This truth hits home hard for me. Out of obedience, I am finally submitting to the Church of Christ Jesus and becoming Catholic today, this Pentecost of 2024.
Many might think that celibacy is the hardest promise made by those ordained or in religious life. But most of the priests and religious I know say the hardest promise is obedience.
I think broadly speaking, yes, people would think celibacy is the hardest part; however, for those of us whom are asexual, it's very easy. I know we don't need to get into a whole lgbtq shitshow but attractions-- or lack there of-- are very real.
@@Testimony_Of_JTF guided by the Holy Spirit whom He had received from the Father at his Baptism, it was also obedience to the Father of course but a better way to describe it would be saying abandonment to the Father and accepting the guidance of the Holy Spirit
I would assist an elderly parish priest with his sick visits when his car was not working. I was repairing the car thinking I was helping him. I did not know that he was told, due to his health, he was not to drive. His superior was disabling his car because he would still use it. The poor older priest would get emotional and relayed to me he wanted to do his ministry, but he could not without a car. It was sad. My pastor told me not to fix the car anymore or be placed under obedience. I was conflicted, but I had to listen to my pastor. So, I drove the older priest on his rounds until he passed away. It is a wonderful memory. I was humbled and honored to experience it.
I agree, but it was more than obedience. He willingly chose it; it wasn't a command like unto Job. He struggled with the commitment in Gethsemane because he was fully human as well as divine, but he knew it was his purpose and chose to continue. I say all this to ensure we all do not forget Jesus' agency.
@@austenl43I’m unsure if you are Catholic but just in case I’m going to throw the Catholic teaching on the matter for both clarification and growth in devotion. Jesus is a divine person and from conception his created human nature and will was perfectly united to the divine nature and thus also the divine will. Jesus knew from birth his mission and always beheld the beatific vision even when on the cross. In Jesus’ human nature he wills its own safety but also both in human nature and divine nature wills to do the will of the Father.
A more apt example since none of us are Christ, is when Peter and the apostles were beaten in the temple and told not to utter the name of Jesus. They defied the wicked temple authorities, and rejoiced in being permitted to suffer for Our Lord. Never obey a creature if it conflicts with obeying the Creator. The consequences otherwise are a damned shame.
lol, the greatest example of taking a three day weekend. tell me, how does an immortal become mortal, die, come back to life, become immortal again, how exactly does that work? and did the romans kill god? or did jesus trick everyone? the talking snake and donkey cult is funny.
Tongues are actual languages not babble. But 👋🏻 make videos on women dressing modestly mimicking the way nuns dress, including the veil. Not some silly napkin on their head or some see-through lingerie. An actual opaque veil, like the hijab in Islam. And remind the wives to obey the husbands in everything (except sin) as is owed. God bless ☕🙏🏻👋🏻🇻🇦
I think this reflection is very good. When becoming Catholic my biggest stumble block with obedience was the church’s teaching on contraception. I could understand it at a global level, but not a personal. But I knew I could trust the church so I obeyed. And the church was right and Gos blessed me greatly for obeying.
I was a novice once... obedience is a must, without it, all other virtues crumble. If you are obedient, you are chaste, your are poor, you follow the Rule, the Church, the superior and God. If you are desobedient, you fail in the rest. But, it is indeed the most dificult, because it is let it go yourself, your autonomy, your desires, pride, rigths and all. Thats why it is so dificult, and yet, so necessary for sainthood
@@heinmolenaar6750 I agree that the foundation of the obedience should be always in the love of God. You trust God, and love Him, so, you obey. It's no a slave relation, but He is God, we are man. Look at Jesus, as a human, he doesn't desire the sofriment, but, because he love the Father and humankind and the Father loves Him, so, he chose to be obedient until the very end. That's the virtue of obedience, so, love is indeed, obedient.
Love = obedience. If that were true that would mean, to love your enemy is to be obedient to them. St Paul tells us what love is Corinthians 4-7. He does not mention obedience. The only time we hear of obedience is from Jesus to follow His commandments, that's how we love Jesus and the Holy Trinity. People in religious orders make a vow to be obedient to their superiors and the rule, lay people don't.
Obedience is so important. I have been trying to be obedient in our marriage. It’s hard when 33 years out of 36 I was alone half the time due to his job. My family is also very matriarchal and I recently realized that the problems in a lot of my extended family are tied to this. Women are supposed to be partners and we are also supposed to concede the leadership to our husbands in all the things that matter most. It’s been hard to ask for permission for little things but I need to get used to asking before doing things that affect us both. In return I get what I’ve always had: a husband that loves and wants to protect me. I can protect myself but he IS the head of this family and once I recognized this I realized how the sin of Eve, pride, affected me. It isn’t as bad as I thought it would be and it’s almost as freeing as surrendering to Christ. I also have surrendered to the proper authority of the church.
Can I ask what you mean by asking permission for little things? How little are we talking? I get what you are saying about complementary roles within marriage, but this can, in some cases, become a rationalization for what amounts to coercive, controlling behaviour on the part of a spouse. Not assuming that is the case here, but the need to ask permission in “little things” did raise the question for me.
obedience is not the same as submission. we are not supposed to blindly follow orders. that is slavery. in order for this dynamic to work the head (the husband) is actually sacrificing himself for this wifes needs (as christ did for the church) so both spouses are living for the same goals. You're not there to support a man as he follows his dreams and builds a career for himself. this is a modern secular value, not a christian one. the mans primary value should be for his family, not his goals and dreams primarily at the expense of his wife and family. His will should be for his family. He should see what his wife needs and provide it. and as the head, he should take the lead on this.
@@johndeighan2495 the “little things” for me is those that make him feel included in stuff I do alone. I’m purposely over correcting, he says “of course” because these are things that really don’t matter. I’m a hard headed woman who’s basically done whatever I wanted for 3 decades, asking is including him though he really isn’t involved. We have always been partners and we don’t manipulate or coerce the other. Now that he’s home all the time I found myself excluding him because I was used to just doing things and that’s not a good thing at all.
I'm not going to lie, I never thought I would hear this spoken aloud from a well known Catholic content creator. Thank you for sharing this with the world. I have read lives of some saints, read books from others about challenges they and the Church have faced and many, many of them were called to obedience above all. We have so many saints to look to for this, Padre Pio is the most well known example, Mary MacKillop and Theresa of Avilla as well. Most of all, we have Jesus Christ Himself who in the garden asked for the cup to pass if there was another way, but submitted Himself to the Father's Will. You said it very succinctly, having freewill and freely choosing to obey another authority than your own that is a virtue. May St. Joseph, the Blessed Mother, St. Paul, St. Pio. St. Theresa all pray for you Brian. God bless!
If we don't call out error when it crops up, if there is no challenge from those who recognize when something is wrong, those errors become normalized and more entrenched. Once that happens, it's much harder to correct the ship.
God bless you for being sensitive to this and following through with your conviction. I think more people need to follow in your steps. I see a lot of prudence in you.
Brian: this makes my heart rejoice with so much gladness. This is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen online in a long time. This is from a heart of love and conviction which is what our Lord prays for when He says, “I pray they may be one…”. God bless you dear brother.
