The necessity of obedience to God for human flourishing

Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

Rules, rules, rules! That is how many people view God and His Church. He is viewed as a rule monger and the Church as an intruder into our ‘private’ life. It is the mastermind of the enemy to twist reality and truth in this way. Sadly, because of this, too many people miss out on the beauty of life lived to its fullest in the Catholic faith.

• It is our Creator who keeps us in existence in this very breath. There is no such thing as a ‘right to privacy’ from Him! However, only because of His benevolent love He has chosen to never force His love upon us. He always leaves us with the free will to choose Him.
• That same Creator, whose very being is love itself, already and always knows what we’ve kept hidden in the deepest chasms of our heart, our joys, sorrows, and desires. Contrary to the notion of a ‘private life’, His loving care of us is our lived reality. We need simply to be aware and welcoming of it.
• There is no flourishing without humility to God, for it is from humility that we surrender ourselves into His loving care. Our human nature was created for this.
• There is no humility without obedience for disobedience is a rejection of Him.

The notion of living as Cafeteria Catholics—those who choose which of the dogmas and doctrines are agreeable and reject the rest—first came to the forefront of the American Church 30-40 years ago. Despite the prevalence of numerous opportunities to form our understanding of our Catholic faith, our broken nature continues to drive us towards self-reliance rather than God-reliance. We want happiness, peace, joy, flourishing. But on our terms. The irony is that the fear and self-protection which drives our self-reliance can only be fully healed by our Divine Healer from whom we hide. Living His guidances—scripture, doctrine, precepts, sacraments, prayer—is what brings us to Him for healing and transformation. He doesn’t give us rules to control us. He gives us the ‘playbook’ for living life in the manner that He created us to live. A life obedient to our Lord is one lived most fully.

Obedience to Him naturally means obedience to the Church He created for us as the means to salvation, including the Sacraments. That of course doesn’t mean we blindly follow those people within the Church who teach error, compromise truth, or engage in sin. It does mean we stay with our Holy Mother Church under thick and thin because to leave it is to leave the ‘ark’ so-to-speak and attempt to navigate the seas of life on our own.

Scripture and the saints implore upon us of the necessity of obedience. Jesus Himself said “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Jesus came not to do His own will but to do the will of the Father (John 6:38). And He’s given us 2000 years of saints to teach us this virtue of obedience that is fundamental to living a good life:

“Obedience is rightly placed before all other sacrifices, for in offering a victim as sacrifice, one offers a life that is not one’s own; but when one obeys one is immolating one’s own will.” –Saint Gregory the Great

“By the other virtues, we offer God what we possess; but by obedience, we offer ourselves to Him. They who obey are conquerors, because by submitting themselves to obedience they triumph over the Angels, who fell through disobedience.” — Saint Gregory the Great

“Without a doubt, obedience is more meritorious than any other penance. And what greater penance can there be than keeping one’s will continually submissive and obedient?” –Saint Catherine of Bologna

Disobedience isn’t just demonstrated by external actions. Often disobedience is in our attitude, opinions, and preferences. It hovers unseen in the mind as we go about our external practices of mass attendance, confession, and prayers.

“We must put aside all judgment of our own, and keep the mind ever ready and prompt to obey in all things the true Spouse of Christ our Lord, our holy Mother, the hierarchical Church.” –Saint Ignatius of Loyola (Sp. Ex. 353)

“Obedience is a penance of reason, and, on that account, a sacrifice more acceptable than all corporal penances and mortifications.” –Saint John of the Cross

The enemy will try to make us think small acts or ways don’t matter. Yet the wisdom of the saints teach us the power in even the smallest moment of obedience. Obedience, then, is fundamental to discernment:

“My daughter, know that you give Me greater glory by a single act of obedience than by long prayers and mortifications.” (894) –Saint Faustina, Divine Mercy

“God is more pleased to behold the lowest degree of obedience, for His sake, than all other good works which you can possibly offer to Him.” –Saint John of the Cross

“A single instant passed under simple obedience is immeasurably more valuable in the sight of God than an entire day spent in the most sublime contemplation.” –Saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

“The more we see that any action springs not from the motive of obedience, the more evident is it that it is a temptation of the enemy; for when God sends an inspiration, the very first effect of it is to infuse a spirit of docility.” –Saint Teresa of Avila

“The Devil doesn’t fear austerity, but holy obedience.” – Saint Francis de Sales

“Go where you may, you will find no rest except in humble obedience to the rule of authority. Dreams of happiness expected from change and different places have deceived many.” –Thomas à Kempis, Imitation of Christ

Obedience is a lifestyle choice:

“Obedience is mission: ‘I have come into this world to do the will of my Father, who has sent me.’ Where there is no obedience, there is no virtue; where there is no virtue there is no good; where good is wanting, there is no love, there is no God; where God is not, there is no Heaven.” –Saint Padre Pio

“One of the greatest graces for which I feel myself indebted to Our Lord is that His Divine Majesty has given me the desire to be obedient; for in this virtue I find most consolation and contentment, it being that which Our Lord recommended by His own example more than any other, and on this account I desire to possess it more than anything else in the world.” –Saint Teresa of Avila

Jesus says “but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father” (John 14:31). Our obedience to God is our demonstration of our love for Him. Love is sacrificial and so sometimes comes with suffering, but the love and transformation received in return overpowers that. Consider the benefit that would come by meditating on one of these quotes each day, and using it also in your daily Examen with God.

“Obedience is a short cut to perfection.” –Saint Philip Neri

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam 😊

(Image by MAGISTER SACRORUM IULIANUS via Wikimedia Commons)

(Some quotes adapted from Points of Meditation, 2016, St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA)