August 4

Third Sunday after Trinity

Be subject one to another. I S. PETER v. 5.

THERE are two sorts of obedience, necessary and voluntary. By that which is necessary you are bound to obey your ecclesiastical superiors, as the bishop, the parish priest, and such as are commissioned by them; you must also obey your civil superiors, such as your sovereign and the magistrates who are put in authority under him; lastly, you must obey your domestic superiors, your father, mother, master, mistress. This obedience is called necessary, because no man can exempt himself from the duty of obeying these superiors, God having placed them in authority to command and govern us, each in the department which is assigned to him. Obey meekly without reply, readily without delay, cheerfully without repining; above all obey lovingly, for the love of Him Who for love of us made Himself obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross, and Who, as S. Bernard says, rather chose to part with His life than His obedience. That you may learn effectually to obey your superiors, comply readily with the will of your equals, yielding to their opinions in what is not wrong, without being contentious or obstinate. Accommodate yourself cheerfully to the desires of your inferiors, as far as it is reasonable to do so, never exercising an imperious authority over them so long as they are good. Voluntary obedience is that to which we oblige ourselves by our own choice, and which is not imposed upon us by another. If without a vow we dedicate ourselves to the obedience of any one, this obedience is called voluntary, on account of its being grounded on our own freewill. Blessed are the obedient, for God will never suffer them to go astray; for

'Tis not for us and our proud hearts, O mighty Lord, to choose our parts, But act well what Thou givest.