❤ I have just come to this realization. It is super difficult, especially since I am a new Catholic. I spend hours reading the Bible and watching TH-cam’s trying to learn the faith. I believe God led me to this to help me. Thank you so much for your bravery
After a point, to be silent is to be complicit. “We've had enough exhortations to be silent. Cry out with a thousand tongues - I see the world is rotten because of silence.” ― St. Catherine of Siena
@@Dan-mm7gc St. Catherine of Siena is a doctor of the Church. Thus far there are four female saints who are doctors of the Church: Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Saint Hildegard of Bingen, and Saint Catherine of Siena. Doctors of the Church are recognized for the quality of their writing and thought. Saint Catherine of Siena lived during the Western Schism, a time when two and ultimately three rivals claimed to be the valid Pope. The period was unsurprisingly marked by demoralization and corruption. The quote comes from her 16th letter to an unidentified "great prelate". Saint Catherine of Siena, being from Siena, was Italian and thus her original statement was in that language. She wrote "Oimè, non più tacere! Gridate con cento migliaia di lingue. Veggo che, per tacere, il mondo è guasto, la Sposa di Cristo è impallidita, toltogli è il colore, perchè gli è succhiato il sangue da dosso, cìoè che il sangue di Cristo, che è dato per grazia e non per debito." The quote “We've had enough exhortations to be silent. Cry out with a thousand tongues - I see the world is rotten because of silence.” is the most common English summary of her words. Another and more literal translation from the Italian is: "Be silent no more! Cry out with one hundred thousand tongues. I see that, because of this silence, the world is in ruins, the Spouse of Christ has grown pale; the color is taken from her face because her blood has been sucked out, that is the blood of Christ, which is given as a free gift and not by right." which is a bit more forceful and emphatic. As for "After a point, to be silent is to be complicit" that is my own observation, based on observation and participation in criminal law. There are reasons malefactors appreciate omerta. Silence creates no disturbance to evil doers, and allows their crimes to perpetuate. Larceny, trafficking, abuse and deceptions of all kind. But one need not be a principal to participate. The sympathetic or intimidated observer can participate by first becoming and obscurantist, and ultimately an accomplice. The Saint here is attempting to discourage such complicity.
@@Quekksilber We all know evil when we see it. To cosset evil through silent acceptance is to assist in its spread and perpetuation. It also shirks the duty of warning the evil doer of their evil deeds and the consequences. It also requires false humility to justify the shirking. False humilty is a form of pride.
@@Dan-mm7gc I provided the citation you demanded but it was removed. How uncharitable of someone towards you. It is within the saint's 'Letter letter #16, to an unidentified “great prelate”, and in the orginal is "Oimè, non più tacere! Gridate con cento migliaia di lingue. Veggo che, per tacere, il mondo è guasto, la Sposa di Cristo è impallidita, toltogli è il colore, perchè gli è succhiato il sangue da dosso, cìoè che il sangue di Cristo, che è dato per grazia e non per debito."
Your channel helped lead me to the Church. Your humility, sacrifice, obedience and striving for peace within the body here in this video, encourages my soul. Thank you. May our Lord bless you, keep you, and make his face shine upon you. As you have been a blessing unto my life, my my prayers be a blessing unto yours. You are in my prayers.
You are the opposite of a coward. I didn't know the greatest virtue was obedience either, I thought it was humility. Which you demonstrated beautifully ❤️
St. Thomas Aquinas: ''An unjust law is no law at all.'' In principle we must obey our leaders *unless* they command us to/towards sin. If any leader willingly causes perpetual scandal and leads the flock to sin, it would be unreasonable, foolish, and an insult to God NOT to be skeptical and be lead astray.
If we are speaking of obedience to the church than this is complicated. God is eternal and therefore, so is His church and its teachings. Everyone, including clergy, is required to obey its teachings. They can not make a law that stands in opposition to another previous teaching.
The Faculty of the Theology of the Sorbonne went against John XXII's error on the Beatific Vision thankfully leading to his repentance. St. CatherineofSiena opposed the election of Clement II though every Cardinal voted him in after tossing UrbanVI under the bus.
What a beautiful act of humility, sincere intellectual honesty, and courage! I have been working on a book idea centered around Obedience and our rebel nature as fallen human beings, and this was extremely helpful in both confirming my thought and expanding it. Thank you!
Thank you Brian, for sharing your discernment. My spiritual life has been wandering lately, and I’ve been grasping at the other virtues, and this hidden spiritual gem was neglected. Ave. Maria!
I often think of our Lady's obedience, I knew that was how she became Our Lady. I knew it was the most important thing she did, I know that it was what Adam and Eve refused. Thank you. True obedience is a thin line.
@@peaceandlove544 Given by a messenger not directly and the foundation of Her Son's Church and the Keys to the Kingdom ( to Heaven & Hell ) were given to the Pope & Bishops NOT the Bible or even an angel.
God bless you, Brian, Catholic history is filled with examples of saints who were raised up by God because of their humility and obedience to their legitimate religious superiors, even when their superiors were wrong. I pray that you will one day be counted among these “saints of humility and obedience.” Thank you for your example to us.
Thank you for this honest and extremely virtuous video. I am now officially a Brian Holdsworth fan! I am a convert to the faith. I entered the church in 2008 thinking I was coming into the " One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church only to find lack of charity and disobedience as two of the most common traits I see among our good Catholic brothers and sisters. I've been feeling sad about this seeing these people turning against the Church and its leadership so publicly. I am happy to see you are taking this opportunity to use your platform as a place of unity and peace. May God richly bless you and your family and thank you for standing up for truth. When we do that, God will surely take care of the rest. He certainly doesn't need our help and limited perspectives. ❤
A holy priest I know of once said that obedience is always first of the three vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience that is tested by the devil. Once the vow of obedience is broken, the other vows soon come tumbling after. Mary, abyss of humility, pray for us!
Thank you for being so honest. Obedience really is the most difficult virtue. But it is essential because God does have a plan and He is in control. We don’t want to be getting in the way of the Divine plan. I love your channel & your passion. God Bless you 🙏😊
That's too bad. Your Fiducia Supplicans video was one of the best responses I've seen anywhere. Well measured and respectful, but without mincing any words. As Catholics we are obligated to correct our neighbors. I hope that you will reconsider your decision.
Thank you for being an example of humble obedience. The ire and divisiveness online between Christians is not a helpful witness to anyone. This video message is a step in the right direction.
This was absolutely beautifully put. I almost cried at the end: to be obedient in a sacrificial way, to practice what we preach. Obedience is such a big hurdle for all of us. I have financial struggles as an elder single woman now, but I really want to support your channel. Your content is excellent. As part of a ministry that evangelizes in the streets (St. Paul Street...), our team leader put together a list of recommendations to listen to. I recommended your name long ago (after I heard your conversion story). So you are in that list of recommended Catholics to listen to. Solid. Thank you for the content you provide. May God's providence bless you and your sacrifice be rewarded by Him who can do all things.
"For as humility is the foundation of all other virtues, so it is the foundation of obedience. If you do not first lay this foundation of humility, whatever you build will topple down." Source: St. Augustine's Letters, specifically Letter 118.
I realised right now that the more I follow the teachings of Catholic and Orthodox teachers, the less I can "obey" my parents. Both of them were very disparaging about church and church doctorine. (Both grew up in very religious homes, turned their backs on it, and were openly disappointed that two of my siblings went into church life at a young adult age.) Now it is my turn. I have to disobey my parents and review my upbringing to follow the church. I am 55 ! It started with teenage rebellion and ended up in a bad marriage where I listened to (obeyed) my spouse into a life of iniquity. So we have to be aware of who we consciously or unconsciously obey. (It can even be our favourite popstar or politician. ) Discernment is important. Thank you for a thought provoking video. Just earlier today I heard a homelie on being as wise as a serpent and as meek as a dove. To be careful of who we follow. So to find your video this evening has helped tremendously. As a baby Christian, I needed to hear this today. I even wrote it onto a card to stick up in a visible place.
On the contrary, a worthwhile question to ask: Is obedience owed to an authority figure when said person, by evidence of reason, offers a directive that is contrary to (or at the least causes confusion over) Scripture and Church Tradition?
Thank you Brian! I have so much respect for this decision. I think many people have a lot of valid concerns but this is what seemed to be missing from those conversations… remembering our obligation to obedience. I’m a convert from Protestantism and in converting, it was a relief to let go of the obligation to research and investigate everything myself to determine if it was true or not - “just me and my Bible” style, with me as the arbiter of all that was true - and trust the Church that Jesus founded to guide me. I confess it’s felt scary for me to see these divisions springing up in the Catholic Church, how much trust in and obedience to legitimate church authorities has deteriorated, some prominent Catholics flirting with schism, etc. It feels too “Protestant” in some ways. Your video helped me get my bearings, so I think this is a step in the right direction of encouraging that habit of obedience you were talking about.
