Honor your father and mother. I know parents use this to help keep order in the house and it should be so as it is the intention of God that children learn obedience through their upbringing. In ancient Israel, it was the parents in their old age who were neglected and often abandoned. The intent of the Law was for adult children to make sure their parents who could no longer take care of themselves were provided for. Besides the respect due our parents when we are young, God does not relieve us of responsibility when we have grown to adulthood. The family is still a living witness to the love of God. It is the responsibility of children to care for their parents until death. The nursing home is a very lonely place as many elderly do not have regular visits from their children. The time demands of people these days are extreme, but they are often of our choosing and priorities need to be made.
As the Catechism teaches us, our first vocation is to follow Jesus. Parents are to nurture this by educating their children so the children can fulfill their duties before God by honoring all authority...not just the authority in the home. We have civil leaders also that God expects us to honor as all authority is "from above." The Church teaches us that we respect this authority which is meant for the common good of all people. We respect this authority to the point that it does not contradict God's Law however. Authority is placed over us for the duration of our lives and just because we become autonomous adults, does not mean we are relieved of the burdens of obedience in many aspects of life. We can be children and parents at the same time and as God's living witness to the strength of the family, we keep the family a priority at all cost.
"Authority is placed over us for the duration of our lives and just because we become autonomous adults, does not mean we are relieved of the burdens of obedience in many aspects of life."
ReplyDeleteHow do these principles apply to authority over the form of liturgy?
Obviously the GIRM is not a book of suggestions of how to have good liturgy but is for the good of the health of the Church. To add or exclude at will is dangerous and what Archbishop Dolan characterized as a new clericalism. What a pastor of a particular Church does is a matter of his own conscience before God. We have all come to and experienced the love of God in a different way in our life and these experiences have shaped and formed our expression of worship in many ways.
ReplyDeleteThe GIRM is a blessing in the life of the Church, because without it, God only knows what liturgy would look like from parish to parish. The liturgy of a particular Church will reflect a pastors expression of God in their life. I believe that is something to be respected also, and as an associate, it is my duty to offer suggestions but to ultimately serve the pastor.
"What a pastor of a particular Church does is a matter of his own conscience before God."
ReplyDeleteIn a conflict between obedience and conscience, wouldn't a pastor's obligation be to take up the issue with those in authority over him, as opposed to substituting his judgment for theirs?
In a perfect Church yes. I think we all know that the Church is far from that and even the perfect liturgy will not be celebrated until we celebrate it in heaven. I think many pastors have to provide explanations for some of the things they do. I am not privy to those conversations, but I think a natural human reaction for those in authority is to nudge the person slowly, or to evaluate if this fight is worth it to my health of mind. As a former supervisor, and even as an associate, I have to weigh the options of is this fight worth it or not, or are the consequences to much to bear in internal turmoil.
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest factor however is how people define obedience. Obedience in the American culture has radical definitions to many. If a person was in the military or not, or they grew up in a strict household with stern parents will see obedience in a much different way than someone who grew up in the opposite environment.
I think the variables on every single person can be enormous. Even how we view God. That Evangelical simplicity of everything you do, did, or will do will be washed in the blood of Jesus has made so many believe they can sin at will and never see conversion. We can in the same breath take God's judgment to the point that we forget about love and mercy. Sorry this is hardly succinct, but we have a plurality of thoughts and ideas in the clergy as much as there is in the laity; even in obedience I guess.