In today's first reading, we hear about how it is important that people are taught correctly regarding religion. When I was a seminarian, a few years before ordination, the seminaries of the U.S. had a week-long apostolic visit from a team of bishops, priests, religious sisters and lay people, appointed by the Vatican. The team had been tasked by the Pope to investigate and ensure that we as seminarians were being properly taught and formed in our role as future priests, that our theology and moral ethics truly reflected what our Church teaches.
Even in Cleveland, there were some changed that were made in response to that investigation in our seminary and in the seminaries throughout our country. For, there’s always a danger that secular attitudes toward morality might seep into the seminaries. So the Church certainly has a serious duty to train the teachers well, lest they teach what is false and malform the people. Malformed priests put souls at risk. Malformed pastors can malform their parishes.
In the first reading, St. Paul explains outlines this task to teach right doctrine to Timothy, the new Bishop of Ephesus. “Teach and urge these things. Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing”. This is a perennial duty of Bishops to ensure that right teaching, right religion is being taught in their diocese.
This task is always difficult, there are always worldly pressures, especially when the culture, the secular world is going in a very different direction than the Church, as it is today. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul urges Bishop Timothy, make sure you are teaching the truth and preaching the Gospel in season and out of season, when the culture is lenient and when the culture is hostile.
Today’s saint, St. Robert Bellarmine was one of the great teachers of his age. He was a lecturer at the Gregorian University in Rome, and became will known for tackling the controversial issues of his day. His lectures can be read in a three-volume work called the Disputations on the Controversies.
God gave Robert Bellarmine, doctor of the Church, wisdom and goodness to defend the faith--to vindicate the faith, as the collect said--and to help others understand it. St. Bellarmine wrote: “if you are wise, then know that you have been created for the glory of God and for your eternal salvation. This is your goal; this is the center of your life; this is the treasure of your heart. If you reach this goal, you will find happiness. If you fail to reach it, you will find misery.”
This is why right teaching is so important: Truth needs to be taught clearly that we may conform our minds and hearts and lives to God. For only “the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching” can lead us to the happiness for which we were created, and enable us to strive and to live for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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That the Pope, Bishops, and Clergy may be well-formed in sound doctrine and teach that doctrine with clarity and courage.
For an end to indifference to God and human dignity in our government and educational institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.
During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.
That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.
O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
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