By deleting your videos, you are not decreasing the *quantitative* amount of criticism the Church receives to a significant degree. There will always be people around to complain about religion, especially on the internet, so your videos are just a drop in the ocean in that regard. By deleting your videos, you are lowering the *qualitative* caliber of the discussions around ecclesiastical politics, because the number of people who seriously attempt to be nuanced in their critiques of institutions are always in short supply. The discussion of Church politics should not be split into a binary of obsequious sycophants who are determined to defend their authorities at all cost and crazed lunatics who are so convinced of their non-conformist beliefs that there is no bizarre allegation that they will not level against those in power. Your videos were a virtuous middle-ground, and by leaving the arena, you are simply ceding space to less responsible voices.
👏👏👏 Agreed. He deletes his videos and all that results is more extremes. Brian is one of the few who addressed some pretty tough issues with tact and charity, and has shown the world that you can be traddy without being a nasty wackadoo.
@@Timblisi 9:23 "...not necessarily because those criticisms aren't legitimate, but because there's way too much of that content on the internet right now..." I reiterate my original comment: by declining to engage in political commentary, he does not meaningfully reduce the amount of "that content on the internet" to any significant degree, but only removes his own "legitimate" criticism.
I applaud your decision, Brian. Your kind warning found me at the best moment as I've been trying to find some balance in my spiritual life in this regard.
Best comment. It’s no virtue to obey the Sanhedrin or the Romans and betray Christ. If Brian wants to obey peadoughs and disobey Quo Primum then he has chosen eternal damnation. I think Brian would rather please the sick old men of this world than to take the difficult road of pleasing God.
@@BrianHoldsworth If I could posit my own question, independent of the comments here above, but in response to the crux of the disagreement: If you made those past videos as an act of faith, hoping they would be of some theological benefit to those who saw them, because of your love for God, His Church, and your fellow man, then wouldn't the faith, hope, and love in them outweigh or even imply obedience? God bless.
I’m just jumping in here, I realise… but no, I get what Brian is doing and why. Obedience is the form of faith. And also the form of love. The Bible talks about “the obedience of faith”. Jesus says “anyone who loves me will obey my commandments.” Does that mean every act of obedience is by definition an act of theological faith and love? No, of course not: we don’t admire those N*sis who were “just following orders”. Yet the converse is true: every genuine act of faith and love is also an act of obedience. And deeper faith and love correlates to purer obedience. I admire Brian for desiring to grow in obedience.
Thank you so much! I tend to struggle with things the opposite of how most other people do, so I struggle with an excess of obedience. It’s really hard when my first instinct is to obey my parents right away, but their instruction is for me to go to Mass less or to never go to Confession, and to not believe the teachings of the Church, ever since they left. Please pray for me to be able to move out soon if you can, I’ll pray for you too 🙏❤️🔥
Asking blind obedience when it is unjustified is the best way of destructing the authority. I have seen that in many institutions (family, church, state, corporations)
So do you usually obey things you suspect are bat crazy or a flagrant abuse of authority? It's not as if church authorities havent abused their authority in spectacular fashion. We hear very little about the responsibilities of leaders not to confuse the faithful or abuse their power . @@Musashination
The intention of the person obeying determines whether they are actually obeying, merely agreeing, cultivating favours, acting out of fear of consequences, etc. It's always and everywhere good to obey God, because He is God.
I actually believe in blind obedience in a sense, especially with church matters. This is mainly because the church gives me commands like "do good" "confess your sins" do penance" "go to mass" etc. So it's basically irrelevant if this or that higher up were caught up in some scandal. Think back to the middle ages. Probably every farmer in the village knew which priest had which concubine. And they probably didn't care, either. Instead of defiantly calling these clergy out, they were probably more focused on staying in their own lane and living the best Christian life they could. This way of thinking is probably foreign to contemporary America ("By golly, this is a democracy my vote counts!" "This Bishop puts his pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us", etc)
Wow I am impressed ! I have been struggling with self denial Letting God lead my life Not me Obedience never succeeded with that yet But human and constantly failing Trying to pick up my cross and Follow Christ But constantly dropping it and saying I deserve more or not to do this Then I come back and try again I guess that’s me practicing my faith And hope to get it right sooner than later Again looks as if you are moving forward Thanks for what you do I am also a Brian Spelled the right way 😮
Another great and thoughtful video. It makes me think about my journey to faith. When I take an honest look at what kept me away from the faith, ultimately disobedience was at the heart of it. I have tremendous respect about your admission as to why you deleted some of your videos, even at the risk of it messing with your channel. May God continue to bless you, your family, and the great work you do.
If the earthly representatives of Christ exhort us to hold beliefs, or commit acts contrary to God’s Word, they have lost their authority. Christ said, “If you love me, obey my commandments.” Obedience to rightful authority is a virtue; blind obedience to those who are openly creating a new religion is not. “I was only following orders,” was not accepted at Nuremberg and will not be accepted on the day of judgement. Padre Pio is often cited as an example of virtuous obedience, and indeed he was, but Padre Pio was never instructed to preach or commit acts contrary to the tenets of the Catholic faith.
I recommend reading Dr Kwasniewskis book True Obedience. Obedience is conditional when it concerns men, because if they are not obeying Gods will we would be disobedient to God by obeying them. Only God is due unconditional obedience
And His Church (or so the Church teaches). It appears to me that the mentioned professor likes to defend his dissent by intellectual argumentation, trusting in his own intellectual power over the Church. But that's simply an impression I have, I might be wrong.
A question might be. Does my habitual ovedience to these leaders help me to be obedient to God? If it doesn't, because you find yourself more angry at how God could give you such leaders, then it might not be. Normally, obedience should follow a hierarchy....but if you have a tyrannical parent, it doesnt work in that way. You might just have to bypass a parent altogether.
Your question & the conclusion you draw is a fallacy. There may be much you should be obeying (ie., in the scope of their authority) by these leaders instruction while there are things that make you angry. The angry reaction may indicate you need spiritual direction or perhaps highlight that they are actually saying something you need to hear. If you know that the teaching of the Church is true it's irrelevant that these individuals fail to live up to it. Obedience covers defending the Church & it's teaching while simultaneously calling out some bad behaviour but do be wary of spotting motes in the eyes of others...you know the rest.
@@josephodoherty7864 I didn't say every time you are angry then you shouldn't obey. I said if submission of will is causing real violence interiorly to you and is thus making you frustrated at God then you shouldn't do it. Mine is a minimalist claim about anger and you made it maximalist.
I'm glad obedience is one virtue ive been able to grow in. I struggled with it so much in the past, but attaining it has brought me so much peace and joy, especially in regards to our Pontiff
Obedience is easily done when the superior actually knows what he is asking, when this is not the case and is blatantly reverse , it is almost impossible obey .
Great reflection! One thing I would add is that we actually do have many opportunities to practice obedience to our pastors, but they are hidden by their mundanity. For example, all pastors desire that they’re parishioners get involved in the parish, but they can’t or don’t want to “order” people to do it. So getting involved in the parish decoration team, for example, is not glamorous, but it needs to be done and it objectively helps the pastor focus on the things HE needs to do. Tithing according to one’s means is also a great way to cooperate with the pastor.
The rule of faith for Catholics is simple: semper, ubique, et ab omnibus. That is: whatever has been believed always, everywhere, and by all (Catholic) men. This rule must be obeyed by all in the Church, the pope and hierarchy included. When the hierarchy isn't following Tradition, they must be called back to their duty. Even the new Code of Canon Law says that the faithful have the right to petition their superiors. As well, St. Thomas teaches that we may correct our superiors when their error is such that to not correct them will cause harm to souls. Your criticisms of the churchmen over the errors prevalent at this time is not a sin, nor is it a fault. It is necessary and right. Nor does it mean that in "obedience" you must delete what you have said when your legitimate concerns were couched in reverent language. I therefore must disagree completely with your conclusion that in order to be truly obedient you have to criticize the hierarchy less. You do so in order to save souls. When the pope and bishops turn back from their folly and strive again to uphold Tradition, then you may rest from your labors. But do not think that scrupulously applying the virtue of obedience in this manner will serve the Church and please God. We must not retreat from the field until the war is finished. We must obey Tradition and fight on. May Our Lady protect and guide you.
