In Baptism, we have taken a completely new body although our body remains unchanged externally, “We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, ... we too might live in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4). This newness of life is a marital vow between the baptized and Christ that forms “one body.” Thus, just as our spouse Christ, we ought to “Be Perfect.” (Matthew 5:48). Sin becomes like an organ transplant – always foreign and incompatible with who we became so that our body constantly rejects it and tries to destroy it. Like any organ transplant, sin would always cause the baptized pain, suffering, agitation, unrest, and destruction. In an organ transplant, the patient is given a cocktail of medication to suppress the body's natural defense mechanism so that the body becomes numb and insensitive to the foreign organ and stops attacking it. However, suppressing the body's defense leaves the body vulnerable to parasites and viruses that can become deadly. Likewise, the baptized commits sin into his/or her body by finding ways to suppress the new body defense and that creates a weak baptized person who is vulnerable to various invading sins and toxins.
We have to care for our new body not just like the non-baptized seek health and wellness, but as seekers of health and wellness who cater to our new marital body with Christ. To be healthy, we need to drink heavenly water and eat heavenly nutrition and heavenly food; we need to breathe heavenly spiritual air, train our body in heavenly exercises, and live in heavenly homes and the Garden of Eden while on earth. Therefore, our marital body should be used as the Creator designed. Even non-baptized atheists recognize that organ transplants, consuming genetically modified food, lacking cleanliness, and taking anti-suppressant medications are not healthy or ideal. Therefore, we ought to remove the transplanted organ and replace it with our weak organ, but add the nutrition to revive our weak body. An organ transplant requires a well-trained expert surgeon. The surgeon of our new marital body must be an eyewitness of an eyewitness of Christ to understand our new body to remove the transplanted organ – those eyewitnesses are the Catholic priests authorized by the Apostolic Bishops and commissioned and authorized by Christ. There is no any other way around it if we desire a successful removal of the transplanted organ. To rely on anyone just because they read the Scripture and they are smart or educated is choosing unwisely – like performing the most delicate organ transplant with high risks.
St. John the Baptizer describes the spouse with whom we the baptized unite and John the Baptizer also describes our new creation as one marital bond with Christ, “whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” (John 1:27). The Catholic Church reminds us that we are sinners and that we should be humble. However, in Baptism we have become so magnificent that sin is so much beneath us that we reject it regardless of how attractive it is. Additionally, because we have become so magnificent by Grace, we would rather suffer than accept the degradation of sin. That is why the Holy one family Catholic Church shows Christ Crucified – because He continues to suffer in our suffering and we suffer in His as one marital body. Furthermore, we likewise suffer in the suffering of other baptized brothers and sisters and also with everyone else whom we consider to have the potential to be baptized in the future. This one union with Christ forms a marital disciple with Him who calls us to have the courage to suffer instead of to sin, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24).
The best treatment for a disease is prevention in the first place. Prevention preserves our body's resources to function optimally in our activities of daily living and develop skills for championship type activities. This is also so true of sin. Rather than pride ourselves for overcoming the harsh sin, we should pride ourselves in preventing our fall into sin in the first place. St. Therese of the little flower explains Christ’s saying, “But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” (Luke 7:47). She explains that she loves more as she owed greater debts because Christ showed her that He spared her all the sins she could have committed. That should be our attitude – that prevention of sin is the greatest indebtedness that demands the greatest love. Thus, prevention and avoidance of sin should be the greatest indebtedness.