Msgr. Pope on the Need to Soberly Assess this World

"In a recent Office of Readings from the Liturgy of the Hours (Monday of 7th Week of Easter) we read the following exhortation from St John:

"Beloved, do not trust every spirit, but put the spirits to a test to see if they belong to God, because many false prophets have appeared in the world. . . . You are of God, you little ones, and thus you have conquered the false prophets. . . . [They] belong to the world; that is why theirs is the language of the world and why the world listens to them. We belong to God and anyone who has knowledge of God gives us a hearing, while anyone who is not of God refuses to hear us. Thus do we distinguish the spirit of truth from the spirit of deception. (1 John 4:1-10)

"And thus we are warned that we must discern every thought, every idea, trend, philosophy, and fad to see if it is of God or not. We are also warned that there are many pseudo-prophets who, enamored of the world, use its language and views, distort the word of God and seek to mislead us. . . ."

In a recent commentary based on the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the importance of discernment to assess information presented and to hold fast to what is good.

To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:

Community in Mission: Test Everything; Hold Fast to What Is Good - A Meditation on the Need to Soberly Assess this World (22 MAY 23)