Obedience is the greatest of all virtues. Be obedient to God and his church, not some people who have come to power and are making a mockery of our faith right in front of our eyes, that's not obedience.
@@ndumferdy2545 The ones who put down Catholic Traditions at every turn while gleefully donning a native american feather headrests, for instance. That's just an example. I'm not implying that has actually happened or anything like that.
Apparently you didn't watch the video. Responding as we FIRST should with obedience we are still thinking beings, of course, not blind to reason. We con ourselves & others if we make this due & proper obedience lip service and promptly start building a huge edifice of rationalisation to allow our egos to rule & our own intellect to be an idol and the first &/or final authority .
I would certainly not call it cowardice nor laziness. I would, however, call it a misread of the hour. In so much as sin and error consist in putting lesser goods above a greater good, it is simply a no brainer that sooner or later, the devil would get us to willingly put say the number 4 virtue ahead or one or more of the top 3. False obedience has probably destroyed the faith of millions. All things being equal, the hierarchy deserve the benefit of the doubt. But all things are not equal and I would say that being too ready to obey the bishops is most likely an act of negligence. One might say that if we obey through our sacrifice of our will, God will bring a greater good out of it. No doubt He will, but He also can bring a greater good in the world even out of sins. But when we look at the Church, regarding the liturgy and thus the faith of many, this has not been born out. This means either God is failing on his end of the bargain or that the obedience of the laity of the past 50 years has been a great and harmful error. It is obviously not the former. But in the latter, the laity have PARTICIPATED in and acquiesced to the destruction the faith. In one sense I have no control over the bishop so what is it to me? But there is also the public bearing of false witness of bad authority. Bad authority unchallenged is silence before the false proclamation that God, after whom all paternity in heaven and earth is named, is actually evil and unwise like His ostensible representatives. In the small fishbowl of the tradosphere, present criticism of authority might seem outsized. In the perspective of past 50 years and the greater population of Catholics it is drastically underrepresented.
I believe we should obey and respect ALL the authorities in our lives: teachers, policemen, bosses, etc. But NOT blindly! If the Pope ( or my boss, or a teacher, etc.) told me to torture and murder my family, I would not blindly do that because not only do I love my family but GOD forbids that. God is the Pope's Pope. God owns the company he's not just the CEO. My highest loyalty is to God.
Well said sir, obedience to God en His Church doesn't mean we can not be critical to the Pope, Bishops and Priests but at the end we must obey their decicision and let Holy Spirit guide our Blessed Beloved Church 😇 God bless us en the Church, His bride
I still side on Humility, as that is the inner virtue that drives authentic obedience. One can obey authority yet have a rebellious soul, but one who is truly humble will obey godly authority with a docile soul. Let us not forget that it was the “obedient” elder brother who separated himself from the Father while it was the humility of the “disobedient” son that led him to repentance and reconciliation.
@@danieldefonce true but would you want a worker that dosnt obey and listen and complete his work. I always remember when Samuel rebuked king Saul saying"Obedience is better than sacrifice". In essence he lacked humility AND obedience.
Ramble ramble ramble… “obedience” to authority means I cannot post videos critical of said authority. 🤔 🧐 🤦♂️ I really admired your integrity to at least question in a humble way the many times when our church leaders have strayed from the path of the deposit of faith, good/true/beautiful and the like. I don’t know which videos you removed, but still feel that this self censorship is a shame because I cannot recall any of them to have been worthy of shame for being critical of the church leaders. I always appreciated your integrity of being calm, subtle, articulate, cautious, charitable and yet critical to say the things that need to be said or wish that I could have said. I hope we do not loose the great gift of your voice to heal the body of the church.
“27And it came to pass, as He spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto Him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28But He said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep(obey) it.” Luke11:27,28
What resource states that "The Church teaches that obedience is the highest natural virtue?" Is it in a catechism? Canon law? Consensus of the Fathers? Where, specifically, does the Church "teach" this?
This truth hits home hard for me. Out of obedience, I am finally submitting to the Church of Christ Jesus and becoming Catholic today, this Pentecost of 2024.
Welcome home!
How divinely awesome! Congratulations!!
Congratulations!!!🎉
Congrats
Amazing bro! Welcome home!
Many might think that celibacy is the hardest promise made by those ordained or in religious life. But most of the priests and religious I know say the hardest promise is obedience.
I think broadly speaking, yes, people would think celibacy is the hardest part; however, for those of us whom are asexual, it's very easy. I know we don't need to get into a whole lgbtq shitshow but attractions-- or lack there of-- are very real.
Poverty and celibacy both serve obedience, which is what drove Christ to the Cross, His obedience to the Holy Spirit
@@quisutdeusmflWas it not His obedience to the Father?
@@Testimony_Of_JTF guided by the Holy Spirit whom He had received from the Father at his Baptism, it was also obedience to the Father of course but a better way to describe it would be saying abandonment to the Father and accepting the guidance of the Holy Spirit
Jesus didn’t “receive the Holy Spirit” at his baptism that’s the adoptionism heresy .
I would assist an elderly parish priest with his sick visits when his car was not working. I was repairing the car thinking I was helping him. I did not know that he was told, due to his health, he was not to drive. His superior was disabling his car because he would still use it. The poor older priest would get emotional and relayed to me he wanted to do his ministry, but he could not without a car. It was sad. My pastor told me not to fix the car anymore or be placed under obedience. I was conflicted, but I had to listen to my pastor. So, I drove the older priest on his rounds until he passed away. It is a wonderful memory. I was humbled and honored to experience it.
Wow. Beautiful story, brother. May God bless you
Jesus' obedience to the Father in dying on the cross is the greatest example of obedience.
I agree, but it was more than obedience. He willingly chose it; it wasn't a command like unto Job. He struggled with the commitment in Gethsemane because he was fully human as well as divine, but he knew it was his purpose and chose to continue. I say all this to ensure we all do not forget Jesus' agency.
@@austenl43I’m unsure if you are Catholic but just in case I’m going to throw the Catholic teaching on the matter for both clarification and growth in devotion.
Jesus is a divine person and from conception his created human nature and will was perfectly united to the divine nature and thus also the divine will. Jesus knew from birth his mission and always beheld the beatific vision even when on the cross. In Jesus’ human nature he wills its own safety but also both in human nature and divine nature wills to do the will of the Father.
A more apt example since none of us are Christ, is when Peter and the apostles were beaten in the temple and told not to utter the name of Jesus. They defied the wicked temple authorities, and rejoiced in being permitted to suffer for Our Lord. Never obey a creature if it conflicts with obeying the Creator. The consequences otherwise are a damned shame.
lol, the greatest example of taking a three day weekend. tell me, how does an immortal become mortal, die, come back to life, become immortal again, how exactly does that work? and did the romans kill god? or did jesus trick everyone? the talking snake and donkey cult is funny.
@@ItBeTheWayItDoSomeTimes from baptism*
Well said Brian.
Tongues are actual languages not babble. But 👋🏻 make videos on women dressing modestly mimicking the way nuns dress, including the veil. Not some silly napkin on their head or some see-through lingerie. An actual opaque veil, like the hijab in Islam. And remind the wives to obey the husbands in everything (except sin) as is owed. God bless ☕🙏🏻👋🏻🇻🇦
And when you practice obedience, you practice humility as well. Thank you for your example, Brian.
Absolutely brilliant reflection Brian. And humbling for me as a priest to hear. Keep up the Lord’s work in all you do. 🙏🏻
Amen 🙏
I think this reflection is very good. When becoming Catholic my biggest stumble block with obedience was the church’s teaching on contraception. I could understand it at a global level, but not a personal. But I knew I could trust the church so I obeyed. And the church was right and Gos blessed me greatly for obeying.
They say the devil can fake humility, but not obedience
who is this they? sounds like a dumb saying.
@@HarryNicNicholas St. Faustina.
True enough
@@valwhelan3533 How about casting out demons and doing miracles in Jesus name?
‘Humility is the only thing that no devil can imitate’ St John Climacus
The devil must obey God.
