At some point in our lives, we all have the thought that there will be a time when we are finally free from the authority that keeps us from doing what we want to do. When I was little, ultimate freedom looked like a life without chores or school. Perhaps many of us thought when we got our driver’s license, we would be able to come and go as we want. Then we were introduced to the concept of paying for gas, insurance, and a car; which of course required a job. So much for freedom and a life of leisure! Similar things happened when we got to college or moved out of the parents’ house. Those who are married took on a deep responsibility towards their spouses, a responsibility that limited their actions in favor of caring for another. And then children came, and real responsibility hit. Some may have hoped that life and liberty would begin after the kids moved out but usually new responsibilities to parents or grandchildren take over. There is always some force, something over us that limits our freedom.
There’s a part of us that believes that freedom means doing what we want, when we want, with no restrictions. That's OK to a certain extent. None of us should unnecessarily impose on each other. On the contrary, we should respect people and give them room to live their lives. But that's not the deepest meaning of freedom. St. Paul talks about real freedom in the second reading when he says, "You were called for freedom, brothers and sisters." But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh."
For the Christian, freedom is the ability to be the unique person that God created us to be by developing our talents and living a life of virtue. True freedom is having the ability to do the things God wants us to do. Hopefully we have experienced this to some degree. We are at our happiest when we are at our best. Yes, we still have responsibilities, and, yes, there will always be someone in authority over us in some way, but this does not keep us from being free. Freedom, in the fullest sense, comes from being our best selves and resisting our lower impulses.
Holy freedom is seen in the lives of the saints. It’s what Maximilian Kolbe had as he sat in a starvation cell of Auschwitz. You may know his story, but if not, he was a Catholic priest in Poland who helped shelter thousands of Jews during the second World War. The Nazi’s caught up to him and sent him to a concentration camp. When a prisoner escaped, ten others were chosen to die as a deterrent. As one man was being dragged to his doom, he cried out, “My wife, my children.” Fr. Kolbe said, “Take me instead.” He was imprisoned, he suffered, and ultimately died, yet he was free, perhaps more than you and I, because sin, death, fear and selfishness had absolutely no hold on him.
There are so many others, be they canonized saints, members of our own families, and perhaps, some of you sitting in here in church who are continually at your best because you are giving to others. If at any time in our lives others can see Christ in us, even if it is only a glimpse, then we are free, free to be who God meant us to be.
The main threat to true freedom is licentiousness, which we might define as being ruled by impulses and worldly desires. This is what St. Paul speaks about in the second reading. We cannot allow anything to keep us from being our best. When we confuse freedom with licentiousness, we bind ourselves to our sins. How many people are imprisoned by their sins but think they are actually free?! They embrace a sinful life to spite others, to exercise what they thought would be freedom, or simply to live “their” way. So often, they end up incapable of being the best version of themselves and live lives defined by restlessness, discontent, selfishness, and a lack of commitment to God and others.
Jesus Christ sets us free from sin and death. We need to cherish this freedom. But it takes courage. It takes determination. We cannot just say we are Christians. We have to be willing to live the Christian life. Think of Elisha in the first reading. He was so determined to heed God’s call and follow Elijah that he slaughtered his oxen and burned their yokes. There would be no turning back for him. Total commitment can be scary, but strangely liberating!
In today's Gospel Jesus talks about the freedom involved in becoming a disciple. He says that once we have put our hand to the plow, once we have decided to follow him, we must never look back. That tendency to “look back” can apply to any form of addiction or enslavement. Maybe we do not have an addiction to things as obvious as alcohol, gambling or impurity. But we all have areas where we are not free. Bursts of anger, laziness, gluttony, envy, self-importance, desire for revenge, craving for control, and so many others are just as dangerous and make us slaves. Sure, when we gives in to these tendencies, they might offer momentary relief. But they are a mirage. In the end, sin can only bring isolation, rage, helplessness, misery, and spiritual slavery.
There is, thanks be to God, a way to freedom: Accept God's Holy Spirit. Allow Him to direct your soul. By submitting to God and giving him everything, you will, ironically, experience freedom and self-control. You will have a self to offer to God and to those you love. Do not turn back; do not romanticize the fake freedom that sin offers. The way ahead will bring fulfillment, satisfaction, inner peace, self-possession, joy, and love. Keep your hand to the plow. That is the path to true freedom.
Today let us pray for the grace, the wisdom, and the courage to be whom God calls us to be. Lord, make us free!
