V. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple - Obedience

When the Virgin Mother found Her Child in the temple She said to Him: "Son, why hast Thou done so to us? Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing." Jesus answered: "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be about the things that are My Father's?" And the Gospel adds: "He went down with them to Nazareth and was subject to them." (Luke 2:48, etc.) But before this Mary had shown Her submission. The words of Jesus had sunk deeply into Her heart; She carefully kept them in mind and constantly meditated on them.

Therefore both Jesus and Mary speak to us in this mystery one word: "Obey."

To obey is to submit one's own will to the will of a superior. Of all obstacles to Christian perfection one's own will is the most dangerous, because it is surely the most persistent. By unforeseen accidents we may be deprived of all our earthly goods, and make a virtue of necessity by resigning ourselves to poverty; the ardor of the senses may grow cold with age or sickness, but cur will remains always; and it is nearly the same thing that it should not exist at all as to deny or renounce itself. This renunciation is difficult, yes, almost cruel, for our will is, of all things we possess, that to which we most strongly cling. More than anything else we possess it marks, defines, and tends to realize our personality.

It is also that which God values more than all other goods, and He esteems the sacrifice of it as more precious than all others. "Obedience is better than victims," He tells us by His prophet.

Besides being agreeable to God, obedience is supremely advantageous to ourselves, for it merits the particular favors of those to whom it is due; it secures to us a profound peace by relieving us of responsibility in many circumstances wherein our own will might lead us astray.

The religious person in particular who wishes to please God and prepare for himself the road of perfection immolates by vow his own will and with it all his goods. In certain religions orders the formula of profession contains only the vow of obedience. This grand , and royal vow carries with it to the altar upon which the religious offers himself the pleasures of the world and the allurements of flesh and blood.

God does not demand of all such a total renunciation, but He imposes upon all the obligation of obedience. It is the necessary condition of all order. Suppress obedience and you will at once inaugurate the reign of caprice and folly. Then all society, divine and human, would become impossible. Alas! we know it too well. It is the spirit of independence and revolt that troubles at present the family, the state, and the church itself.

Not less but rather more imperiously than the voice of God do we hear the voice of revolution and disorder say to us: "You must obey."

But let us examine what should be the qualities of our obedience.

It should be supernatural and noble; that is to say, it should rise to the principle of all authority. In submitting our will we should carefully avoid motives of interest, natural affection, effeminacy, baseness, or sloth. Man, how great soever he may be, has no inherent right to the admirable sacrifice implied by obedience. If he aims at ruling over the will of others solely to gratify the instincts of commanding them, he deserves only the contempt that may result in scornful resistance. He who has real self-respect will not submit himself except to God or for His sake.

We owe obedience to our parents and to our temporal and spiritual superiors when they command what is just. Then it is God that speaks, and it is Him we obey. We should be careful while obeying men to be ever at the service of our Father in heaven. "Did you not know," said the child Jesus, "that I should be engaged, in My Father's affairs?"

From the moment that the will of God is expressed by those who represent Him let no proud murmurs be heard or critical judgments; for our obedience should be humble.

Let no mental reservations or pretenses mar the effect of our obedience, which should be sincere.

Let us not bring into our obedience a choice between what is agreeable and what is not. It must be generous. Let there be no hesitation or delays. Our obedience should be prompt. It should be cheerful, avoiding all complaints and excuses.

Taken all in all, it is doubtless hard to obey perfectly, so many passions circumvent the will, and impede its free oblation. But let us lovingly take the hand of Jesus and Mary: they will bring us along with them in the road of perfect submission; and, to make us walk the more steadily, they will induce us to sing with joyful hearts the victories of obedience. "The obedient man will speak of victories." (Proverbs 20)

- text taken from Fruits of the Rosary, by Father Jacques-Marie Louis Monsabre, O.P.