‘Every knee shall bow’
I was a novice once... obedience is a must, without it, all other virtues crumble. If you are obedient, you are chaste, your are poor, you follow the Rule, the Church, the superior and God. If you are desobedient, you fail in the rest. But, it is indeed the most dificult, because it is let it go yourself, your autonomy, your desires, pride, rigths and all. Thats why it is so dificult, and yet, so necessary for sainthood
Love doesn't obey.. Because love is free.
@@heinmolenaar6750 I agree that the foundation of the obedience should be always in the love of God. You trust God, and love Him, so, you obey. It's no a slave relation, but He is God, we are man. Look at Jesus, as a human, he doesn't desire the sofriment, but, because he love the Father and humankind and the Father loves Him, so, he chose to be obedient until the very end. That's the virtue of obedience, so, love is indeed, obedient.
@@heinmolenaar6750Look at the saints. Obedience is love of God.
Love = obedience. If that were true that would mean, to love your enemy is to be obedient to them.
St Paul tells us what love is
Corinthians 4-7. He does not mention obedience. The only time we hear of obedience is from Jesus to follow His commandments, that's how we love Jesus and the Holy Trinity.
People in religious orders make a vow to be obedient to their superiors and the rule, lay people don't.
Obedience is so important. I have been trying to be obedient in our marriage. It’s hard when 33 years out of 36 I was alone half the time due to his job. My family is also very matriarchal and I recently realized that the problems in a lot of my extended family are tied to this.
Women are supposed to be partners and we are also supposed to concede the leadership to our husbands in all the things that matter most.
It’s been hard to ask for permission for little things but I need to get used to asking before doing things that affect us both. In return I get what I’ve always had: a husband that loves and wants to protect me. I can protect myself but he IS the head of this family and once I recognized this I realized how the sin of Eve, pride, affected me.
It isn’t as bad as I thought it would be and it’s almost as freeing as surrendering to Christ.
I also have surrendered to the proper authority of the church.
Thank you for you obedience to the teaching and this is a difficult subject with my 3 daughters in conversation
Which is why the devil wants feminism so badly. To destroy the patriarchy
Can I ask what you mean by asking permission for little things? How little are we talking? I get what you are saying about complementary roles within marriage, but this can, in some cases, become a rationalization for what amounts to coercive, controlling behaviour on the part of a spouse. Not assuming that is the case here, but the need to ask permission in “little things” did raise the question for me.
obedience is not the same as submission. we are not supposed to blindly follow orders. that is slavery.
in order for this dynamic to work the head (the husband) is actually sacrificing himself for this wifes needs (as christ did for the church) so both spouses are living for the same goals. You're not there to support a man as he follows his dreams and builds a career for himself. this is a modern secular value, not a christian one. the mans primary value should be for his family, not his goals and dreams primarily at the expense of his wife and family.
His will should be for his family. He should see what his wife needs and provide it. and as the head, he should take the lead on this.
@@johndeighan2495 the “little things” for me is those that make him feel included in stuff I do alone. I’m purposely over correcting, he says “of course” because these are things that really don’t matter. I’m a hard headed woman who’s basically done whatever I wanted for 3 decades, asking is including him though he really isn’t involved.
We have always been partners and we don’t manipulate or coerce the other. Now that he’s home all the time I found myself excluding him because I was used to just doing things and that’s not a good thing at all.
Mad respect for this. Thanks for being a model of being a faithful and obedient Catholic.
admitting to being catholic is weird, catholicism is just organised crime isn't it? has the pope stopped apologising for all the abuse?
This was inspirational and so very true. It’s a message that desperately needs to be shared.
I'm not going to lie, I never thought I would hear this spoken aloud from a well known Catholic content creator. Thank you for sharing this with the world.
I have read lives of some saints, read books from others about challenges they and the Church have faced and many, many of them were called to obedience above all.
We have so many saints to look to for this, Padre Pio is the most well known example, Mary MacKillop and Theresa of Avilla as well. Most of all, we have Jesus Christ Himself who in the garden asked for the cup to pass if there was another way, but submitted Himself to the Father's Will.
You said it very succinctly, having freewill and freely choosing to obey another authority than your own that is a virtue.
May St. Joseph, the Blessed Mother, St. Paul, St. Pio. St. Theresa all pray for you Brian. God bless!
Amen!
Indeed. This was been refreshing. God bless you Brian
If we don't call out error when it crops up, if there is no challenge from those who recognize when something is wrong, those errors become normalized and more entrenched. Once that happens, it's much harder to correct the ship.
God bless you for being sensitive to this and following through with your conviction. I think more people need to follow in your steps. I see a lot of prudence in you.
This resonates deeply with me. Thank you so much for this video, Brian!!!
Brian: this makes my heart rejoice with so much gladness. This is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen online in a long time. This is from a heart of love and conviction which is what our Lord prays for when He says, “I pray they may be one…”. God bless you dear brother.
God bless you and may your ministry grow immensely in your obedience. 🙏🏼
❤ I have just come to this realization. It is super difficult, especially since I am a new Catholic. I spend hours reading the Bible and watching TH-cam’s trying to learn the faith. I believe God led me to this to help me. Thank you so much for your bravery
Only God can open the door if you ask. On his time. Not ours. Thanks be to the Most Holy Trinity
After a point, to be silent is to be complicit. “We've had enough exhortations to be silent. Cry out with a thousand tongues - I see the world is rotten because of silence.” ― St. Catherine of Siena
@@Dan-mm7gc St. Catherine of Siena is a doctor of the Church. Thus far there are four female saints who are doctors of the Church: Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Saint Hildegard of Bingen, and Saint Catherine of Siena. Doctors of the Church are recognized for the quality of their writing and thought. Saint Catherine of Siena lived during the Western Schism, a time when two and ultimately three rivals claimed to be the valid Pope. The period was unsurprisingly marked by demoralization and corruption.
The quote comes from her 16th letter to an unidentified "great prelate". Saint Catherine of Siena, being from Siena, was Italian and thus her original statement was in that language. She wrote "Oimè, non più tacere! Gridate con cento migliaia di lingue. Veggo che, per tacere, il mondo è guasto, la Sposa di Cristo è impallidita, toltogli è il colore, perchè gli è succhiato il sangue da dosso, cìoè che il sangue di Cristo, che è dato per grazia e non per debito." The quote “We've had enough exhortations to be silent. Cry out with a thousand tongues - I see the world is rotten because of silence.” is the most common English summary of her words. Another and more literal translation from the Italian is: "Be silent no more! Cry out with one hundred thousand tongues. I see that, because of this silence, the world is in ruins, the Spouse of Christ has grown pale; the color is taken from her face because her blood has been sucked out, that is the blood of Christ, which is given as a free gift and not by right." which is a bit more forceful and emphatic.
As for "After a point, to be silent is to be complicit" that is my own observation, based on observation and participation in criminal law. There are reasons malefactors appreciate omerta. Silence creates no disturbance to evil doers, and allows their crimes to perpetuate. Larceny, trafficking, abuse and deceptions of all kind. But one need not be a principal to participate. The sympathetic or intimidated observer can participate by first becoming and obscurantist, and ultimately an accomplice. The Saint here is attempting to discourage such complicity.
But we shouldn't presume that we can discern that in the same way as this Saint did. Which is why we need obedience.
@@Quekksilber We all know evil when we see it. To cosset evil through silent acceptance is to assist in its spread and perpetuation. It also shirks the duty of warning the evil doer of their evil deeds and the consequences. It also requires false humility to justify the shirking. False humilty is a form of pride.
@@Dan-mm7gc I provided the citation you demanded but it was removed. How uncharitable of someone towards you. It is within the saint's 'Letter letter #16, to an unidentified “great prelate”, and in the orginal is "Oimè, non più tacere! Gridate con cento migliaia di lingue. Veggo che, per tacere, il mondo è guasto, la Sposa di Cristo è impallidita, toltogli è il colore, perchè gli è succhiato il sangue da dosso, cìoè che il sangue di Cristo, che è dato per grazia e non per debito."
