The memory of Judge Moylan, a truly outstanding man of faith and principle, came to mind as I reflected upon the opening prayer for Mass this past Sunday. We prayed these words: “Give all who for the faith they profess are accounted Christians the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ and to strive after all that does it honor.” This is how we become men and women of principle and character – by rejecting what is contrary to the name of Christ and by striving to embrace all that brings honor to our Lord. For me, and for so many at the time, this is what inspired us about Judge Moylan’s integrity.
In this Opening Prayer, the words “reject” and “strive” are prominent. Both of these actions are required of anyone who desires to be a person of integrity. Behaviorally, both are intentional pursuits. First let’s consider the Christian duty to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ.” How many times a day do we find ourselves in the position of rejecting what is contrary to the name of Christ? Life presents us with the choice to lie, to cover up, to look the other way, to take bribes, to falsify information, to mislead, to misrepresent, or to take advantage of someone else in a given situation. To maintain integrity as a Christian, we must reject all of these temptations. And when we give into them, this ought to be confessed.
At the same time, there are things that we need to strive for in the Christian life, to intentionally pursue for the glory of God and to bring him greater honor. Daily prayer is the first duty of every Christian person. Daily we ought to give honor and glory and praise to God. Following upon the praise and glory of God comes our duty to love our neighbor as ourselves. To strive to care for others when it is in our power to assist them is to bring honor to the name of Christ. The more intentional we become about rejecting what is contrary to the name of Christ the more intentionally our minds and hearts can be fixed on what honors our Lord.
The work of our daily prayer is that of integrating the gospel into every aspect of our lives. With regard to the commandments, we reject the temptation to pursue other ‘gods’ in our lives – hobbies, recreation, a side-business – whatever crowds God out of our lives. We reject the common practice these days of swearing and using vulgar language. We reject the temptation to prioritize something over keeping the Lord’s Day holy by attending Mass and doing other works of mercy. Keeping the commandments requires that we become intentional about rejecting other options that are contrary to the name of Christ.
All the commandments require us to reject something: dishonoring our parents, no matter how old they are; killing or assaulting the reputation of others; having or pursuing adulterous relationships; obtaining goods and services dishonestly; speaking falsely or uncharitably about others; flirting and crossing respectful boundaries with others; coveting the goods of others with envy and disdain. We prayed for “the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ” because we all need divine assistance to avoid the human tendency to compromise our moral integrity for earthy rewards.
At the same time, we will grow in moral strength to do the right thing when the wrong thing might be easier by “striving after all that does [the name of Christ] honor.” Each day upon rising from sleep we ought to say, “Here am I, Lord, I come to do your will.” This might be the first act of ‘striving’ for each of us…to direct our hearts and minds to the purpose of our existence – for the praise and glory of God. Then we would do well to enter into some time of personal prayer.
Furthermore, we strive after all that honors the Lord by frequently repeating throughout the day some phrase, perhaps from the Psalms or Sacred Scripture, such as: “Lord, teach me your ways” or “The Lord is my light and my salvation” or “Only in God will my soul be at rest.” In this way, we keep our minds and hearts fixed on the Lord. We might also add to our daily routine some particular devotion, or prayerfully considering a daily passage from the Scriptures, some spiritual reading and perhaps some kind of outreach to others who are either alone in a nursing home or could use a helping hand for one thing or another. Striving to bear the light of Christ to those around us builds up our Christian integrity.
As we begin new habits of striving after what honors the Lord, we will find that we have little time for lesser things. Frankly, we are all way too busy, but with what? Many of us think we don’t have time to strive after what honors the name of Jesus because we already have so much going on. Actually, it may be the case that we need to cut back on what we are busy with in order to “Seek first the Kingdom of God.” Intentionally striving after what honors the name of Christ might be the best way to reset our priorities in life. One who is too busy to pray is busier than our Lord wants them to be. One who is too busy to do things for others is too focused on pleasing himself.
The Christian life demands that we reject what is contrary to the name of Christ and to pursue what does it honor. As we pray for this grace throughout this week, may the joy of the Gospel fill our hearts and renew our integrity as Christian men and women.
