"Authority" … "obedience". To be frank, these are not easy words to speak nowadays. Words like these represent a "stumbling stone" for many of our contemporaries, especially in a society which rightly places a high value on personal freedom. Yet, in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ - "the way and the truth and the life" - we come to see the fullest meaning, value, and indeed beauty, of those words. The Gospel teaches us that true freedom, the freedom of the children of God, is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love. Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves (cf. Lk 17:33). True freedom blossoms when we turn away from the burden of sin, which clouds our perceptions and weakens our resolve, and find the source of our ultimate happiness in him who is infinite love, infinite freedom, infinite life. "In his will is our peace".
Real freedom, then, is God's gracious gift, the fruit of conversion to his truth, the truth which makes us free (cf. Jn 8:32). And this freedom in truth brings in its wake a new and liberating way of seeing reality. When we put on "the mind of Christ" (cf. Phil 2:5), new horizons open before us! In the light of faith, within the communion of the Church, we also find the inspiration and strength to become a leaven of the Gospel in the world.
Looking for a place to feel inspired and challenged? Like to share a smile or a laugh? Interested in becoming more familiar with Canadian writers who have a Christian worldview? We are writers who live in different parts of Canada, see life from a variety of perspectives, and write in a number of genres. We share the goal of wanting to entertain and inspire you to be all you can be with God's help.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The pope on the true meaning of freedom
From Pope Benedict XVI's homily at Yankee Stadium on Sunday:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Popular Posts
-
You have to have been living in a cave over the past few years not to realize that there is - has been - will be - a major shift in publishi... -
Last week’s shopping trip left me feeling elated and deeply satisfied. Now if you know me that is quite a statement! Unlike many wom... -
Every Friday in my regular early morning prayer time, I pray for several countries specifically. One of them is Haiti. On ... -
I don't know about you, but for me words have power. An unspoken word or thought nestled away in my mind has one level ... -
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will b... -
On a Wednesday evening in late July, I stand at the sink washing and cutting harvest apples into quarters to make applesauce. The very act... -
Remember how Humpty Dumpty had a great fall? Well, I had a crack up of my own recently. A very public crack up. At church. Last Sunday. Let... -
I have felt recently That success is near Just around the corner, just a breath away I should be happy Seeing the mountaintop in view The re...
-
For those of you stuck with a romantically impaired partner, having just endured another disappointing Valentines Day, there is hope – or at... -
(This was first published on my website as a meditation in October 2007 under the title Wilderness Highway.) A highway shall be there [in th...
No comments:
Post a Comment