Drain the swamp

THIS

is not, of course, a political piece, much less, a partisan one, though the title is a phrase that was popularized by US President Trump during his presidential campaign way back in 2016. He actually did not coin it, but with the way he is and how the state of US politics can be described, this expression enjoyed tremendous following.

Wikipedia describes this expression compromises with error and sin until as alluding “to the physical draining of their consequences become endemic swamps to keep mosquito populations to a particular Church structure. low to combat malaria.” But it is often Even during the time of Christ, this used by politicians to refer to their draining of the swamp was already effort to root out systemic corruption done. Christ had to contend with the or whatever has become systemically warped understanding of religion that wrong in the government bureaucracy the leading Jews of that time had. or in the political world. Remember those lamentations

It is an expression that definitely Christ made against the Pharisees and can also be applied to whatever is the scribes as recorded in Chapter 23 wrong at any level of the Church in the Gospel of St. Matthew. Some structure, especially when what is words of Christ may be helpful to give wrong there has become systemic. us a savor of how he felt about the

We should not be surprised by swamp that was the state of religion this phenomenon. Given our own at that time: weaknesses and the many temptations “The scribes and the Pharisees around, we cannot deny that in spite sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe of everything that Christ has given whatever they tell you, but not the us to make us holy individually and works they do. For they preach, but do collectively, we always have the not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, possibility of lapsing into subtle hard to bear, and lay them on people’s

shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others, etc., etc.”

We really need to be very sharply aware of this danger and should be prepared to take the necessary precautions and, if needed, to do battle with it. That’s when we have to learn the art of draining the swamp, starting with our own selves by seeing to it that we avoid complacency, spiritual lukewarmness and any compromise with error and sin, no matter how slight.

And when we see signs of systemic compromises in any level of our Church structure, we should react immediately. In fact, it would be better that we nip these compromises in the bud. But if these compromises have already gained some ground, then we really should react with appropriate vigor and prudence.

It is our duty to keep the Church structure fit to sacramentalize the Body of Christ or the People of God that the Church is. In this regard, our Catechism tells us that the Church, “clasping sinners to her bosom, at once holy and always in need of purification, follows constantly the path of penance and renewal. All members of the Church, including her ministers, must acknowledge that they are sinners. In everyone, the weeds of sin will still be mixed with the good wheat of the Gospel until the end of time.” (CCC 827)

So we are all asked to continue