FREEDOM, A PRECIOUS GIFT
God draws us to Himself and we
try at times to pull in the opposite direction. Jesus, by His redemption, has
given us the grace to be free from sin.
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
As Americans, we are blessed
to be a free people. Freedom is so precious that the founders of this country
were willing to sacrifice everything in order to achieve it. This nation's
struggle for freedom is so fundamental to human dignity that every person passes
through stages, often painful and confusing, in their growth into a free
person.
Freedom is not the right to
do anything we please. Rather, it is the context in which we have the ability
to do what God pleases. Confusion about freedom leads to slavery, as St. Paul
warns us, today. Indulging in our weak aspects, giving in to temptation,
refusing to accept a discipline based on moral principles, we becomes addicted
to things that separate us from God and those we love. Sin becomes something of
a compulsion, whether it is a matter of never resisting gossip or becoming
trapped by an unfaithful marital relationship. Whatever the case may be, God's
will recedes from consciousness and becomes a blur.
Has God's will become a blur
to you at times? I believe we as Christians truly know that we are a blessed
and free people by knowing the treasure we have received in Jesus. As we hear
in the Gospels, Jesus loved to tell stories, many of which ended with a
dramatic and unexpected change of circumstances. Can you imagine a thief
calling ahead to tell their victim when they would strike? Should we be surprised to see a thief taking
off with a great treasure left unguarded? What does this say about the treasure
that God has entrusted to you and me?
When God offers us His
Kingdom, He gives us a treasure beyond measure; the pearl of great price that
we hear in Matthew's Gospel. What is this treasure of immeasurable value? Jesus
Himself is our treasure as well as the Kingdom He offers. The Lord offers us a relationship
and the promise of eternal life. The treasure is of far greater value than any
earthly treasure and more secure of our total freedom in God.
This parable also contains a
lesson in faithfulness. Jesus loves faithfulness and richly rewards those who
are faithful; to keep one's word, promise, and commitments no matter how tough
or difficult it gets. Faithfulness is a key character trait of God and one that
He expects of us. In our relationship with God, if we turn away from our bad
habits and temptations He will gives us the grace we need to guide us through
this part of our journey that we struggle with.
In the Responsorial Psalm we
acclaim, "Our help is in the name of the Lord" (Ps 124:8a). Sin
produces tension. Sometimes we don't know where we are going or what we want to
do; it is in our own being that we feel the roots of helplessness that can lead
us to despair. But, we always know that we can go to our heavenly Father in
prayer, for He can take away our darkness and bring us to His wonderful light.
"We were rescued like a bird from the fowlers' snare; Broken was the
snare, and we were freed. Our help is in the name of Lord, who made heaven and
earth" (Ps 124:7-8).
God draws us to Himself and
we try at times to pull in the opposite direction. Jesus, by His redemption,
has given us the grace to be free from sin. We are strengthened by the Word and
the Eucharist. With such dedication there is peace, serenity and calm in our
lives; the joy of true freedom!