A Homily for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

+ “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”
 
This warning, repeated to each of us personally by the Church in her Sacred Liturgy this morning, is disturbing. Ravenous wolves are more than sufficiently dangerous even without a disguise, and rightly does one take measures to protect oneself and those in one’s care from the possibility of their attack. But to find that ravenous wolves have bypassed such protections—to find that they have walked through an open gate in the light of day, as it were—disguised as sheep, cannot but give rise to serious alarm if not even panic. The danger of imminent uncontrolled slaughter is real.
 
Of course, wolves do not frequent fancy-dress hire shops (thankfully). Our Lord is using a strikingly powerful image to teach. But the lesson He teaches thereby is as important as the metaphor is vivid: not all is always as it seems, and false prophets are a reality against which we must be on guard.
 
A century ago Blessed Ildephonse Schuster observed that this Gospel:
 
“Teaches us supernatural prudence in discerning the ways in which God works. In order to judge a person’s disposition, the surest way is to consider his actions. Pious and devout words cost but little, and Satan himself can quote holy Scripture with no lack of unction. What is of real consequence is that we conquer ourselves so that we may accomplish the holy will of God.”
 
This is of the utmost importance. In times when communications media make it very easy to point out the splinter in our neighbours’ eyes around the world, we must first attend to the logs in our own. (cf. Mt. 7:3) The conversion of my own life comes first.
 
We must still be on our guard against false prophets. Speaking probably of the twentieth century modernist crisis—the damage of which, like nuclear fallout, pollutes the life of the Church still—Blessed Schuster continues:
 
“In these days especially, when as the Apostle foresaw, a false gnosis opposes self-styled magistros prurientes auribus [cf. 2 Tim 4:3] to the traditional Catholic doctrine, the judgement we form is of very great importance to enable us at once to distinguish the false teachers from the true. For this purpose we must, above all, bear in mind in what the spiritual life really consists—that it is not merely a joyous stroll through this world, but a disciplined advance towards eternity. It is therefore not a matter of ease or pleasure, but of arduous labour.
 
Furthermore, it is necessary to ascertain what claim to authority he possesses who sets himself up as a teacher of truth to others. In order to fill such a ministry worthily, one must first practice in one’s own life that which one desires to teach to others by word of mouth, so that good example may prove to be the most efficacious sermon… Fine theories are not enough and whether it be for one’s own sanctification or for that of others, not merely good works, but superlatively good works are requisite.” (The Sacramentary, III p. 110)
 
“A disciplined advance towards eternity” bringing forth “superlatively good works”—these are no small demands. And yet, in our time, with its own particular crisis in the Church wherein we may not only encounter wolves in sheep’s clothing, but also disguised as shepherds, this is our task. As monks, here in this “school of the Lord’s service,” (Rule, Prologue) we must be exemplars of this disciplined advance and, as the Lord permits, bring forth such good works as we are able—above all the most beautiful and worthy celebration of the Work of God of which we are capable.
 
So too, in this time of crisis we must—each of us according to our means—offer what support and protection we can to those under attack: particularly to the sheep whose shepherds would starve them of the nourishment of the Holy Mass and sacraments and other rites celebrated according to the ancient tradition of the Church. Wolves disguised as shepherds know only how well to hide their disingenuous dispersal of the flock under talk of so-called “unity”, “inclusivity”, “diversity”, etc., which brings forth the poisoned fruits of division, exclusion and rigid uniformity.
 
As we give thanks to Almighty God this morning to be able to offer this Holy Mass in the usus antiquior, let us pray earnestly for those faithful sheep whom we know here in France, in England, in the United States and elsewhere, whose appointed shepherds seek to forbid them this right. May Almighty God protect His Church from the wolves, no matter what their disguise—from all their works, and from all their empty promises! May He grant each one of us the grace of perseverance and of such resistance as is truly necessary that His sheep may continue their disciplined advance towards eternity in peace, unmolested by the insidious wolves that prowl about today. (cf. 1. Pet. 5:8) +

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