AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE
I
am sure that we all have heard of this old saying: “Honesty is the best
policy.” It is true. Apart from the fact that the Gospel today affirms
that true freedom comes from following the truth, it is evident that
this will be the case from the point of view of logic. One of the
dangers of telling lies is that one lie leads to another, and then
another, as one seeks to cover up the fact that one did not tell the
truth in the beginning. The web of lies produced can become so complex
that it is difficult to trace its evolution to the point that even the
actual truth can get obscured.
Jesus
wants us to embrace the principle that the truth frees us in relation
to our sinfulness. The more we own and accept our sinfulness, the easier
it will be to let go of it. And the more we let go of our sins, the
more free we become. Freedom from sin is not the only benefit we gain
from repentance; we are also freed to embrace more fully the graces that
God gives us. In this respect, we are able to embrace the freedom that
God has given us to become the people we are meant to be. True freedom
is not just freedom from something, but the freedom to become who God
wants us to be. It is in this last aspect that we best use the gift of
freedom from God.
Many
young people seem to think, and so act accordingly, that freedom is the
license to do whatever they want. It is certainly true that anyone can
do what they want, but what true human freedom asks of us is not what we
can do, but what we ought to do in any given situation.
Once
again, we see that the true exercise of freedom is found in our
capacity to become who we are meant to be in God’s eyes, and not the
license to do whatever we want to do. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
REFLECTION
QUESTIONS: Do you tend to abuse the gift of freedom God has given you,
or do you use it well? Can you improve the way you use the gift of
freedom in your life?
Holy
Spirit, help me understand what it means to truly flourish as a human
person so that I can exercise my freedom to attain this goal.
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