Examine the Goal of the Law
by Fr. David M. Knight
June 22, 2024
Saturday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time
Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop; Saints John Fisher, Bishop, and Thomas More, Martyrs
Lectionary 370
2 Chr 24:17-25/Mt 6:24-34
In 2Chronicles 24:7-25 Joash was a good king as long as he had Jehoiada to advise him. But when Jehoiada died, Joash turned away from God in his government. He even killed Jehoiada’s son Zechariah for saying, “Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has also forsaken you.” The king of Damascus defeated Joash, and then “his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of the priest Jehoiada, and they killed him on his bed.”
“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Joash didn’t have the depth of soul needed to handle power. It destroyed him.
Joash’s son Amaziah started well and ended badly. So did his son Uzziah: “when he had become strong, he grew proud, to his destruction.” His son, Jotham, “became strong because he ordered his ways before the Lord.” But his son, Ahaz, worshipped false gods.
All the unfaithful kings brought disaster on the people. If we don’t hold authorities to account according to civil law and natural justice in government; and according to Scripture and ancient, authentic tradition in the Church, they will bring us to disaster. Not to speak out when something is wrong is to become guilty of the wrong ourselves.
Because of the clericalism ingrained in Catholic culture, we often forget it is a virtue—and an obligation—to be critical of Church authorities; provided 1. we voice our criticisms directly to them, not in destructive gossip; and 2. we try to work with them to remedy what we criticize. If we do not, they can easily forget how careful they must be to “use the authority that the Lord has given [them] for building up and not for tearing down.” Then the very ministry they perform can be life-destroying rather than life-giving.
In Matthew 6:24-34 Jesus reminds us: “No one can serve two masters.” Whether at work, in the military, or in obeying both civil and Church government, we must be diligent to obey only God. We do not obey any laws, rules, instructions or policies that go against what God wills. Sometimes practical prudence requires us to go along with a lesser evil to avoid a greater one. But we must always ask ourselves whether we believe this is what God wants us to do.
In obeying Church rules, we must never just do what the rule or policy says without first asking whether doing so will achieve the goal of the rule. If not, the approved Catholic theology of law says, “It is disobedient to obey the law.” We must make responsible judgments in applying the rules case by case.
Initiative: Live “royal priesthood.” Take responsibility for ministry as a steward.
Reflections brought to you by the Immersed in Christ Ministry
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