Apr 26 Sun
Should I be docile to the legitimate pastors?
Christ is the good shepherd, and we are his sheep.
In this world, there are basically two types of leaders: those who give themselves to others, and those who profit from them.
Among those who make a profit are those leaders who are downright thugs who “steal and slaughter and destroy.”
The thieves and robbers come to take away from us everything we have, including our faith. This perfectly describes the devil and applies to any human being who becomes a predator.
Sheep are docile. They follow and obey a good shepherd and so benefit from him.
Having the virtue of docility means observing, listening to, imitating, and obeying those who know better than we do.
It also means cooperating when someone justly corrects us.
The docile person is humble. He knows he does not know many things and needs a teacher and guide.
The docile person knows there may be others who know his own good better than he does himself.
This is the basic reason why we should listen to teachers, advisors, coaches, guides, and parents.
A docile person avoids the vice of credulity. Credulity means blindly believing what you are told by anyone without reflecting on it. The credulous sheep listens to anyone who passes by and claims to be a shepherd.
The properly docile sheep is prudent enough to run away from a bad shepherd, afraid of how he might harm him.
A docile person also avoids being a know-it-all. A sheep who “knows everything” and so cannot be led or taught is foolish, because in reality, he does not know it all but has cut himself off from help.
A docile person maintains a legitimate doubt about his own biases on debatable matters, especially when those new ideas appear to conflict with Christian values.
We should be docile to our good shepherds, especially the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
Always go to our priest brothers. We should do so especially when something in our soul makes us feel ashamed. “You will open wide your heart - a rotten heart, if it is rotten! - sincerely, with a deep desire to be healed. If not, that rottenness would never be cured. If we went to a person who could only treat our wound superficially, it would be because we were cowards. We were not good sheep, because we wanted to hide the truth, to our own harm.”
“Don't be ashamed of being wretched, if sometimes you are. Don't panic because you find the bad leaven of sin in your heart. Don't be afraid of anything. Be truly faithful! Sincere! Be sincere! Let's have the common sense and the supernatural spirit. In exchange, you will experience greater effectiveness in your life, in the work of your sanctification and the sanctification of so many souls, and the Church."
Now is the time for us to ask ourselves, in the intimacy of our own hearts: Do I go to sacramental Confession punctually? Do I accept this means of personal sanctification with gratitude and in the desire to make good use of it?