Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 74

Although I am free in regard to all,

I have made myself a slave to all

so as to win over as many as possible.

The European Enlightenment rebelled against the hegemony of a splintered Christian church, and celebrated liberté, égalité, fraternité. 

Rebelling against the civil and ecclesial authority of the English monarchs, the Founding Fathers of the United States, attempted to establish a nation under those three untested principles. Intellectuals watched breathlessly to see if people could actually govern themselves with neither ruling kings nor controlling priests. It was certainly a bold experiment. 

When the Irish attempted the same rebellion in 1798 they were ruthlessly suppressed by the very English general who lost at Yorktown. The French also rebelled against their rulers and the Terror followed. Liberty ran amok and Dr. Guillotin's clever instrument destroyed 16,000 persons, both tyrants and liberators. 

I often hear in the VA hospital, "Freedom is not free." The expression means different things to different people. It certainly means no one may do as they please in the name of freedom. Freedom must be guided, disciplined, controlled, and directed. 

In my discussion with Veterans in recovery from substance abuse, I insist, "Freedom is a jealous God." Like the God of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, freedom will not tolerate reckless thoughts, words, or deeds. She abandons those who will not obey her.

I sometimes ask the group, "What ten commandments of freedom have you learned in this recovery program?" (The Lord summarized his demands in the Decalogue, with religious and ethical provisions to govern our thoughts, words, and deeds.) But it's only a four week program and they've had little experience of freedom or her uncompromising demands. If they propose, "Thou shalt not drink alcohol or use recreational drugs," they have few other insights. They still hope that the life of sobriety will be much like that of substance abuse! 

In today's gospel we hear how Jesus practiced freedom. With enormous authority he healed the sick, drove out demons, and announced the Kingdom of God; and then when tens of thousands of people flocked to him, ready to do whatever he commanded, he said, 

“Let us go on to the nearby villages

that I may preach there also.

For this purpose have I come.”

His disciples and the crowds were astonished. How did that make sense? Here he had the makings of Jewish freedom and a world-spanning empire, and he scurried away from it in the middle of the night, first to pray in solitude, and then to evangelize elsewhere. 

His disciples followed in wonder. They could not comprehend what he was about but, caught up like Saint Paul in his spirit, they followed. They would walk many miles, and see many things including Jesus's death and resurrection, before they would begin to understand why they had left all to follow him. Freedom is not free. 

Christians and Catholics today face an unprecedented era of challenges and changes. We can call upon our scriptures, history, and traditions to guide us. But these must be interpreted and even our most respected interpreters disagree, as we see in the mixed response of Catholic bishops to the inauguration of Joe Biden. 

In the face of this confusion we can grumble like Job,

Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?

    Are not his days those of hirelings?

He is a slave who longs for the shade,

    a hireling who waits for his wages.

Or we can turn to daily prayer, study, reflection, engagement, and conversation as we ask the Holy Spirit to direct our thoughts, words, and actions. Freedom is not supposed be free; nor is it fun, simple, or easy. 

It is, however, better.