Greetings in Christ!

In this weekend’s Gospel we receive an invitation from the Lord Jesus to take up His yoke and burden. Jesus invites us to take His yoke upon us, contrasting the heavy burdens of worldly wisdom with the peace found in submitting to the will of the Father.

I imagine each one of us has witnessed the difficulty that young children often have obeying parents. At the same time, for the parents themselves, there are few things more pleasing than when your child joyfully responds to you in obedience (as rare as those times may be)! Though we age and grow, obedience often remains a sore spot for us. It never ceases to be difficult. Yet, just like for earthly parents, there are few things that are more pleasing to God than when we trust Him and respond in joyful obedience to what He asks from us.

The importance of this type of obedience is taught to us in the rather distressing biblical story of King Saul, the first king chosen to lead the people of Israel. In the gospel, Jesus teaches us that the mysteries of the Kingdom are revealed to the "little ones" rather than the "wise and intelligent.” The wise and learned in this passage represent those who rely on their own intellect and self-reliance rather than submitting entirely to God's plan. King Saul is a perfect example of the risk of this intellectual pride. When Saul decided that his own strategic judgment was superior to God's direct command through the prophet Samuel, he justified his disobedience with religious excuses. The prophet Samuel’s famous response remains a timeless warning for all believers: "To obey is better than sacrifice." King Saul’s tragedy demonstrates that when we place our own reasoning or desires above God's established order, it leads only to spiritual ruin and fractured communion.

Unfortunately, in our own time, this fractured communion even within the church, is readily apparent. This past Thursday, the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV excommunicated the bishops, priests, and lay faithful of a group called the Society of Saint Pius X. The excommunication came as a result of the choice of this group to consecrate new bishops without a pontifical mandate (the approval needed to ordain a bishop), an act which carries with it in canon law, the automatic penalty of excommunication both for the ordaining bishops and those ordained. However, the Holy Father also chose to include in that excommunication all bishops, priests and lay people who adhere to this group and its beliefs.

For each one of us, this situation is a reminder of the importance of obedience to God and to those whom He has established to guide us. Though obedience can be the most difficult of tasks, always remember how pleasing it is to God. In addition, we can find within that obedience the easy yoke and the light burden promised us by the Lord Jesus. Please pray for all members of the Society of St. Pius X, their return to full communion with the Catholic Church and for unity within the Church itself.

In Christ,

Fr. Michael Carlson, Pastor