“Therefore,
do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their
example.” -Matthew 23:3
My own
church community, the Roman Catholic Church, has embarrassed me many times. The
Crusades, the Dark Ages, the rejection of solid science, the wealth, the
political corruption of popes, the abuse of children, liturgies full of
rigidity, the marginalization of certain “types” of people...the list can go on
and on. There have been quite a few times in my life when I’ve wondered, “How
much is too much? At what point is it worth it anymore?”
I think
I’ve learned a lesson, though. I’ve learned that when I am feeling this
embarrassment about my Church, it is usually when I am not making an effort to
be close to my best friend, Jesus. The embarrassment comes when I am placing my
faith in the hands of something temporal: the actions of other people in my
Church.
While I
certainly seek full unity of heart with everyone in the Church, I’ve come to
see that when I place my faith in the example or actions of others, that is a
burden that no one can handle. I know for one thing that I cannot handle that
burden, so why do I place that on others?
Jesus’
words in today’s Gospel hit right at the heart of this. He is acknowledging the
teaching authority the Scribes and Pharisees have (much like the authority we
believe our Church leaders have), but he is reminding his disciples to not
place their faith in the teachers themselves. His invitation is to a faith in
the one who is the Servant of all, the One who takes all the burdens on Himself.
Let this
be our prayer today:
Jesus, my dear friend, it is so hard for me to
remember who you are for me. It can be so hard for me to let you be everything
for me. I need your help today to do this. I need you to help me keep my
attention on you. I can taste the freedom you bring when I let you do this. You
are the ultimate example for me. Thank you for even a tiny glimpse of this
example. Amen.
Tony Cortese
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