WORDS FROM FATHER YOHANES: Not to Abolish But to Fulfill

By Father Yohanes Akoit

We are witnessing a growing phenomenon in our society that

deeply affects our lives and our faith: hedonism. It promotes a

way of life focused on pursuing pleasure and avoiding suffering at

all costs. We see it in everyday attitudes; shopping not out of need

but for emotional comfort; replacing phones and clothes out of

boredom; avoiding difficult tasks and choosing only what feels

pleasant; preferring entertainment over discipline; overeating for

taste; seeking quick results without effort.

This mindset has begun to shape our commitments, our faith, our

sacraments, and our family life. Virtues such as patience,

tolerance, self-restraint, forgiveness, and reconciliation are

increasingly dismissed as unnecessary or meaningless. Many

people see Christian virtue as a form of self-inflicted suffering.

They believe the only way to avoid pain is to avoid virtue.

If in the past we had saints like St. Monica, who embodied the

virtue of patience, today that virtue seems to have disappeared.

People treat it as mythology or nostalgic history. They believe it is

impossible to practice now. When something happens in family

life between husband and wife, separation is seen as the only

solution. The same happens in relationships: when conflict arises,

the first response is to seek restitution. People sue one another on

the grounds of damaged dignity, and based on that claim, they

pursue the restoration of dignity. The same attitude appears in

matters of faith. Whenever we lack something in life, we tend to

say that God has abandoned us, and the way to ease ourselves is

by avoiding the Church and prayer; retaliating against God by

distancing ourselves from Him and His Church.

Aware of this trend, the Church echoes once again Jesus’ words:

“I have come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it” (Matthew 5:17

–37). By proclaiming this, the Church mourns the loss of virtue

and calls the faithful to cultivate Christian virtues anew. We are

invited to learn from Jesus “not to abolish the law but to fulfill it.”

The word “law” here refers to an imperfect reality. This meaning

is derived from the context of the reading above. The people want

Jesus to help them perfect their law. They want Jesus to change

their law because it enslaves them. Therefore, in general, we can

say that the word “law” symbolizes imperfect reality.

Based on that interpretation, we can apply it more broadly to our

own situation. The imperfect reality can refer to our institutions,

partners, children, church, health, fate, job, government, family,

past experiences, and more. When facing this reality, Jesus tells

us that we are not called to abolish it, but to fulfill it. Indirectly,

Jesus invites us to follow His example: to fulfill the law. This

means accepting the imperfect reality, befriending with them, and

working to overcome them.

Practically speaking, this means that when something happens in

family life, separation is not the only solution; when God seems

slow to answer our prayers, avoiding the Church is not the answer;

and in many other situations, we should resist the tendency to

escape imperfect reality. Jesus asks us to fulfill it; using the

cardinal virtues. We are called to offer forgiveness, seek

reconciliation, practice patience, and live joyfully.

Father Yohanes Akoit is pastor of St. Julian and St. Anthony Catholic

churches in Kentucky.