This morning, I opened up my breviary and read the story of Abraham and Isaac. There is something about that story has always moved me. Perhaps, the most striking thing is Abraham’s obedience. Not once in the account does he ask God why he has to do what he does or why God couldn’t have found someone or something else to be sacrificed. He simply went ahead and did as he was told. It was only when he was about to kill his own son that the Angel stopped him and told him that it was enough. God had seen his obedience and, therefore, would reward him by calling him the father of numerous offspring.
Are any of us as obedient as Abraham was when it comes to God? I most certainly am not. When I am asked to do something by God, I usually grumble about, grit my teeth, and act like it was God’s fault for interfering in my life. Of course, the fault isn’t His; the fault is mine that I don’t want to obey. And what does God do to those that don’t obey Him? That depends on what your understanding of “hell” is.
Are there other ways that God calls us to obey in our daily lives other than directly? Perhaps, the call is not clear or even something that we can sense, but obedience is something that God freely demands. I say freely because each of us has the freewill to disobey God and do whatever we want to do.
For example, all of us should obey the rules of Holy Mother Church. We should all acknowledge that there is a sitting Pope in Rome and that he is the visible head of the Church. Among sedevacantists, however, this isn’t necessarily the case. They will acknowledge that there is a pope, all right, but that the pope sitting in the Vatican is a heretic and, therefore, cannot be pope. Some people can live with that, but the majority cannot. After all, Pope Benedict was validly elected by the College of Cardinals under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But there are always going to be people that will say otherwise.
Outside of the Church organization, we should also be obedient in numerous other details. For example, children should always obey their parents unless there is a situation of sin involved in the instruction that the parents give to the children. Docility and gentleness are virtues, after all, why not teach our children to be docile? It will be hard and it is hard, but we should try and do it anyway.
During this blessed season of Lent, my friends, then let us meditate on the virtue of obedience and what it means to each one of us. Let’s think about the many examples that the Church gives us during this period of time, but most of all Our Lord. Let us learn from Him to be obedient even unto death.
Our Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for us
St. Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us
