FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
MODERNISM
(Part 40)
UPHOLDING HUMAN TRADITION
February 8, 2022
Today’s gospel: Mark 7:1-13
The scribes and Pharisees were the religious authorities during Jesus’ time. They were intent on “keeping the tradition of the elders.” (v.3b). That would have been good, except that they ended up “teaching as doctrines human precepts.” (v.7b). Jesus called them hypocrites, quoting Isaiah, “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me” (v.6-7a). They have replaced God with man.
And so it is with clerics and prelates today who have become liberal and modernist. We see this with the COVID pandemic. Liberal pastors sided with the totalitarian State, at times even going ahead of and being stricter than the State in mandating lockdowns and shutdowns.
The State instituted fear such that people were carefully washing their hands (v.3a) and using disinfectants, not eating “without purifying themselves” (v.4a), and looked to the strict “purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds” (v.4c). So too the Church, with instructions to the faithful at Mass, to disinfect before entering the Church and before receiving Holy Communion. Fear was such that Mass-goers disinfected at various times, wiping the seats and kneelers clean, and even after handling and giving money to the collection basket.
The State closed establishments. So too the Church, closing and locking down churches and depriving the faithful of the sacraments. Some churches prevented the elderly and the unvaxxed from entering. The important sacrament of Reconciliation was hardly there to be availed of.
And how about the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, especially receiving Holy Communion? One’s hands needed to be re-sprayed by ushers with alcohol. Reception on the tongue was forbidden. The Pharisees “do not eat without purifying themselves.” (v.4a). But in the West, known grave public sinners like pro-aborts are given Holy Communion. So the hands are clean but the inner being is unclean. Catholics eat the body of Christ with hands that are physically clean but not spiritually clean.
Why is modernism wrong? Jesus himself says it: “You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” (v.8). It is looking to the well-being of man while disregarding the righteousness of God. It is being nice to grave sinners, accepting and accompanying them, but without talking of their sin. “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!” (v.9). It is deliberately misinterpreting scripture and overturning the age-old teachings of the Church in order to promote false teaching. “You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.” (v.13).
What are these many such things that nullify the word of God?
- Accepting, embracing and celebrating homosexuality.
- Blessing same-sex unions.
- Harping on social justice issues but not on more basic issues such as abortion.
- Being supportive of globalists and depopulationists.
