Reflection on “Freedom and Following Jesus” – based on the letter to the Galatians 5:1.13-18 and the Gospel of Luke 9:51-62
On Thursday is July 4. Americans will celebrate Independence Day.
No word is more important in the American heritage than “freedom.” As Patrick Henry, the American patriot even said: “Give me liberty or give me death.”
Ask anyone what freedom means, and the answer is likely to be about freedom FROM something – – – freedom from restrictive rules and regulations of authority – even freedom from parents, freedom from paying mortgage, freedom from bad relationships, etc.
Meaning – We have understood freedom almost often or primarily only as freedom FROM something or someone.
The problem is, Freedom in all its beauty and gift from God, can be also the biggest obstacle on our way to God because freedom is often abused by us.
For example, look at the drug addict. He demanded the right to do as he pleased. Those silly medical warnings and legal prohibitions would not restrict his freedom. But now – he is no longer free. Drugs have taken control of his life.
We hear people say – this is my life – this is my body. I am pro-choice. I can do whatever I want with my body. Yes – you have free choice but please, always choose life!
St. Paul reminds us that freedom is not only a privilege, it is also a responsibility – and it must be exercised within certain boundaries…
Remember: We are wrong if we define freedom as the ability to do whatever we want without having to bend to any sort of authority or moral law.
We cannot let our freedom be destroyed by our lack of legal or moral restraints especially disregarding sexual restraints – and disregard for strict rules of moral correctness.
A lot of people have this misconception that to be a Christian, to follow Christ means the end of real life – “end of having good times” and the beginning of bondage to rules and guilty conscience.
The truth is – Being a Christian, yes – we belong to Christ… Christ reigns in our life… no one else or nothing else in all the world is to gain control of our life…. But it does not diminish our freedom but rather protects it… To be mastered by Christ is to be set free to enjoy and experience life to its fullest. You see, that’s paradox. To be a slave to Christ is to be truly free… As Jesus said: “Know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
For Christians, freedom is the ability to be the unique person that God created each of us to be. We all know this and experience this. We are at our happiest when we are at our best. Yes, we have responsibilities, and, yes, we have authority over us, but this does not limit our freedom.
God’s laws/commandments given through His Church actually leads us to true freedom – to be our true selves as God meant us to be… free to love.
Freedom as only freedom FROM – is ultimately destructive.
And so, we need to discover what we are free FOR. Once we are free – We need to ask the question: What new opportunities are we now able to embrace, what new commitments are we now finally free to make?
We are reminded not to use our freedom as a license to selfishness, but to serve one another in love. We do not have the right to do anything that hurts someone else… Our lives are intertwined and involved in the lives of other people.
When we are free to be our true selves as God created us, then we allow His reflection to be seen or experienced by others.
There are so many people who are like that, be they canonized saints, or members of your own families, and many of you who are continually at your best because you have God at the center of your lives, you try to follow Christ the best you can and are always giving to others.
If at any time in your lives others can see Christ in you, even if it is only a glimpse, then you are truly free, free to be who God meant you to be.
Again, freedom is not being able to do whatever you want whenever you want however you want… where anything goes. We now live in such a society. Sin is basically telling God:
“God, I know what you want. I do not care. I will do what I want.”
That is slavery to sin but people call it “freedom”.
This is what St. Paul is speaking about in the second reading.
“Brothers and sisters: For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. For you were called for freedom. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.”
We cannot just say we are Christian. We have to be determined to live the Christian life… But this takes courage. This takes determination.
Think of Elisha in today’s first reading. He was so determined to heed God’s call and follow Elijah that he slaughtered his twelve head of oxen and burned their yokes… which means – no more turning back for him. We are called to have same that determination… and by the grace of God – We can conquer anything that is holding us back from being our best selves.
Like Jesus in today’s Gospel, we must be resolutely determined to do whatever the Father’s will is for us. We can be our best selves. We men can be Men of God. You ladies can be Women of God.
Some of us who are old enough to remember the old version of the
The Act of Contrition: Oh, my God, I am truly sorry for having offended thee and I detest all of my sins because I fear the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. …
To fear the loss of heaven and to fear the pains of hell can seem like one and the same thing. They’re not. There’s a huge moral difference. Fear of hell is based upon fear of punishment. Fearing the loss of heaven is based upon a fear of not being a good, loving person… not being what we are meant to be. A sign of Christian maturity is when we are more worried about not being loving enough than when we’re fearful that we will be punished for doing something wrong.
As we mature more in our spirituality, we need to learn to worry less and less about going to hell and we need to worry more and more about the bitterness, anger, ingratitude, and non-forgiveness that still remains in our hearts. Let us worry less about committing a mortal sin and let us worry more about whether we are gracious, respectful, and forgiving towards others.
Fear of the pains of hell and fear of the loss of heaven is a good start as our guiding principle but a more mature Christian attitude is to fear offending God because God is all good and deserving of all our love.
We pray and we continue to seek the grace, the wisdom and the courage to be whom God calls us to be. Amen.
13TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE C
Galatians 5:1, 13-18
