Following God’s Commands

Peace NegotiationsToday’s reflection begins with an activity.  Without using a ruler, straight edge, or other help, draw these objects:  a rectangle 4 cm x 6 cm; a 4 cm square; a circle with a 4 cm radius.  Cut each object out.  Now use a ruler, compass, or other accurate measuring device and draw the same rectangle, square, and circle.  Cut these objects out.  Compare the shapes.  How well did what you drew freehand match what you drew with a standard measure?

For most of us, the match is close, but not exact.  We know about how much 2 cm or 4 cm is, but we are not perfect to the measure.  Our edges of squares and rectangles are mostly straight.  Their corners are close to 90 degrees.  But we can tell the difference between our freehand shapes and those made with ruler or protractor.  Our circle looks like a circle, but it is not perfectly round.

The psalm response today carries the theme of the readings:  “Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.” 

How does God guide us in the way of His commands?

In order for God to guide us in the way of his commands, we must know what God’s commands are. We must have an internal or external ruler or compass. One of the hallmarks of our Catholic faith is that we believe in objective standards for measuring God’s commands.  This objective standard is Scripture and the teaching of the Magisterium of the Church. We have within our faith moral straight edges, protractors, and compasses.

We don’t have to guess or decide for ourselves about major theological or moral issues.  I remember that was one of the draws of the Catholic Church for me, way back in 1969 when I converted.

I was in college.  I took a Christian Ethics class because my campus job was to work for the professor, and he was nice. (God will use almost anything to draw us to Himself!)  We were given Catholic theologians to read as the “bad guys” who did not believe in what was called “situation ethics.”  That is the moral perspective that each moral dilemma should be decided subjectively, depending on circumstances.  While moral principles can be used in situation ethics, those principles are chosen subjectively. Right or wrong is determined by the individual.

I liked the “bad guy” Catholic theologians.  It made sense to me that there could be rules or principles in moral choice that would hold up across circumstances—just as in math a square is always a four-sided shape in which all sides are equal length and all angles are 90 degrees.  As I read more on my way to full communion in the Catholic faith, I realized the Catholic Church’s position on moral issues traces its way back through the centuries to Christ.  Along the way, many saints and theologians across centuries have contributed to the Church’s objective morality position on virtually every issue. I thought then–and think now–why should I try to figure out moral principles when people far more knowledgeable and holy than I am have spent lifetimes praying and studying about them.

These moral principles are described in Part III of the Catholic Catechism.

Within our Catholic faith, we are expected to form our conscience by learning these moral principles.  In the catechism they are described around the 10 Commandments.  The objective standards described in the catechism begin with Scripture and include teaching from the Magisterium through the ages.  As Catholics, we are also to form our conscience around the Beatitudes and virtue.

Once a conscience is formed, we are expected to use discernment to apply objective moral teaching to the specifics of a situation.  This is not situation ethics, but rather ethical principles applied to a situation.

Last week I heard our Lexington bishop, John Stowe, OFM Conv, speak on Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia.  This Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family holds in tandem Catholic moral teaching related to the family and various complex contemporary family situations—annulment, divorce, and remarriage; decisions around openness to new life; displacement of refugee families; overwhelming poverty and cultural change in developing countries; complexities of caring for the elderly.

Our Catholic ethics in these situations are often not the ethics of the humanist and secular world around us.  They are not the ethics portrayed on TV or youtube.  We cannot know what to do by observing our neighbors or remembering our parents.

Bishop John noted that often our conscience is not sufficiently formed nor do we have training in discernment to think or pray through family dilemmas.  We can also misinterpret Amoris Laetitia because we seek simple, one-size fits all, black and white solutions to complex situations. As adult Catholics, we are expected to know what our faith teaches and know how to use discernment processes to know how to apply God’s mercy in light of his justice to particular situations.  We are expected to use the protractors and compasses the church gives us.  Not easy on multiple levels.

As I reflect on this, I realize how much more education and practice I need in both discernment processes.

Pope Francis says it all well himself, “Jesus expects us to stop looking for those personal or communal niches which shelter us from the maelstrom of human misfortune and instead to enter into the reality of other people’s lives and to know the power of tenderness.  Whenever we do so, our lives become wonderfully complicated.” (paragraph 308)

Today’s gospel has Jesus saying, “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

If we hear the word of God and act on it, we are guided in the way of God’s commands.  We are being part of God’s family. It is a goal I want.

Even through the ages God helps us out.  He is clear all through the Old Testament that he expects us to know his commands and put them into practice.

