Redemptorist Preacher

Deuteronomy 4:1-9, Ps 147, Matthew 5:17-19

Jesus said, “I have come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it.”

One of the big challenges of being a priest is trying to reconcile the law of the church with very difficult pastoral situations. Just one example is that of talking with previously divorced couples who remarry outside of the church or live in common-law relationships about their relationship with the church. Because they have not been able to or do not want to proceed with having previous marriages annuled and new marriages blessed they can find themselves uneasy and unsure about their place in the parish setting. In our conversations I typically find them to be loving couples, dedicated to their commitment to one another and also, in many cases, dedicated to their faith and to their church. But they feel hurt and that in the eyes of the church they are somehow less worthy then all those sitting in the pews around them. As I listen to their story and their hurt, I feel less and less confident that I have an adequate response to their struggle.

What is the role of Church law in our day and age? Is it meant to be a guide for us on our journey or is it an objective measuring stick against which we must stand, like pencil marks on the kitchen wall showing us that we have grown?

The role of authority has changed drastically, certainly since the time of Moses, but even in the past few generations. In general, our expectations of and our trust in those who represent the “law” seem to be at a very low level whether we are talking about politics or religion.

There are some good reasons for that as we have witnessed scandal time and again both in government and in the Church. Respect cannot be taken for granted these days; it must be earned and kept. But there is another aspect to consider and that is the maturing nature of our culture.

When we are children it is okay for a parent to ask us to do something just because, “I said so”. That might be frustrating for a child at times but we don’t expect a wiser more mature person to have to explain to a child the reason for everything. As we get older that dynamic changes, especially for teenagers who, in order to develop, must begin to flex their own wings. They need to begin to question what they have always been told and remake those things in line with their own growing perspective of the world. Parents struggle with this of course but it’s a necessary part of adolescence. It may be that, as a culture, we have reached our adolescence. It is time for us to make our own mistakes and learn from them.

An unhealthy situation arises however, when the questioning of law and authority becomes a primary stance in life. When a grown person’s response is always, “you can’t teach me anything, I know all I need to know”. A wonderful metaphor occurred to me the other day as I watched a news story of two escaping criminals foiled in their attempt by the fact that they were handcuffed together. As they approached a lamppost, running at top speed, each one chose to go on the opposite side of the post as the other. You don’t have to imagine the results; you can watch the video.

This image works for me on two levels. First of all is the obvious, you cannot escape the law so might as well learn to live with it. That may be true but for many it’s not very satisfying. The deeper and more intriguing image is that the criminals failed not because the law caught up with them but because they forgot the very important detail that they were tied to each other.

As a community of faith we are tied to each other. What we do affects others because we are a part of one body.

Jesus said, “I have come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it.”

With Jesus the law remains but as a criteria not by which we are judged, but rather the invitation to which we are called to build community together. As Moses expressed the law to the people of Israel it was always offered, not as a rod, but as a response to God’s enduring love for the people, for the community. Sometimes that connection has been forgotten.

So, difficult pastoral situations are still…difficult; but now we approach, not with judgment, but with love. God’s love always precedes conversion. As we experience the love of God through one another, maybe not our law, but GOD’S LAW will always be fulfilled.