“Any excessive focus on form alone will disrupt our communion with God and our ability to love others as Christ commands.” (Dynamis 7/23/2014)
“Unfortunately, one can really enjoy all the religious ritual without really wanting to know God. God can always tell the difference between the heart that is turned toward Him and the heart that is devoted to religious form.” (Foundation Study Bible, Isaiah 58:2)
“Think about why Godly children emulate Godly parents. It’s not because their parents simply came to church, although that’s part of it. It’s not because their parents simply read the Scriptures or say their prayers, although that’s a part of it. It is because they witness in their parents an example of dedication that will not be denied, a witness to Christ that is not merely verbalized but one that is activated in the whole style of their lives. It is religion with substance as well as form.” (Fr. James C. Meena)
“But observing the form of religion is not enough! It doesn’t make it! It’s like taking a bath with your clothes on! It’s not until you are stripped naked before God and confess your sins and commit yourself to Him totally and completely and reiterate that commitment every day of your life, giving Him thanks for every blessing and for every tribulation by which you are burnished that you observe not only the form of religion but its substance as well.” (Father Vladimir Berzonsky, Fr. James C. Meena)
“Why did Jesus curse the fig tree? [Matthew 21:18-22] This was not a thoughtless, angry act but an acted-out parable. Jesus was showing his anger at religion without substance...If you only appear to have faith without putting it to work in your life, you are like the fig tree that withered and died because it bore no fruit. Genuine faith means bearing fruit for God’s Kingdom." (Life Application Study Bible, Matthew 21:19)