Daily Reflections - January 17, 2012

RULES ARE THERE TO GUIDE US

Rules are there to guide us in our choices. There can be times that they need to be “put aside” for a particular reason or in a certain situation as there are other aspects of the choice that demand this. It is not that the rule is wrong but that it was not made to address the particular situation in question. We have an example of this in today’s Gospel where Jesus reminds the people of what David once did in eating the bread reserved for the priests.
Here we are faced with a choice between legalism, following the law to the letter, and allowing the troops to go hungry and, as such, maybe not acquit themselves properly in war. Is the law reserving the bread to the priests absolute and morally binding in this case? Of course not! David’s chosen course of action is the obvious way to respond to his dilemma. To force the troops to go hungry when there is food available and lose the war as a result of weak troops is clearly wrong.
This does not mean that we should look for ways to avoid the rules that generally apply across our lives and that guide our moral choices. Situations like the one of David are not all that common, and so we should not expect to find an excuse for avoiding a rule the next time it impinges upon our choices. Many of our moral laws are meant to be applied without exception, and we have no justification to ignore or neglect them. One example of this is the call to love our neighbors – there is never going to be a situation where this law and command is negated.
One of the key traits of a holy person is his willingness to submit to the moral law of the Church even though he may not fully understand it. This act of religious and faithful submission recognizes that we, as individuals, do not have the necessary authority to create laws. We are called to recognize and obey them and, in this way, act in accordance with the nature God has given us.Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What is your attitude to the law? Do you think you are above it and see yourself as having a role in creating moral right and wrong?

Jesus, help me to realize that the Church’s moral law reflects my true nature as You have given it to me. Help me to understand it and live it to the full.