In a world that esteems wealth, sex and power above all, what place is there in the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience?
In a recent blog we looked that how the Vow of Celibacy was not about closing ourselves off as human beings, becoming the ‘frozen chosen,’ but about opening ourselves to others unreservedly, most especially those in need. We pointed out that it was drawn from a deep prayer life, a healthy sense of our own sexuality and a profound belief in our vocation.
Obedience as Listening
When people talk about the challenges of religious life the vow of celibacy is always given a great deal of attention, but for me at times the greatest difficulty has been understanding the Vow of Obedience. It’s not about doing what you’re told and being unthinkingly submissive. In fact it’s nothing like that at all. Obedience is drawn from the Latin word oboedīre, which means to hear or to listen. The Vow of Obedience is about listening, really listening to the will of God and where He is inviting you in your life. It’s about putting God’s will at times above our own desires, trusting His plan for us. As it says in Jeremiah 29:11 “I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.”
At times this trust and belief puts us at odds with society and world around us. The values of the Gospel are as counter cultural today as they were in Jesus’ time, but if we are to be true to our deepest selves can we really choose any other way. Chase Sydnor’s experience in the US Marines is a good example of this struggle. For him if we make a decision to follow Jesus, to have faith and to believe in His sayings we have to commit ourselves to non violent action and loving others. It’s a difficult message at times to hear, but it’s a choice. And it’s this choice that is at the heart of what the Vow of Obedience really means.
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