“Which of the two did his father’s will?”
“Oh! How sweet and glorious is this virtue of obedience, which contains all the other virtues! Because it is born of charity, and on it the rock of holy faith is founded, it is a queen, and he who espouses it knows no evil, but only peace and rest.” [1] Obedience comes from charity, which Jesus most perfectly shows us. “…he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8) When asked about the mystery of the Incarnation and how it is that God could become man, one Saint simply responded, “Love, does such things.” Many times people are able to be obedient and do what would seem impossible. To those who act out of charity, the obedience is not a burden but rather freedom. Obedience to God, Church, parents, teachers and other authorities feels like slavery if there is no charity, with charity however we are free to obey and do so with joy.
“Christ obeyed out of love. This is the Christian meaning of obedience: that which we owe to God, that which we give to the Church, that which we give to our parents and those in authority over us. God does not want to be served by slaves or by robots. God wants to be served by his sons and daughters. He desires a willing and cheerful obedience that come straight from the heart.” [2] If God were to force us to obey, the obedience would not be out of love. We see in the life of Our Lady and the Saints a choice to obey out of charity. They are not forced to obey but rather choose to obey.
Why should we obey the Church? Why should we obey our parents? “We must be obedient to the Church, because Christ Himself with His holy Spirit lives in her and governs her, and has said: Who hears not the Church, let him be to thee a heathen and a publican, therefore, shut out from eternal life. We must be obedient to our parents, because they are placed over us by God, and we are indebted to them, under Him, for life and many benefits. Those children who do not assist their parents when they are old, poor, and helpless, or are ashamed from them, have reason to be afraid, since even Christ Jesus, the God-Man, was obedient and subject in all things to His mother, and to a humble mechanic who was only His foster-father.” [3] Jesus was obedient to His Father’s will, to Mary and Joseph and to the civil authorities. “He went down with them [Mary and Joseph] and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.” (Luke 2:51) By imitating Christ in obedience to authority we are living out the fourth commandment to, “honor thy father and mother.” (Exodus 20:12)
How does obedience unite? The Church is called “Holy Mother Church.” Obedience to Holy Mother Church not only increases our charity but also unites us with other brothers and sisters, who call the Church “Mother.” This common obedience rooted in charity, allows us to unite and rejoice in our brothers and sisters. “After all, we have the same Church, the same mind, the same unbroken harmony. Why then should a priest not take pride in the praise given to a fellow priest as though it were given to him? What brotherhood fails to rejoice in the happiness of its brothers wherever they are?” [4] On a sports team one player should not be envious of another player when that player succeeds. Both players have the same goal, obedience to the coach. A common obedience implies a common goal and the desire for that goal to be accomplished. It does not matter who on the team accomplishes the goal as long as it is accomplished. In the same way, a solider should not be envious of another solider for following the commands of the general. Obedience should unite and help each individual reach the common goal.
Do we ever have the right to disobey? Yes. It would be wonderful if the will of God and our parents and authority always were one, but the fact is, that they are not. We are to obey anyone in authority at all times except for one condition. If the authority asks us to do something that is contrary to the will of God, we have a right and obligation to disobey.
How does pride get in the way of obedience? “Pride inclines us to do our own will and to seek what exalts us, not to wish to be directed by others, but to direct them. Obedience is opposed to this pride. The only Son of the Father came down from Heaven to save us, to cure our pride, becoming obedient unto death, and even to the death of the cross.” [5] Pride is the opposite of the beatitude, blessed are those who are poor in spirit. It is also opposite of the virtue of humility. Many times the obstacle to being obedient is the thought that we know better or can do it better. We become attached to our own ideas, attitudes and way of doing things. The more we become set in our way, the less we can become set in God’s way. “One of the greatest obstacles to full conformity of our will to God’s is our attachment to our own desires and inclinations.” [6] How could we ever know better or do better than God? Being poor in spirit helps us to realize that we are in need of God and that we cannot know or do better than God and so we place our will at His service thus imitating Christ. “We are to follow our Blessed Lord by walking in his footsteps and imitating his virtues, which are meekness, humility and obedience.” [7]
How do we know the will of God? We need to know clearly the teaching of Christ and the teachings of the Church He founded. “The will of God is expressed in His commandments, in the precepts of the Church, in the duties of our state in life; beyond all that, there is still a vast area of our free choice, where it is not always easy to know with certitude exactly what God wants of us.” [8] We must pray and seek advice from a spiritual director to discern God’s will and it is equally important to not get wrapped up in the influences of the world. “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) We have the gift of free will and obedience is how we will use that free will. Who or what will we obey? What motivates our obedience to someone or something? We can be motivated by fear, as is the case of peer pressure. We can be motivated by pleasure, as is the case in many temptations. The greatest motivation to be obedience and to use our free will for God, thus uniting our will with His, is love. “Love is essential to Christian obedience. Christ obeyed the Will of the Father not because he had to, but rather, because he wanted to. Love is what makes our obedience fully free. For the person who wants to follow Christ, the law is never a burden.” [9]
Dakota Meyer risked his life going into the heat of battle five times to rescue fellow Marines and Afghan compatriots. What motivated him? When Dakota was asked what was it in his training that made him be able to do this, he reposed that it was a mixture of training and morals. Love was essential to Dakota’s obedience. He did not act this way because he was told, but because it was the right thing to do and his brother’s life was on the line.
