too appealing to resist. Maybe it's at precisely those moments that we have to appeal to a higher power that we may find just as irresistible.
To watch Father Beck give the above Reflection, click here.
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