@@Dan-mm7gc You can find a most informative critique of the English quote at the article fauxtations the world is rotten because of silence.
Your channel helped lead me to the Church. Your humility, sacrifice, obedience and striving for peace within the body here in this video, encourages my soul. Thank you.
May our Lord bless you, keep you, and make his face shine upon you. As you have been a blessing unto my life, my my prayers be a blessing unto yours. You are in my prayers.
You are the opposite of a coward. I didn't know the greatest virtue was obedience either, I thought it was humility. Which you demonstrated beautifully ❤️
St. Thomas Aquinas: ''An unjust law is no law at all.''
In principle we must obey our leaders *unless* they command us to/towards sin.
If any leader willingly causes perpetual scandal and leads the flock to sin, it would be unreasonable, foolish, and an insult to God NOT to be skeptical and be lead astray.
Error has no rights
If we are speaking of obedience to the church than this is complicated. God is eternal and therefore, so is His church and its teachings. Everyone, including clergy, is required to obey its teachings. They can not make a law that stands in opposition to another previous teaching.
Does St. Thomas believe the Church proclaims unjust laws?
The Faculty of the Theology of the Sorbonne went against John XXII's error on the Beatific Vision thankfully leading to his repentance. St. CatherineofSiena opposed the election of Clement II though every Cardinal voted him in after tossing UrbanVI under the bus.
No. The magisterium hands on (tradere) Christ Himself.
You not only talk the talk but really walk the walk. May God bless you for living the faith and not just mouthing it.
You are a good humble man. I knew something like this would happen eventually. Thank you for your work, sir. From Brazil with love.
Staying sceptical isn’t a lack of obedience but a lack of orthodoxy in bishops.
What a beautiful act of humility, sincere intellectual honesty, and courage! I have been working on a book idea centered around Obedience and our rebel nature as fallen human beings, and this was extremely helpful in both confirming my thought and expanding it. Thank you!
Exercising integrity is always the best option. Not an easy option, but well worth it.
christians can't do that, they have to make sure they don;'t annoy god, you can't have integrity and be a suck up.
Integrity... Can't see that on the list of virtues.
Freemason idea, I believe.
@@Kitiwake I think integrity comes in the form of the exercising all of the virtues.
Brian I appreciate this and thank you for the call to obedience
Amen! This is a breath of fresh air. God bless.
Thank you Brian, for sharing your discernment. My spiritual life has been wandering lately, and I’ve been grasping at the other virtues, and this hidden spiritual gem was neglected. Ave. Maria!
I often think of our Lady's obedience, I knew that was how she became Our Lady. I knew it was the most important thing she did, I know that it was what Adam and Eve refused. Thank you. True obedience is a thin line.
She was obedient to God
@@peaceandlove544 Given by a messenger not directly and the foundation of Her Son's Church and the Keys to the Kingdom ( to Heaven & Hell ) were given to the Pope & Bishops NOT the Bible or even an angel.
@@peaceandlove544 our lady of the subservience. lol. make yer minds up, can women go to work or not?
@@josephodoherty7864 there is no god, it's all poorly thought out stories. grow up, santa is not bringing that train set you prayed for.
God bless you, Brian, Catholic history is filled with examples of saints who were raised up by God because of their humility and obedience to their legitimate religious superiors, even when their superiors were wrong. I pray that you will one day be counted among these “saints of humility and obedience.” Thank you for your example to us.
Thank you for this honest and extremely virtuous video. I am now officially a Brian Holdsworth fan! I am a convert to the faith. I entered the church in 2008 thinking I was coming into the " One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church only to find lack of charity and disobedience as two of the most common traits I see among our good Catholic brothers and sisters. I've been feeling sad about this seeing these people turning against the Church and its leadership so publicly. I am happy to see you are taking this opportunity to use your platform as a place of unity and peace. May God richly bless you and your family and thank you for standing up for truth. When we do that, God will surely take care of the rest. He certainly doesn't need our help and limited perspectives. ❤
A lighthouse as always. Thank you for keeping me “in”
A holy priest I know of once said that obedience is always first of the three vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience that is tested by the devil. Once the vow of obedience is broken, the other vows soon come tumbling after. Mary, abyss of humility, pray for us!
Thank you for being so honest. Obedience really is the most difficult virtue. But it is essential because God does have a plan and He is in control. We don’t want to be getting in the way of the Divine plan. I love your channel & your passion. God Bless you 🙏😊
That's too bad. Your Fiducia Supplicans video was one of the best responses I've seen anywhere. Well measured and respectful, but without mincing any words. As Catholics we are obligated to correct our neighbors. I hope that you will reconsider your decision.
Thank you & may God continue to bless and guide you.
Obedience leads to Sainthood.
No, it leads to hell
@@heinmolenaar6750 lol quoting satan today on a christian page? That's weird.
All religions have caused great suffering to humanity. Especially islam and christianity. @@haronsmith8974
@@heinmolenaar6750 Idk dude seems like what lucifer would say
Thank you for being an example of humble obedience. The ire and divisiveness online between Christians is not a helpful witness to anyone. This video message is a step in the right direction.
Dude, I've got so much respect for you.
Brian, thank you for coming to this position albeit a difficult one. I have been really hoping that you would and Thanks be to God!
I'm a Third Order Franciscan for whom obedience is paramount. All the saints obeyed legitimate authority, especially in the Church. Well done.
Good job Brian, glad you finally came to this conclusion. God bless.
Fasting is virtuous. But sometimes can be deadly if not used prudently.
This was absolutely beautifully put. I almost cried at the end: to be obedient in a sacrificial way, to practice what we preach. Obedience is such a big hurdle for all of us. I have financial struggles as an elder single woman now, but I really want to support your channel. Your content is excellent. As part of a ministry that evangelizes in the streets (St. Paul Street...), our team leader put together a list of recommendations to listen to. I recommended your name long ago (after I heard your conversion story). So you are in that list of recommended Catholics to listen to. Solid. Thank you for the content you provide. May God's providence bless you and your sacrifice be rewarded by Him who can do all things.
"For as humility is the foundation of all other virtues, so it is the foundation of obedience. If you do not first lay this foundation of humility, whatever you build will topple down."
Source: St. Augustine's Letters, specifically Letter 118.
I saw that on the Saints Alive show, episode 4 I think, about St Augustine. Nice to see where that is found specifically.
I absolutely love this video! Thank you Brian, God bless you and your audience 🙏
I realised right now that the more I follow the teachings of Catholic and Orthodox teachers, the less I can "obey" my parents.
Both of them were very disparaging about church and church doctorine.
(Both grew up in very religious homes, turned their backs on it, and were openly disappointed that two of my siblings went into church life at a young adult age.)
Now it is my turn. I have to disobey my parents and review my upbringing to follow the church.
I am 55 !
It started with teenage rebellion and ended up in a bad marriage where I listened to (obeyed) my spouse into a life of iniquity.
So we have to be aware of who we consciously or unconsciously obey.
(It can even be our favourite popstar or politician. )
Discernment is important.
Thank you for a thought provoking video.
Just earlier today I heard a homelie on being as wise as a serpent and as meek as a dove.
To be careful of who we follow.
So to find your video this evening has helped tremendously.
As a baby Christian, I needed to hear this today.
I even wrote it onto a card to stick up in a visible place.
Dang Brian, you continue to amaze me with your insights and humility. Well done indeed.
On the contrary, a worthwhile question to ask: Is obedience owed to an authority figure when said person, by evidence of reason, offers a directive that is contrary to (or at the least causes confusion over) Scripture and Church Tradition?
I think Brain answered this with the Pontius Pilate example.
Thank you Brian! I have so much respect for this decision. I think many people have a lot of valid concerns but this is what seemed to be missing from those conversations… remembering our obligation to obedience. I’m a convert from Protestantism and in converting, it was a relief to let go of the obligation to research and investigate everything myself to determine if it was true or not - “just me and my Bible” style, with me as the arbiter of all that was true - and trust the Church that Jesus founded to guide me. I confess it’s felt scary for me to see these divisions springing up in the Catholic Church, how much trust in and obedience to legitimate church authorities has deteriorated, some prominent Catholics flirting with schism, etc. It feels too “Protestant” in some ways. Your video helped me get my bearings, so I think this is a step in the right direction of encouraging that habit of obedience you were talking about.
