May 24, 2013
PART 3
Piety the fifth of the Sevenfold Gifts, St. Bonaventure
Fifth, grant us piety, by which we may acquire compassionate hearts.
Appearing pious and acts of piety are two different things. It was Aristotle who reminded us of how a pious attitude is the tool of those who want to blow smoke (that’s my language). He wrote:
“A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side.”
In the book of James, we are reminded that “Anyone who sets himself up as ‘religious’ by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air” (the Message).
Or as Jesus put it in Matthew 23:23 – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.” These folks only represent all those who would rather be pious than do the hard work of piety.
