Recently, Pope Francis made another one of his interesting and thought provoking comments. He said that a follower of Christ can’t simply be satisfied with a list of things done in living out the faith.
He said there is still a deeper question of our hearts being aligned with Christ, something more than our list of good deeds.
This comment reminds us of the famous observation by Blessed Pope John Paul II who commented that our freedom as followers of Christ is not a freedom to do, but, more importantly, a freedom to be.
Both of these observations might call to mind Jesus’ story about the Pharisee and the tax collector.
Recall that the Pharisee stood before the altar to remind God of all the right and good things that he had in fact done. The tax collector, on the other hand, gave his heart to God and asked for forgiveness for the moments when he sinned and failed.
As we reflect upon these two elements of faith, personal love for Jesus and a life that reflects that love in deeds, we cannot choose one over the other.
As a Catholic, proclaiming a love for Jesus but not living the whole teaching of his Church is inauthentic. Living a life of humanly good deeds and charity without love for Christ reduces us to a humanism that doesn’t recognize the source of all truth and goodness.
In short, one without the other is inadequate and not the fullness of self-giving that Jesus calls us to.
If we look around today (and perhaps even examine our own consciences), we may find that the greatest danger of faith in our time is not an outright rejection of Jesus (although we must confront the fact that increasingly many of our young people are doing exactly that). Nor is it the love for Jesus that simply says, “Lord, Lord” but goes no further in deeds of self-sacrifice, moral observance, or heartfelt charity.
Rather, it is a mindset of faith that tries to split the difference. It is the increasingly prevalent notion expressed by, “I am Catholic, but … .” The acknowledgment of loving Jesus and the affirmation of being Catholic serves to state what is true and to give some comfort to our consciences. In many cases, it is what we desire to be.
Still in that little word “but” lay numerous exemptions that one carves out for oneself. We all know what those common, self-granted exemptions are: not attending Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation nor confessing our sins in the sacrament of reconciliation, or selectively putting into practice the Church’s moral teaching, especially as it relates to artificial contraception and the related issues, or respect for God’s plan for us expressed in our nature, particularly in the nature of marriage.
Of course the list can go on for each one of us. When one adopts such “carve outs” from the Church’s faith, it is often justified by an appeal to one’s overall faith, to the many other good deeds that we do.
Pope Francis’ comments about not being satisfied with a list of things done without a full love for Christ are a reminder that Jesus did not come to give us a menu from which to choose a few elements that seem best to us or that make us comfortable individually.
On the menu of Jesus there is only one choice: Jesus himself and the faith he has entrusted to us through the Church.
From the time of Jesus himself, following him has been a radical option. It has set his followers apart. They must be the light for the world and the salt that flavors the whole.
We can expect no less for ourselves in our own time. The world itself benefits from those who fully live love for Jesus and all the worldly deeds that flow from such a faith.
For each of us as individuals, embracing Jesus and all the deeds that flow from faith constitute the roadmap to eternal life. It is worth our every sacrifice and effort!