Obedience is an important virtue which often goes overlooked. For we live in the midst of a world which likes to reject authority and instead we do as we wish whenever we desire to do it. Saint Peter and the apostles beautifully came to state before the Sanhedrin: “We must obey God rather than men.” Truly by growing in the virtue of obedience we do precisely this. As C.S. Lewis said, “Obedience is the key that opens every door.”
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Having become a member of the Church, the person baptized belongs no longer to himself, but to him who died and rose for us. From now on, he is called to be subject to others, to serve them in the communion of the Church, and to ‘obey and submit’ to the Church’s leaders, holding them in respect and affection.”
Here we are told that a Christian is to “obey and submit.” These words require action upon the behalf of the believer. It is not enough for us to be passive in our practice of faith. When Christ encountered His apostles in our Gospel we are given a glimpse into this. They were found fishing and unable to make a catch. It was at Christ’s demand that they threw their net into the sea and made a great catch. In this scenario they were not passive, but active.
So to in our life it requires work to obtain a good. For example if one desires to grow in strength they would need to lift weights. A goal cannot be obtained over night, but instead through the passing of time. At times the lifting of weights may pose to be a burden, it may be strenuous, and it may require a lot of work. Through one’s unrelenting work they obtain the good in which they are in search of.
We must remember that the Church speaks with authority concerning matters of faith and morals. We should submit our own will to that of the Church. Here the objection is normally raised that one needs to follow their conscience. This is true, but what was left out of this statement is the following of one’s well formed conscience. As Christians we must strive to form our conscience to its highest degree. We do this through the study of our faith instead of dismissing something because the teaching is tough.
Just because a teaching of the Church is tough does not mean that it can be dismissed. Again if one wants to obtain strength they must work at it. So too through the moral life we strive for the Kingdom of Heaven which requires that we work hard to obtain this pearl of great price. In modern society we often find those who want nothing to do with the work of salvation. They reason away the need to attend Mass on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation, they reason away the need to enter into marriage and just live with someone outside of this bond, they attempt remarriage without receiving an annulment, they do not prescribe to the fact that marriage is between a man and a woman, they do not see the issue of contraception, and they despite their serious sin believe that they always have the right to receive Holy Communion without seeking the Mercy of God in the sacrament of confession first.
