True Spirit of Obedience
Let no one show sadness when commanded … and let everyone avoid carrying it out unwillingly, slothfully, with aversion or murmuring … In general they should avoid obeying without cordiality. (OOCC, VII, p. 108; SD, p. 15)
According to St. Vincent, a person must not only have the right motive in obeying, but also have the true spirit of obedience. The true spirit of obedience points to the manner in which a person should obey a given order. For St. Vincent, a person should not show any form of sadness when he is commanded to do something. Sadness truly kills the spirit of obedience. Hence, a person must accept the order joyfully. A person must not carry out the order unwillingly, for obeying unwillingly makes the act burdensome and fruitless. A person must not obey slothfully, for slothful obedience makes a person casual and negligent in the way he performs the act and such an act will bring him no happiness. The act of obeying must not be done with an aversion towards the order, for it will bring dissatisfaction and disgust in the person and make his life meaningless. A person must obey the order of the superior without murmuring, for such an obeying makes the person complain and grumble and thereby destroys peace in his life. Hence, for St. Vincent, the true spirit of obedience consists primarily of joyfully accepting the order the superior gives to a person. Having accepted the order joyfully, a person must carry it out willingly, whole-heartedly, without dislike, and happily, thereby manifesting true cordiality to the one who gave the order and to the one who benefits from the order. In this manner a person lives the true spirit of obedience.
Do I obey in a true sprit of obedience? Am I joyful in accepting the order given? Do I carry out the order willingly? Am I negligent and casual in carrying out the order the superior gives? Do I grumble and complain when I dislike the order of the superior? Do I manifest cordiality towards the superior and the beneficiary of my act of obeying?
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God … Therefore, he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed. (Rom. 13: 1 – 2)