Freedom is not free!

WORD 2day: Monday, 28th week in Ordinary time

October 13, 2024 - Galatians 4: 22-24, 26-27, 31 -5:1; Luke 11: 29-32

Freedom, is not an all sweet gift. It was the philosopher Jean Paul Sartre who made that provocative but profound statement, "we are condemned to be free" - which is very true! Freedom comes with the duty attached, without the latter the former is simple egoism. 

We are free, free to choose and the responsibility of the choice is laid entirely upon us. It would be childish to clamour for freedom but shy away from the resulting responsibility. We are indeed, free children of God, as St. Paul declares in the reading today, but with that comes the condition that we are to be held responsible for all the choices we make. 

Let us reflect, who actually decides I should be happy or not? Is it not our choice, or rather our choices? Is it not an important fact to realise and accept, that the free choices I make amount to the consequences I face, or that my choices affect even those around me! The Lord grants us the greatest gift of freedom, and leaves us with the responsibility for our choices. That is why, when we choose not to see the presence of God, when we choose not to find the moments of grace, when we choose not to realise the opportunities to do good, when we choose not to identify our brother or sister in the person next to us, we are choosing to rush towards a state that is so sad and so inhuman. 

We are free children of the promise (cf. Gal 4:22-24); yes we are given the great gift of freedom. But Freedom is not free; we have to pay for it with our personal responsibility!

THE WORD BECOMES FLESH

Desire, the Power and the Call

October 13, 2024 - 28th Sunday in Ordinary time
Wisdom 7: 7-11; Hebrews 4: 12-13; Mark 10: 17-30

The Word this Sunday is on the Word.

The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us! The truth is not just that... the Word becomes flesh even today... and we cannot deny it, if only we could become as receptive we ought to be, in our daily living. Let us reflect why...

First of all, because the Word is the foundational principle of our Christian life. It is the Word that makes all the difference for the choices we make. The Word offers us all the wisdom we stand in need of to live a life that is meaningful. The requirement is that the Word has to be desired with all our heart, with all our mind and with all our strength. However, that is easily said than done! 

We have so many things that claim that place - comfort in life, pleasures of the day, the rat race of the times, the trends of the society, the attractions that are made easy, the escapades for all the unjustifiable choices... these make it so hard for any one today to desire the Word, much less choose the Word in place of life, health or wealth. Even the so-called strongest of beleivers in the Lord, when it comes to a choice between life and the Word, would choose life isn't it? That is why we have only a handful whom we venerate as saints and martyrs. 

Secondly because the Word is our Judge, not just the judge at the last juegement, but on a daily basis. This is so, practically because the Word gives us the criteria to live by. When those criteria are met, we are affirmed; when not, we place ourselves on a tribunal before the Word. And the Word is powerful, scans deep into our intentions and motivations, not merely our uttered words and external actions.

Don't we, even as we are making the choices that are not the right ones to make, know and realise that we are making choices that are wrong? Is it not the Wisdom of the Lord that cuts right into our hearts that makes us see that light? This power of the Word is not to make us bewildered about our defencelessness. We are given a taste of it, by the growing technology... it almost a fact by now, that nothing of our life is a secret anymore... where we go, what we say, what we see, what we prefer... eveything is monitored today. We speak of something to a friend of acquaintance, and things we see on our mobiles or email sites have a direct relation to what we have been talking just moments ago... how on earth and heaven does this happen? Right things to wonder, but an important thing to know... but the surveilance of the Word, the all-knowing power of the Word is not a threat but a consolation, to tell us we are not alone, that we are accompanied. 

Thirdly, the Word can become flesh in our lives when we realise that the Word is the treasure that gives meaning to our Christian life. The Word is the call that makes our whole Christian life come truly alive. It is worth giving our life in the service of the Word. At the service of the Word whatever we give up comes back manifold... the Word epitomises our entire existence!

When we hear that call, give everything and follow - it is a reminder how short our life is, as the responsorial psalm reminds us. The moment we realise it, we would be ready to give up: give up our pride, give up our ego, give up our petty fights and cravings to prove, give up our running after the fleeting joys and successes that can ruin the very crux of my life! Life is beautiful, however short it is. If only we heed the Word and give up on all these and embrace the true Life, the life giving Word, we shall have life everlasting, that is a live that would remain meaningful, frutiful and insightful, not here and now, but for eternity. 

The Word, when we repeat it so many times today, is not merely the written word that we are referring to, it is the Living Word, the Word that became flesh, the Word that becomes flesh even today, in our midst, in our lives and in our days! Are we receptive enough to welcome the Word and live by the Word. The Word says: come follow me!