On Obedience.
Charity alone constitutes perfection; but obedience, chastity, and poverty are the three great means we have of attaining it: obedience consecrates our heart, chastity our body, and poverty our possessions to the love and service of God. These are the three branches of the spiritual cross, all three nevertheless resting upon the fourth, which is humility. I do not intend to speak to you of these three virtues in relation to the solemn vows made by those who enter religious life, nor in relation to the simple vows one may make of them in the world; I shall consider them only in themselves, since, although the vow adds an increase of grace and merit to them, they are nevertheless sufficient without the vow to lead us to perfection, provided they are well practised.
It is true that the vows one makes of them establish a person in the state of perfection; but there is a great difference between the state of perfection and perfection itself, since all bishops and religious are in the state of perfection, and yet all are not in perfection, as is only too evident. Let us therefore strive, Philothea, to practise these three virtues well, each according to our vocation; for, although they do not place us in the state of perfection, they will nevertheless give us perfection itself; and this is why we are all bound to practise these three virtues, though we are not all bound to practise them in the same manner.
Charity alone constitutes perfection; but obedience, chastity, and poverty are the three great means we have of attaining it: obedience consecrates our heart, chastity our body, and poverty our possessions to the love and service of God. These are the three branches of the spiritual cross, all three nevertheless resting upon the fourth, which is humility. I do not intend to speak to you of these three virtues in relation to the solemn vows made by those who enter religious life, nor in relation to the simple vows one may make of them in the world; I shall consider them only in themselves, since, although the vow adds an increase of grace and merit to them, they are nevertheless sufficient without the vow to lead us to perfection, provided they are well practised.
It is true that the vows one makes of them establish a person in the state of perfection; but there is a great difference between the state of perfection and perfection itself, since all bishops and religious are in the state of perfection, and yet all are not in perfection, as is only too evident. Let us therefore strive, Philothea, to practise these three virtues well, each according to our vocation; for, although they do not place us in the state of perfection, they will nevertheless give us perfection itself; and this is why we are all bound to practise these three virtues, though we are not all bound to practise them in the same manner.
There are two kinds of obedience: one necessary, and the other voluntary. By the necessary kind, you must humbly obey your ecclesiastical superiors, such as the Pope and the bishop, the parish priest and those who represent them. You must obey your political superiors, that is to say, your prince and the magistrates he has established over your country; and finally, you must obey your domestic superiors, that is to say, your father, your mother, your husband, your master and your mistress. Now, this obedience is called necessary because no one can exempt himself from obeying these superiors, since God has charged them to command and govern us, each according to the authority he has over us. Obey their commands, then; this is a matter of necessity. But, moreover, if you would be perfect, follow also their counsels, and even their wishes and inclinations, so far as charity and prudence permit you. Obey when they command you to do something pleasant, such as eating or taking recreation; for although it may seem that there is no great merit in obeying in such a case, it would nevertheless be a great fault to disobey. Obey in matters indifferent, such as wearing one garment or another, going by one road or another, singing or keeping silent, and this will already be a very commendable obedience. Obey in things difficult, harsh and hard, and this will be a perfect obedience. Finally, obey gently, without reply, promptly, without delay, cheerfully, without vexation, and above all, obey lovingly, for love of Him Who, for love of us, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; and Who, as Saint Bernard says, chose rather to lose life than obedience.
To learn to obey your superiors easily, yield readily to the will of your equals, giving way to their opinions in what is not wrong, without being contentious or quarrelsome; readily accommodate yourself to the desires of your inferiors, as far as reason allows, without exercising over them any imperious authority so long as they keep to their duty.
It is an abuse to believe that if one were a religious man or woman, one would obey easily, when one feels difficulty and reluctance in obeying the persons whom God has placed over us.
We call voluntary obedience that which we bind ourselves to by our own choice, and which no one imposes upon us. Ordinarily, one does not choose one’s prince or bishop, one’s father and mother, nor even often one’s husband; but one does choose one’s confessor and director. Now, whether in choosing him one vows to obey him, as Mother Teresa did, who, besides the obedience solemnly vowed to the superior of her order, also bound herself by a simple vow to obey Father Gratian; or whether, without a vow, one submits oneself to someone’s obedience, this obedience is always called voluntary, by reason of its foundation, which depends upon our will and our choice.
We must obey all superiors, and each one in particular, according to the kind of authority he has over us: princes, in matters concerning public order and public affairs; prelates, in matters concerning ecclesiastical discipline; in domestic matters, father, master, husband; and, as regards the particular governance of the soul, confessor and spiritual director. Have your spiritual father prescribe for you the devout practices you are to observe, because they will thereby be better and have a twofold grace and goodness: one derived from themselves, since they are devout, and the other derived from the obedience by virtue of which they shall have been prescribed and performed. Blessed are the obedient, for God will never allow them to go astray.
It is an abuse to believe that if one were a religious man or woman, one would obey easily, when one feels difficulty and reluctance in obeying the persons whom God has placed over us.
We call voluntary obedience that which we bind ourselves to by our own choice, and which no one imposes upon us. Ordinarily, one does not choose one’s prince or bishop, one’s father and mother, nor even often one’s husband; but one does choose one’s confessor and director. Now, whether in choosing him one vows to obey him, as Mother Teresa did, who, besides the obedience solemnly vowed to the superior of her order, also bound herself by a simple vow to obey Father Gratian; or whether, without a vow, one submits oneself to someone’s obedience, this obedience is always called voluntary, by reason of its foundation, which depends upon our will and our choice.
We must obey all superiors, and each one in particular, according to the kind of authority he has over us: princes, in matters concerning public order and public affairs; prelates, in matters concerning ecclesiastical discipline; in domestic matters, father, master, husband; and, as regards the particular governance of the soul, confessor and spiritual director. Have your spiritual father prescribe for you the devout practices you are to observe, because they will thereby be better and have a twofold grace and goodness: one derived from themselves, since they are devout, and the other derived from the obedience by virtue of which they shall have been prescribed and performed. Blessed are the obedient, for God will never allow them to go astray.