Must We Obey Authority?

When I was a child in elementary school, I remember the sisters teaching us about the Ten Commandments. The fourth commandment, Honor Your Father and Your Mother, had an interesting little glitch, because the sisters always added on a little afterthought to that commandment. They told us that we must always honor our parents and authority figures "unless what they are telling you to do or not to do goes against God's authority or what you know to be what God's will would be." I do not think I ever had to go against my parents' authority in anything they told me to do. My parents were good Catholic people and taught my brother and sisters and me to follow God's commandments, and to do what was right. Never did they tell us to do something that would have compromised our moral judgment.

As an adult,however, I have struggled greatly with the knowledge that a priest I know has on more than one occasion used his authority as a priest, to threaten people in his parish to obey his will, rather than God's will, because of his own insecurities. The people are afraid because he is the priest, and they are merely the parishioners. He has authority over them and can punish them in certain ways. In the meantime, others in the parish suffer because of this. My heart aches for this parish. They are caught in a situation over which they have no control because they are following the fourth commandment, yet the sisters who taught them, never told them about the little afterthought that the sisters taught me.

We must always be aware, and ready to challenge authority, no matter who that authority is, to stand up for what Jesus would have done in every situation, for He said, "Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, that you do unto me." No one has the authority to hold us back from loving and helping someone that is less fortunate than we are. It is our duty as Christians. And if we are punished or persecuted for standing up to authority, then the Beatitudes promise great consolation to us.

The Tax Collector

In today's gospel Jesus tells the parable of the tax collector and the publican. One said, "Lord, I am thankful that I am not like all the others. I pay tithes, I fast twice weekly... and I am thankful that I am not like this tax collector." And the tax collector, not even able to raise his eyes to look upon the Lord, says, "Lord, have mercy on me, for I am a sinner." Jesus then says, "The exalted will be humbled, and the humble will be exalted."

I know that this is where I belong, with my head bowed down, not even worthy to fix my gaze upon Him. For no matter how hard I try to serve Him and honor Him, each and every day I fall over and over again. I listen to the temptations that the world, the flesh and the devil lay before me. And I cave in because they sound oh so good. I look one way and see the Lord, Jesus. Then I look the other way and see the temptations. And for some unknown reason, I fall over and over again into the pit of choosing the wrong way, only to chastise myself and to ask myself how I could have chosen other than the only choice for me - Jesus.

Yet, I pick myself up again, return to the confessional, and ask once again for His merciful forgiveness. I abhor my sinfulness. Yet I understand that had it not been for original sin, man would not be so inclined to lean in this direction. I will never be anyone other than the tax collector, unworthy to lift my eyes to Him. But, I know that I will never stop trying to choose the right over the wrong. For He will always be my heart's deepest desire. Lord Jesus, help me to overcome my own selfish whims. Help me to hold You always above all. For You are my King and my Savior. Amen.