Today’s first reading comes from Proverbs.  Proverbs are interesting—perhaps a bit too pithy to be the basis of moral judgement—but they get us to think.  Some of the ones today include,

“All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, tut it is the Lord who proves hearts.”

“To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”

“Whoever makes a fortune with a lying tongue is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.”

So how can I come closer to acting on the word of God today, to be in Jesus’ family while also in MY family?  How can I live out Pope Francis’ request that I “live in the wonderful power of tenderness?” How can I discern how to apply Catholic objective moral principles to my real world family and work life?

I can apply what I know–and begin to think how I can learn more.

In the meantime, this Prayer to the Holy Family from Amoris Laetitia is a good way to ask God’s help as I try:

Prayer to the Holy Family (paragraph 325)

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,
In you we contemplate
The splendor of true love;
To you we turn with trust.

Holy Family of Nazareth,
Grant that our families too
May be places of communion and prayer,
Authentic schools of the Gospel,
And small domestic churches.

Holy Family of Nazareth,
May families never again experience
Violence, rejection and division;
May all who have been hurt or scandalized
Find ready comfort and healing.

Holy Family of Nazareth,
Make us once more mindful
Of the sacredness and inviolability of the family,
And its beauty in God’s plan.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,
Graciously hear our prayer.
Amen.

 

About the Author

Mary Ortwein lives in Frankfort, Kentucky in the US. A convert to Catholicism in 1969, Mary had a deeper conversion in 2010. She earned a theology degree from St. Meinrad School of Theology in 2015. Now an Oblate of St. Meinrad, Mary takes as her model Anna, who met the Holy Family in the temple at the Presentation. Like Anna, Mary spends time praying, working in church settings, and enjoying the people she meets. Though formally retired, Mary continues to work part-time as a marriage and family therapist and therapy supervisor. A grandmother and widow, she divides the rest of her time between facilitating small faith-sharing groups, writing, and being with family and friends. Earlier in her life, Mary worked avidly in the pro-life movement. In recent years that has taken the form of Eucharistic ministry to Carebound and educating about end-of-life matters. Now, as Respect for Human Life returns to center stage, she seeks to find ways to communicate God's love and Lordship for all--from the moment of conception through the moment we appear before Jesus when life ends.

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6 Comments

  1. Thanks Mary for your testimony & helpful reflexion on God’s directions for our journey. God does works in mysterious ways, but He does have a good plan for us. Lord Jesus grant us the grace to attentively listen to Your voice & trustingly obey Your Holy guidance.

  2. Sorry, your understanding of a catholic is impoverished and outdated. Catholicism is not simply moralist. Being catholic doesn’t mean to be enslaved to certain laws.

  3. Sam… the laws of the Lord do not enslave us but free us from our egoism and sin. It s true Faith is not just obeying Laws…..but a way of living conforming to GOd’s law free us from sin , which in return is filled up with God’s love ,that love that nourishes us order to experience His love be able to love others .
    Tks Mary for your deep reflection.

  4. Thanks for ur deep understandig on todays readings,it heart opener makes come near to our God,are u apart of that family if nt now you the road just the journey.God bless u

  5. Mary,

    I look forward to your reflections and thanks to them, I have a better understanding of God and indeed the scripture. Thank you, thank you

    I was taken aback though by a response from Sam who says your understanding of a catholic is impoverished and outdated; and that Catholicism is not simply moralist. He does not say why. I am also comforted by the fact that i don’t know whether he is even catholic and a baptized one at that.

    I am a lay person and my understanding of Catholicism is limited but i know that the Catholic Church is rooted in tradition and scripture. Tradition because of the living teaching authority of the Catholic Church( this is what is the Magisterium which is referred to in today’s reflection) and the Scripture which doesn’t require any definition. This i believe is the general deposit of our Catholic Faith- it is all about faith and morals and as you rightly put it Mary in today’s reflection, ” we have within our faith moral straight edges, protractors and compasses”. As far as i am concerned Mary, you were spot on in this reflection and i cant wait to read something from you again.

    In light of the above, you can imagine i am struggling to understand Sam’s comment but again that’s his view and he is entitled to it

    Be Blessed Mary.

    Judith

  6. Speaking from my own personal experience… obeying God’s guidance actually free us from the enslavement of our selfish, egocentric & eventually selfdestructive passions. I can testify that when Jesus said “my yoke is easier” that is 100% true. Sin looks attractive (we can even give it a noble disguise) but sooner or later the reasons why God through His church warns us against our “sugar coated poison” will catch up with us “the Truth will set us free”

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