Prayer:
Loving God, help us to find our life in you, to be content to be conformed to you, to be shaped and molded by you, to be putty in your hands. Amen.
Bible Reading:
Romans 6:16-23
Silence:
One to two minutes
Reflection:
Freedom is really an over rated concept. Oh, it’s certainly something to value theoretically, something heroically to fight for, something even sacrificially to die for. But in the final analysis, it’s a reality that remains elusive. We talk about it as if we possess it, we proclaim it as if by its declaration it happens, we endear it to our heritage as if we have it. But, we are experts at delusion. Consider reality here, are you free from sin and death, are you free from guilt and fear, are you free from bad choices and harm done? Not a chance. The question that St. Paul poses in our reading is not a matter of some theoretical freedom, but to whom do you wish to be enslaved – sin and the power of the devil or God? Strange choice for those who delude themselves into thinking that freedom is really a choice. Choose your slave master – death or God. If you chose God you get the free gift, eternal life in Christ Jesus. Given the alternative, what choice is there?
Action – Repentance and Creation:
Think about the difference between “freedom from” and “freedom to”. Which kind of freedom do you have a choice in?