How does obedience led to freedom? “Obedience springs from freedom, while at the same time leading us to greater freedom. When a person obeys with all his heart, he is actually conserving his freedom by choosing the good. This truth is somewhat analogous to the situation of a person going on a trip. Without a doubt, he does not feel restricted by the markings on the highway. Similarly, a mountain climber does not feel constrained by the rope that ties him to his companions. There are many such examples which can be taken from ordinary life.” [10]
Saint John Paul II stated in a homily, “freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.” If we are enslaved to sin then we are not free to do what is right, because we are constantly choosing what is wrong. Obedience leads to freedom since following God’s will frees us from sin and enables us to do what we know is right.
What are some examples of how obedience to things, brings freedom? A great example given by the Catholic priest and musician, Fr. Stan Fortuna is the obedience of a drummer. A drummer must be obedient to the beat the rhythm and keep the beat. It is within the obedience of keeping the beat that the drummer has freedom to create fills. This is also true of sports. A team will have set plays for defense and offense, they stick to the obedience of the formation or pattern and it is within that obedience that each play performs at their best. Our rule (formation, pattern, playbook) is the Gospel. We become frustrated and loose freedom when obedience is not practiced, just as we can become frustrated with our sports team does not stick to the play or a drummer does not keep the beat. If we do not live the Gospel, we will not only become frustrated but will be disobedient and enslaved by sin.
What is the benefit of being obedient to God’s will? “This is the great value of obedience; to unite man’s life with the will of God; to give man in every circumstance, the opportunity to govern himself, not according to his weak, fragile will, which is so subject to error, blindness, and human limitations, but according to the will of God. This divine will has such goodness, perfection, and holiness that it can never be mistaken nor will what is evil; it aims only at good – not the transitory good, which today is and tomorrow is not – but the eternal, imperishable good.” [11] We can look at a person who does his or her own will and then look at a person that does the will of God. The person, who does their own will, struggles to do the good and many times wants to do the right thing but fails. They may say things such as, “I am only human” and not have a clear vision in life. Fear, failure, self-interest and a lack of self-control surround us when we our focus only on our will. When we look at the Saints we see clarity of vision and mission. The Saint will say, “I am human, but with God’s Grace, I am divine.” The Saint is able to live without fear. They have power, charity and self-control, living out the words of Saint Paul in regards to the power of the Holy Spirit. In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the gift of strength we have been given the Grace to obey God’s will and thus transform our life uniting it with the life of Christ. As Saint Paul says we must “stir into flame this gift.” “I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7)
[1] Saint Catherine of Siena
[2] Fr. Francis Fernandez; In Conversation with God; Vol.5
[3] Fr. Leonard Goffine; The Church’s Year Part I; page 72
[4] Liturgy of Hours; Office of Readings; September 16
[5] Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P., The Three Ages of the Interior
[6] Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.; Divine Intimacy; Section 120
[7] The Penny Catechism
[8] Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.; Divine Intimacy; Section 120
[9] Fr. Francis Fernandez; In Conversation with God; Vol.5
[10] Fr. Francis Fernandez; In Conversation with God; Vol.5
[11] Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.; Divine Intimacy; Section 120