Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
As Americans, we treasure our freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, etc.
As Christians, we treasure other freedoms too. Certainly, Christ has set us free from sin and death. This gives us the hope of forgiveness and eternal life. But he has also set us free for something. He has set us free to serve him, rather than to be slaves of this world.
We have the freedom to become servants. We have the freedom to do our duty as children of God.
This is true freedom — to do God’s will. No one can take this freedom away from us — we are free to believe, we are free to act with love even if we are ridiculed or persecuted for our faith and our charity.
Today Jesus says, “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
Even the person in prison is free to love. Even a person who is confined to a sick bed is free to pray. Even a person who is enslaved to addiction is free to call out for God’s help.
And, when a person asks for our help, we are free to do our best. We are free to recognize that person, respect that person, and care for that person.
October is Respect Life Month. We are free to respect the unborn, the living, the hurting, the sick, the poor, refugees, immigrants, our neighbors, and our families. We are free to see them as God sees them — as His own creation, made in His image and likeness, as his children, as their brothers and sisters in the family of God. But, if we are free, then we have a duty to use our freedom well. We are free to choose life or reject it. To love or to hate. To do good or to do harm. The consequences of abusing our freedom to do good and avoid evil are dire and even eternal. Choose life!
At the end of the day, we want to say to God about the lives that he has placed before us (born and unborn), “We have done (for them) what we were obliged to do.” That is the freedom we enjoy as followers of Jesus. To become a servant of God is our greatest freedom. To respect, defend, and promote life wherever we find it is also our greatest duty.
Have a blessed week everyone.