Legalism can be defined as a fixation on rules and regulations. We live in a legalistic society: "How far can I go before I get in trouble with the law?" "If the speed limit is 55 mph can I travel at 61 mph and not get caught?" "How much wiggle room do I have in filling out my tax return?" But is it healthy for a Catholic to ask, "How far can I go before I get in trouble with the Church?"

The Church, of course, espouses many laws. The Ten Commandments form the foundation of the Church's moral teaching. There are "precepts of the Church." There are Church "disciplines" such as celibacy and "Lenten observances." The Church's tradition of "moral theology" provides guidance in living the "law of Christ." And Christ Himself teaches us, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

While some try to separate God's law from the love of Christ, it would be equally mistaken to overlook that the law of Christ is directed to love. When St. Thomas calls the laws of the Church, "a kindly tutor," he means that Christian law should not be obeyed for its own sake. Observance of Christian law should always be considered a means of love.

But every generation is threatened with an unhealthy legalism. Observance of the law in servile fear or for the law's sake is far more common than observing the law for the just ordering of society. We are awash in legalism in the contemporary bureaucratic society with its rules and regulations, policies, procedures and protocols.

What has been the consequence of such legalism? Church disciplines are changeable "rules" that are designed to direct our attention to the firm certainties of faith. But some Catholics forgot that the discipline of meatless Fridays was meant to be a communal act of self-denial to witness to — and participate in — the suffering of Christ on Good Friday. With the true purpose of abstaining from meat lost, some Catholics actually looked forward to Friday as a lobster feast day! When we lose sight of the true purpose of the law of Christ, the observance of law can easily become routine and barren. Legalism has led other Catholics to reduce the Church's moral teaching to a collection of mere rules and regulations. These Catholics hold that the Church's teaching authority is limited to clearly "infallible" teachings. If certain teachings are particularly unpleasant and are not expressly "infallible," these Catholics hold that there can be compelling reasons based on "love" to disregard the teaching. This kind of legalism is not new.

When the Lord reveals to His Apostles that he must go to Jerusalem and be put to death, Peter objects. The teaching was too hard to accept. Did Peter reject the Lord's teaching because he feared for the Lord? Or did he fear for his own safety? In any case, presuming to become the Lord's spiritual director, he exclaims, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." After the Lord's harsh rebuke of Peter ("Get behind me, Satan"), the Lord teaches his disciples the fundamental rule of discipleship: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me."

Only a desire to take up one's cross to follow Christ purifies discipleship of self-interest and false compassion. The Cross shatters an attitude of legalism. A disciple in love with Christ does not worry about "getting in trouble with the Church." A true disciple of Christ loves the Cross because the Cross is the only means of union with Christ.