By deleting your videos, you are not decreasing the *quantitative* amount of criticism the Church receives to a significant degree. There will always be people around to complain about religion, especially on the internet, so your videos are just a drop in the ocean in that regard.
By deleting your videos, you are lowering the *qualitative* caliber of the discussions around ecclesiastical politics, because the number of people who seriously attempt to be nuanced in their critiques of institutions are always in short supply.
The discussion of Church politics should not be split into a binary of obsequious sycophants who are determined to defend their authorities at all cost and crazed lunatics who are so convinced of their non-conformist beliefs that there is no bizarre allegation that they will not level against those in power.
Your videos were a virtuous middle-ground, and by leaving the arena, you are simply ceding space to less responsible voices.
👏👏👏
Agreed.
He deletes his videos and all that results is more extremes. Brian is one of the few who addressed some pretty tough issues with tact and charity, and has shown the world that you can be traddy without being a nasty wackadoo.
In these times we need more of the spirit of the Cristeros not less.
+ Viva Cristo Rey! +
One hundred percent agree. This is terribly misguided.
@@Timblisi
9:23 "...not necessarily because those criticisms aren't legitimate, but because there's way too much of that content on the internet right now..."
I reiterate my original comment: by declining to engage in political commentary, he does not meaningfully reduce the amount of "that content on the internet" to any significant degree, but only removes his own "legitimate" criticism.
@@Timblisi
>"I choose to place a little faith in the man's judgment."
Then you have more faith in him than he apparently has for himself.
I applaud your decision, Brian. Your kind warning found me at the best moment as I've been trying to find some balance in my spiritual life in this regard.
Moral virtues are not above theological virtues. This is in the Summa.
Obedience cannot be followed if it breaks the higher law of Faith
Best comment. It’s no virtue to obey the Sanhedrin or the Romans and betray Christ. If Brian wants to obey peadoughs and disobey Quo Primum then he has chosen eternal damnation. I think Brian would rather please the sick old men of this world than to take the difficult road of pleasing God.
Right. That's why I said it was the highest _natural_ virtue - aside from faith, hope, and love.
@@BrianHoldsworth If I could posit my own question, independent of the comments here above, but in response to the crux of the disagreement: If you made those past videos as an act of faith, hoping they would be of some theological benefit to those who saw them, because of your love for God, His Church, and your fellow man, then wouldn't the faith, hope, and love in them outweigh or even imply obedience? God bless.
I think Brian’s attitude is a lot more humble and gracious than yours, and it’s not close.
I’m just jumping in here, I realise… but no, I get what Brian is doing and why. Obedience is the form of faith. And also the form of love. The Bible talks about “the obedience of faith”. Jesus says “anyone who loves me will obey my commandments.” Does that mean every act of obedience is by definition an act of theological faith and love? No, of course not: we don’t admire those N*sis who were “just following orders”. Yet the converse is true: every genuine act of faith and love is also an act of obedience. And deeper faith and love correlates to purer obedience. I admire Brian for desiring to grow in obedience.
Thank you so much! I tend to struggle with things the opposite of how most other people do, so I struggle with an excess of obedience. It’s really hard when my first instinct is to obey my parents right away, but their instruction is for me to go to Mass less or to never go to Confession, and to not believe the teachings of the Church, ever since they left. Please pray for me to be able to move out soon if you can, I’ll pray for you too 🙏❤️🔥
Asking blind obedience when it is unjustified is the best way of destructing the authority. I have seen that in many institutions (family, church, state, corporations)
Soooo...every time it is ask of you, you need to be convinced of such?
So do you usually obey things you suspect are bat crazy or a flagrant abuse of authority? It's not as if church authorities havent abused their authority in spectacular fashion. We hear very little about the responsibilities of leaders not to confuse the faithful or abuse their power .
@@Musashination
Mr. Holdsworth said‘ obedience’; but you heard ‘BLIND obedience’. It is quite apparent how much of this virtue you actually have.
The intention of the person obeying determines whether they are actually obeying, merely agreeing, cultivating favours, acting out of fear of consequences, etc.
It's always and everywhere good to obey God, because He is God.
I actually believe in blind obedience in a sense, especially with church matters. This is mainly because the church gives me commands like "do good" "confess your sins" do penance" "go to mass" etc. So it's basically irrelevant if this or that higher up were caught up in some scandal. Think back to the middle ages. Probably every farmer in the village knew which priest had which concubine. And they probably didn't care, either. Instead of defiantly calling these clergy out, they were probably more focused on staying in their own lane and living the best Christian life they could. This way of thinking is probably foreign to contemporary America ("By golly, this is a democracy my vote counts!" "This Bishop puts his pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us", etc)
Wow
I am impressed !
I have been struggling with
self denial
Letting God lead my life
Not me
Obedience
never succeeded with that yet
But human and constantly failing
Trying to pick up my cross and Follow Christ
But constantly dropping it and saying
I deserve more or not to do this
Then I come back and try again
I guess that’s me practicing my faith
And hope to get it right sooner than later
Again looks as if you are moving forward
Thanks for what you do
I am also a
Brian
Spelled the right way 😮
Obedience to who? I'm confused.
Another great and thoughtful video. It makes me think about my journey to faith. When I take an honest look at what kept me away from the faith, ultimately disobedience was at the heart of it.
I have tremendous respect about your admission as to why you deleted some of your videos, even at the risk of it messing with your channel.
May God continue to bless you, your family, and the great work you do.
If the videos spoke truth, that is obedience to the truth. It is right & just and should not be put under a bushel basket.
I admire your courage, Brian! I agree it must be hard but it is the right thing to do.
For such a young man you exhibit a remarkable amount of wisdom.
Thank you for saying this!
It needs to be said.
If the earthly representatives of Christ exhort us to hold beliefs, or commit acts contrary to God’s Word, they have lost their authority. Christ said, “If you love me, obey my commandments.” Obedience to rightful authority is a virtue; blind obedience to those who are openly creating a new religion is not. “I was only following orders,” was not accepted at Nuremberg and will not be accepted on the day of judgement. Padre Pio is often cited as an example of virtuous obedience, and indeed he was, but Padre Pio was never instructed to preach or commit acts contrary to the tenets of the Catholic faith.
And maybe we aren't commanded to do that now. By what authority do you hold that view?
I certainly needed to hear this today. Thank you
I recommend reading Dr Kwasniewskis book True Obedience. Obedience is conditional when it concerns men, because if they are not obeying Gods will we would be disobedient to God by obeying them. Only God is due unconditional obedience
And His Church (or so the Church teaches). It appears to me that the mentioned professor likes to defend his dissent by intellectual argumentation, trusting in his own intellectual power over the Church. But that's simply an impression I have, I might be wrong.
Brian, yer such a spiritual stud. Thank you for your magnanimous living. Taking these vids down is amazing and speaks to my heart. 🙏🏻💕
A question might be. Does my habitual ovedience to these leaders help me to be obedient to God? If it doesn't, because you find yourself more angry at how God could give you such leaders, then it might not be. Normally, obedience should follow a hierarchy....but if you have a tyrannical parent, it doesnt work in that way. You might just have to bypass a parent altogether.
Your question & the conclusion you draw is a fallacy. There may be much you should be obeying (ie., in the scope of their authority) by these leaders instruction while there are things that make you angry. The angry reaction may indicate you need spiritual direction or perhaps highlight that they are actually saying something you need to hear. If you know that the teaching of the Church is true it's irrelevant that these individuals fail to live up to it. Obedience covers defending the Church & it's teaching while simultaneously calling out some bad behaviour but do be wary of spotting motes in the eyes of others...you know the rest.
Your response is nonsense. You obey God first not man even if he be a cleric of the church teaching heresy.
You seem to redefine Obedience to your taste because you wish to obey, yet you do not wish to sacrifice your will. Pick one.
