MANILA, Philippines – The demand usually rises for special fish dishes during Lent, the 40-day penitential period when Catholics abstain from meat on Fridays. We see this in the more aggressive advertisements of so-called Lenten meals, such as fish fillet sandwiches, bangus bellies, and seafood pizza and pasta dishes.

Such meals, however, tend to be extra expensive due to their ingredients. A fish fillet sandwich at a popular fast-food joint costs P92, for example, while a plain hamburger costs only P66. At high-end restaurants, a crab dish can even cost P800 or more.

We buy costly meals, ironically, to fulfill a religious duty anchored on sacrifice and simplicity.

It reflects how we, Filipinos, tend to follow rules for the sake of following rules, or because institutions or authorities say so, without understanding the spirit of the law.

For self-denial

Why do we abstain from meat and fast on certain days of Lent? It is, based on Catholic teaching, an act of self-denial and dependence on God. It helps us “acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart,” says the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Fr Jose Magadia, SJ, provincial superior of the Jesuits in the Philippines from 2008 to 2013, further explains this idea of cutting down on certain luxuries in a reflection for Rappler’s Holy Week Online. 

“The idea is to cut down – not just for cutting down’s sake; and not just for self-discipline; and not just for proving to ourselves that we can do without things; and not just because the Church requires it,” Magadia writes. “I think that cutting down is done in order to make a little more room in our hearts for one another, and also maybe a little more room for God.”

When we eat glamorized and expensive seafood dishes for an obligatory Lenten practice, are we fulfilling the spirit of the law?

RH law and conscience

We see another example in the debates on the reproductive health (RH) law. A number of Catholics oppose non-abortive contraception, such as condoms and certain pills, only because bishops and priests say so.

Catholics quote a passage from the book of Genesis – “Go forth and multiply” – in upholding the value of life. Life, however, is not as simple as giving birth. A group of Ateneo professors says to be “pro-life” is to also consider other factors affecting life, such as poverty.

In their paper, “Catholics Can Support the RH Bill in Good Conscience,” the academicians cite Catholic social teachings, such as the preferential option for the poor, to support their position favoring the RH law.

Catholics, on the other hand, can also oppose the RH law in good conscience. The Catholic Church itself respects the dictates of conscience – a person’s “most secret” core and sanctuary in which he or she “is alone with God whose voice echoes in his or her depths,” according to the document “Gaudium et Spes” from the Second Vatican Council.

The point, in the context of abiding by Church laws, is to always take a critical stance vis-a-vis rules and authorities. Do we follow rules blindly?

In school, at work

We need maturity in following rules not only in church, but also in schools, offices, and other venues.

Students meet the bare minimum of passing a homework, for example, by copying from friends. The spirit behind assignments is not for the teacher to get extra papers to check, but for the students to learn. Now whom do the cheaters cheat?

In the workplace, employees fulfill their duty of filing income tax returns. Some, however, under-declare their income, knowing they would not be caught. But what is the spirit behind filing taxes? Is it primarily for the government to rob us of money – which happens, by the way – or is it for the government to have more money, ideally, to address poverty and deliver other services?

Have we matured in our notions of morality?

Psychology tells us children tend to follow rules blindly, seeing morality as black and white, a simple set of do’s and don’ts. The mature ones, on the other hand, abide by laws alongside universal principles that guide their actions. Some adults even break rules – while remaining faithful to the values that guide these laws.

We who are mature should not follow rules only for the sake of following rules. One guide – in deciding to abide by or even break laws – could be the common good. – Rappler.com