SAINT JOHN XXIII, POPE (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

For freedom Christ set us free. 

Do you remember what it was like to have a snow day as a child? You felt free! Free from having to get up early, get dressed, and pack your lunch. Free from having to pay attention in class or deal with a difficult classmate.

Before very long, though, your thoughts probably started to shift. Instead of rejoicing at being free from all those burdens, you started to imagine what you were free for. You could build a snow fort or curl up with an exciting book. You could watch a movie or draw or paint or go sledding.

St. Paul reminds the Galatians, and us, that there is more to our freedom in Christ than just freedom from sin. There is more than freedom from the limitation of death. Jesus has set us free so that we can know God’s love, love him in return, and love our neighbors as he loves us. What really counts, Paul says, is “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6).

Each of us has aspects of our lives that we are not free to change. We belong to a particular family. Our school or work commitments shape how we spend our time. Many things happen each day that are not under our control. However, our attitude and the way we respond to the circumstances we face or the people we are around are entirely up to us. We can deliberately choose to put love into everything we do and everything that happens to us today. That is genuine freedom.

Today, make a conscious decision to offer your day to the Lord. Take some time to pray through what you know about your schedule and the people you’ll see. Remember that Christ set you free so that you could love them better and show his love to them. You will have plenty of opportunities to give of yourself or let go of your own preferences or put someone ahead of yourself today. So make the choice ahead of time that you will bring love into each situation. Because that’s what your freedom is for.

“Lord of all, I freely offer you every moment of my day. Help me to approach every aspect of my day with your love.”

Galatians 5:1-6
Psalm 119:41, 43-45, 47-48
Luke 11:37-41