@@josephodoherty7864 I didn't say every time you are angry then you shouldn't obey. I said if submission of will is causing real violence interiorly to you and is thus making you frustrated at God then you shouldn't do it. Mine is a minimalist claim about anger and you made it maximalist.
I'm glad obedience is one virtue ive been able to grow in. I struggled with it so much in the past, but attaining it has brought me so much peace and joy, especially in regards to our Pontiff
Obedience is easily done when the superior actually knows what he is asking, when this is not the case and is blatantly reverse , it is almost impossible obey .
Lmbo! This isn’t true at all! It’s difficult even when the superior knows what he is asking…
@@Stripemas If you don't have the virtue, sure. Anything can be difficult if you suck at it.
@@Michael-vf2mwdude, you should see how Christ reacted to obedience… that might be a Good indicator.
@@Stripemas I don't follow, dude. Care to elaborate?
Great reflection!
One thing I would add is that we actually do have many opportunities to practice obedience to our pastors, but they are hidden by their mundanity.
For example, all pastors desire that they’re parishioners get involved in the parish, but they can’t or don’t want to “order” people to do it. So getting involved in the parish decoration team, for example, is not glamorous, but it needs to be done and it objectively helps the pastor focus on the things HE needs to do. Tithing according to one’s means is also a great way to cooperate with the pastor.
Church leadership has to lead people to heaven otherwise they can’t expect obedience.
Thank you for your contribution to the salvation of the Church...to bring healing to the body of Christ❤✝️🙏🏻
The rule of faith for Catholics is simple: semper, ubique, et ab omnibus. That is: whatever has been believed always, everywhere, and by all (Catholic) men. This rule must be obeyed by all in the Church, the pope and hierarchy included. When the hierarchy isn't following Tradition, they must be called back to their duty. Even the new Code of Canon Law says that the faithful have the right to petition their superiors. As well, St. Thomas teaches that we may correct our superiors when their error is such that to not correct them will cause harm to souls. Your criticisms of the churchmen over the errors prevalent at this time is not a sin, nor is it a fault. It is necessary and right. Nor does it mean that in "obedience" you must delete what you have said when your legitimate concerns were couched in reverent language. I therefore must disagree completely with your conclusion that in order to be truly obedient you have to criticize the hierarchy less. You do so in order to save souls. When the pope and bishops turn back from their folly and strive again to uphold Tradition, then you may rest from your labors. But do not think that scrupulously applying the virtue of obedience in this manner will serve the Church and please God. We must not retreat from the field until the war is finished. We must obey Tradition and fight on. May Our Lady protect and guide you.
@@gandalfolorin-kl3pj praying with non-catholics as the Vatican 2 antipopes teach is not semper, ubique et ab omnibus
Brilliant video, thank you 🎉
Obedience is the greatest of all virtues. Be obedient to God and his church, not some people who have come to power and are making a mockery of our faith right in front of our eyes, that's not obedience.
Who are the "some people"?
@@ndumferdy2545 The ones who put down Catholic Traditions at every turn while gleefully donning a native american feather headrests, for instance. That's just an example. I'm not implying that has actually happened or anything like that.
@@Safe-and-effectiveThat actually happened!!
@ndumferdy2545 where have you been??!
@@deluge848 Yes. I was being sarcastic.
Great video, thanks for posting it. I was in simmilar situation like you. Thanks again.
Wow! You are a hard but good example to follow...
sweater plus a vest is a wild combo Brian
Blind obedience it's not obedience at all as Catholics we need to learn our faith after all our Lord and savior said the truth will set us free
Apparently you didn't watch the video. Responding as we FIRST should with obedience we are still thinking beings, of course, not blind to reason. We con ourselves & others if we make this due & proper obedience lip service and promptly start building a huge edifice of rationalisation to allow our egos to rule & our own intellect to be an idol and the first &/or final authority .
>666
🤔
You and I both will grow with your decision. It takes courage to stand corrected for the right reasons, as you stated. Keep it up.
I would certainly not call it cowardice nor laziness. I would, however, call it a misread of the hour. In so much as sin and error consist in putting lesser goods above a greater good, it is simply a no brainer that sooner or later, the devil would get us to willingly put say the number 4 virtue ahead or one or more of the top 3.
False obedience has probably destroyed the faith of millions. All things being equal, the hierarchy deserve the benefit of the doubt. But all things are not equal and I would say that being too ready to obey the bishops is most likely an act of negligence.
One might say that if we obey through our sacrifice of our will, God will bring a greater good out of it. No doubt He will, but He also can bring a greater good in the world even out of sins. But when we look at the Church, regarding the liturgy and thus the faith of many, this has not been born out.
This means either God is failing on his end of the bargain or that the obedience of the laity of the past 50 years has been a great and harmful error. It is obviously not the former. But in the latter, the laity have PARTICIPATED in and acquiesced to the destruction the faith.
In one sense I have no control over the bishop so what is it to me? But there is also the public bearing of false witness of bad authority. Bad authority unchallenged is silence before the false proclamation that God, after whom all paternity in heaven and earth is named, is actually evil and unwise like His ostensible representatives.
In the small fishbowl of the tradosphere, present criticism of authority might seem outsized. In the perspective of past 50 years and the greater population of Catholics it is drastically underrepresented.
God Bless you Brian you are a very wise voice in the room.
I believe we should obey and respect ALL the authorities in our lives: teachers, policemen, bosses, etc. But NOT blindly! If the Pope ( or my boss, or a teacher, etc.) told me to torture and murder my family, I would not blindly do that because not only do I love my family but GOD forbids that. God is the Pope's Pope. God owns the company he's not just the CEO. My highest loyalty is to God.
Great comment
Well said sir, obedience to God en His Church doesn't mean we can not be critical to the Pope, Bishops and Priests but at the end we must obey their decicision and let Holy Spirit guide our Blessed Beloved Church 😇
God bless us en the Church, His bride
I would have said humility. Obedience makes sense.
Which don bosco asked why so many people fall into hell an ángel answered "Disobedience" and something about human respect.
“The devil can imitate humility but he cannot imitate obedience.”
-St. Faustina
@@G-MIP Seems like such a non-sensical quote. Did St Faustina say why she thought that?
I still side on Humility, as that is the inner virtue that drives authentic obedience. One can obey authority yet have a rebellious soul, but one who is truly humble will obey godly authority with a docile soul. Let us not forget that it was the “obedient” elder brother who separated himself from the Father while it was the humility of the “disobedient” son that led him to repentance and reconciliation.
@@danieldefonce true but would you want a worker that dosnt obey and listen and complete his work. I always remember when Samuel rebuked king Saul saying"Obedience is better than sacrifice". In essence he lacked humility AND obedience.
You are on to something to meditate on and pay attention. It’s profound. This is where the rubber meets the road in our conversion. Thanks Brian!
Ramble ramble ramble… “obedience” to authority means I cannot post videos critical of said authority. 🤔 🧐 🤦♂️ I really admired your integrity to at least question in a humble way the many times when our church leaders have strayed from the path of the deposit of faith, good/true/beautiful and the like. I don’t know which videos you removed, but still feel that this self censorship is a shame because I cannot recall any of them to have been worthy of shame for being critical of the church leaders. I always appreciated your integrity of being calm, subtle, articulate, cautious, charitable and yet critical to say the things that need to be said or wish that I could have said. I hope we do not loose the great gift of your voice to heal the body of the church.
“27And it came to pass, as He spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto Him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28But He said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep(obey) it.”
Luke11:27,28
Please don't delete the videos.
Thank you, Brian for “walking the talk”, making this sacrifice ❤
What resource states that "The Church teaches that obedience is the highest natural virtue?" Is it in a catechism? Canon law? Consensus of the Fathers? Where, specifically, does the Church "teach" this?
Thank you, thank you, thank you, I so needed to hear this today...
excellent. this is so necessary nowadays. this is to be humble prudent and wise thimk. lets be more like st joseph
God bless you- we all need that message. That is where unity is discovered, and ultimately the Peace of Christ.
Since we are going to practice obedience to the Church, do you have any faculty to preach online given by the Church?
God bless you! May the Lord lead many follow your lead.