Thirtieth-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Lesson: Ma 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10
Epistle: 1 Thes 2:7b-9, 13
Gospel: Mt 23:1-12
The Cadaver Synod
The moral corruption of the clergy is without a doubt the paramount scandal of our age. The sexual abuse scandal that has plagued the Catholic Church for over 20 years and continues to birth new outrages, such as the horrific crimes of Fr. Marko Rupnik or Cardinal Ricard (to this day a member in good standing of the College of Cardinals), have done more to cast discredit upon the Christian Gospel than any of the philippics of Voltaire or Christopher Hitchens.
It would be bad enough if these crimes simply persisted in the Church as a stain upon an otherwise vigorous organization. Alas, it is not so. Though the crowning shame of the Church in the twenty-first century is the sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults, she is otherwise ornamented with moral laxity, adherence to the spirit of the age, mediocrity, lukewarmness, banality, and a strange obsession with meetings about meetings. The words of the Psalmist might well be applied to the Bride of Christ, “There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.”
There is nothing new under the sun. Today’s readings speak of this grave scandal of the corruption of the religious leaders of God’s people, and how destructive it is. In the Book of Malachi, the LORD inveighs against the Levitical priests who leading others away from God by their shocking example.
And now, O priests, this commandment is for you:
If you do not listen,
if you do not lay it to heart,
to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts,
I will send a curse upon you
and of your blessing I will make a curse.
You have turned aside from the way,
and have caused many to falter by your instruction;
you have made void the covenant of Levi,
says the LORD of hosts.
I, therefore, have made you contemptible
and base before all the people,
since you do not keep my ways,
but show partiality in your decisions.
In the Gospel, Jesus preaches to the people against the Scribes and Pharisees, who for all their learning have forfeited the moral authority that rightly should have been theirs, and would have been theirs, if they had sought to follow the Law in spirit and in truth.
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people's shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.”
As in Jesus’ day, we have no shortage religious leaders (both clerical and lay) who perform ostentatious acts of public piety and are never slow to utter high-sounding moral messages (so long as it will not bring down the ridicule of the world upon them), all the while harboring inner corruption and lukewarmness of spirit. The contrast between such souls and those who comport themselves according to this maxim of Saint John of the Cross is striking:
God is more pleased by one work, however small, done secretly, without desire that it be known, than a thousand done with the desire that people know of them. Those who work for God with purest love not only care nothing about whether others see their works, but do not even seek that God Himself know of them. Such persons would not cease to render God the same services, with the same joy and purity of love, even if God were never to know of these.
How then, is the disciple of Christ to respond to this corruption, this scandal, this outrage? To each of us is given a specific work, and different responses to corruption in the Church will be called from each of us, according to our talents, responsibilities, and unique vocations. This is a question of individual discernment and prayer. However, what common thread ties all these together and can be applied to one of us? Jesus offers us an answer.
“As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.'
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called 'Master';
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Our faith in God does not rest on His worldly servants, even those who have been bestowed with the greatest dignity and highest offices. Our faith rests on Jesus Christ. Our relationship with God is through the this One Mediator. This is not to say that we should just ignore the moral failings of our leaders, or that if our faith is tried by them, we should simply just “power through”. God knows how torturous and demoralizing this struggle is, which is why he lays down so strong a condemnation against those who scandalize one of the “little ones”. If we struggle in faith because of this, even for years or decades, God is with us in the midst of it, never abandoning or forsaking us. To the very end, we can trust that He supplies us with the grace and fortitude to weather these storms if we place all of our hope, not in popes or bishops or priests or charismatic leaders, but in Him Alone.
This does not mean passivity. But it does mean action done with humility. We cannot simply “shut up and take it”, but neither can we give ourselves over to anger or cold retribution. In whatever action we are called to take in order to make reparation and carry out reform in the Church, we ought to remember another maxim of Saint John of the Cross and let it transform the character of our particular call: Where there is no love, put love, and you will draw out love. In this way we will humble rather than exalt ourselves, by placing everything we do under the mission of God Who Is Love Itself.