"The Virtue of Obedience"

"The Virtue of Obedience"

You can see all relationships and events in our Christian life as a training of the will, preparing it to say yes, to let go of itself. The utterly important thing is union, and this can only happen when the will is ready to let go of its ego boundaries. The virtue of obedience, and I use the word intentionally, is supremely important for the training of the will. All the great spiritual pastors, religious founders and mystics, without exception, spoke of the “virtue” of obedience. Now I don’t mean blind obedience. I don’t mean lying down and playing dead. But I do think that all Christians have to practice saying yes before they dare to say no.

In that sense the Church makes saints of us, although it’s somewhat different from the way we expected! We exist in a creative tension with the Body of Christ which challenges us, stretches us, calls us, makes demands on us and forces us into conflicts of conscience. This refines our conscience, “kicking against the goad” (Acts 26:14) until we realize we don’t need to kick. Church and obedience operate as a foil, against which our own Christian integrity is measured and too often found wanting.

Obedience is important. But I also believe in ways of listening for and hearing the Spirit beyond looking to the hierarchy or the Bible. No one else can do our homework for us.

from Catholic Agitator, “Creative Dissent”