Opening Prayer
I realize that there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end leads to death. I must not devise my own conscience based on my own fantasies, but must rely on the rule of the Church, through which the Scripture was delivered to our hands.
Grant me the grace to never deviate from the “vessel” of Tradition, for it is the Church that ensures my interpretation is true. Let me remain within the safety of the Mother who knows the mind of her Lord.
Amen.
Matthew 11:25-27
25At that time Jesus answered and said: I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to the little ones. 26Yea, Father; for so hath it seemed good in thy sight. 27All things are delivered to me by my Father. And no one knoweth the Son, but the Father: neither doth any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal him.
St. Thomas More
St. Thomas More warns that “God’s precepts will never be obeyed if every man may boldly devise for himself a conscience”. He evaluates the “private judgment” path as a way that “leads to hell”. St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the “Lily of the Mohawks”, embraced the Faith with the “lowly heart” More describes. She did not study the Scripture to find out if the faith was true but accepted the Faith as the “rule of interpretation”. This narrative shows that the “little ones” of the Gospel are those who trust the “universal Church” as their Mother.
Because the Scriptures were originally delivered to humanity through the Church, the Church remains the only authoritative rule for their interpretation. To avoid falling into error, one must accept the teachings of the faith as the primary rule of interpretation rather than treating the Bible as a means to judge the Church.
“Use the Catholic faith as your rule of interpretation, for the Scripture was delivered to us through the hands of the Church.”
— St. Thomas More
Mary and the Magisterium
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end leads to hell”, warns More, referring to those who “devise for themselves a conscience” apart from the Church. Mary’s total alignment with the “universal Church” ensures the soul avoids these “private fantasies”. Because the Scripture came to us through the Church, we must use the Church’s interpretation as our rule, just as Mary submitted her own understanding to the overarching divine plan.
- Am I "devising for myself a conscience" based on my own "fantasies"?
- Do I acknowledge the Church as the "Mother and teacher" who alone can help me know the truth with certainty?
Closing Prayer
Jesus Christ, Word of God, help me embrace the wisdom of Your Church.
Amen.
