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The readings may be found here. The readings are: Acts 5:17-26, Ps 34, John 3:16-21
The Sadduces, filled with
jealousy, threw the Apostles in prison. We ought to ask ourselves who
was really imprisoned.
At times we think it is
pitiful to be poor, but the Lord hears the cry
of the poor (cf. Psalm 34). The rich live in
prisons of money, the prideful live in prisons of ambition, and the
relativist lives in the prison of no boundaries.
“The powerful grow poor
and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Ps.
34:11)
“Blessed is the man who
takes refuge in the Lord,” for that man is given true freedom. Upon
reflection we discover that boundaries, rules, restrictions, and
commandments were given to us not to restrict our freedom but to
ensure it. At times these restrictions pain us, because restrictions
cause tensions with our desires.
The one who believes that
freedom is fulfilling every desire runs headlong towards a cliff and
over, where there is no more freedom. The one who discerns the nature
of his desires in light of God's help and His servant's teachings is
able to say “yes” to this and “no” to that, preserving his
life and developing it too.
Jesus is the “light of
the world” (Jn 8:12) and He lights these commandments He's given
us. While they do not burn as bright as He does, they are given as
guides that keep us close to Him.
John tells us simply and
plainly: “light came into the world, but people preferred darkness
to light, because their works were evil” (Jn 3:20).
There are those who do not
want to be told what to do, and thus they flee the Light and the
smaller lights he has placed around us. We can ignore large
commandments, but truly we can even ignore instruction in our own
life of faith and even those concepts of Him we hold so dear. Shall
the lights He's placed around us be where we gather or from where we
flee?
The light, in the end,
will expose our works,
our thoughts, and our heart. Even if we are in error, this is not a
cause for fear. Come to the light and you will know Him. Come to Him
and you will freely choose Him.
This reminds me of a previous blog with a picture of a prison door. The question was if we were on the inside or the outside. I sometimes find myself defending life and the sanctity of marriage like a flailing Errol Flynn. I need to look at the source of my faith, the very words of Jesus, to become more grounded in truth.
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