THE SPIRITUAL DIRECTORY FOR DAILY ACTIONS

Article XIII

 

Obedience to Lawful Authority

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You must humbly obey your ecclesi­astical superiors, as the Pope, the Bishop, the parish priest and such as are au­thorized by them. You must obey your political superiors, officials and magis­trates and so on. And lastly, you must obey your household superiors, namely, your father and mother.

 

No one can exempt himself from the duty of obeying these superiors, God having placed them in authority to command and govern, each one ac­cording to the charge he has over us. Obey, then, their commands for that is necessary, but to be perfect follow their counsels also, and even their desires and inclinations, so far as charity and pru­dence permit you. Obey when they order you to do something pleasant, as to eat or take recreation, for although it may not seem a great virtue to obey in such a case, yet it would be a great fault to disobey. Obey in indifferent things, as to wear such or such a garment, to go by one particular road rather than by another, to sing or keep silence; such obedience is very praiseworthy.

 

In fine, obey meekly, without reply; promptly, without delay; cheerfully, without grumbling. Above all, obey lov­ingly for the love of Him Who, for the love of us, was made obedient unto the death of the cross, and Who, as St. Bernard said, chose rather to lose life than obedience.

 

In order to learn readily to obey your superiors, comply readily with the will of your equals, yielding to their opinions in what is not evil, without being con­tentious or obstinate. Accommodate your­self willingly to the desires of your inferiors so far as reason permits, without exercising any imperious authority over them as long as they are good.

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