Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

 Lectionary: 437

But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,
to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles;
it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.

Waiting in a Roman jail with all the patience he could muster, Saint Paul wrote to his Colossian disciples about the grace he was sharing with them. Although they were separated by great distance, and he was imprisoned while they were free, and he was a Jew but they were gentiles, their hearts were one in the knowledge of Jesus. That is, in the assurance of the Lord's dwelling within their minds and hearts. 

They knew that grace by the freedom both enjoyed, though one was imprisoned and his friends were not. Their freedom was power, or authority, to speak their minds and hearts without fear. 

I often come back to that word freedom, as I try to understand what belonging to the Lord means. I think of the freedom to sing. As I lead congregations in liturgical prayer, I see some people who are not singing. Some would tell me they can't sing. Others might say they're not in the mood to sing. Or just don't want to. Still others might say they don't know the song and cannot sing it. A fourth group might have been told by others, "You can't sing!" and they're oppressed by that sour word. 

I can identify with some of those statements because: I can't sing like a soprano and if I were invited to join a choir of sopranos I'd have to say I can't sing like that; I have been depressed, upset, or angry and not been able to sing in such a state; and sometimes I've stood among people who knew a song I'd never heard, and I could not sing along. 

Aren't all these expressions statements about freedom? I can't sing because I don't have the power. I am paralyzed by a mood and cannot find the willingness or ability within myself. I don't know the song and cannot join the group. 

Freedom is about having authority, ability, and power. A poor man cannot buy an expensive car; he cannot say he is free to buy such a car because he obviously has neither cash nor credit. Those who cannot sing, or dance, or play a musical instrument, cannot say they have the freedom to do so. It's not there. Likewise, one possessed by a sullen mood cannot sing, they cannot drag the song out of themselves. 

Paul could sing God's praises while in jail and no one could take that freedom from him; his Colossian friends had the same authority. And that mattered more to both parties than anything else in the world. Those other freedoms which the imprisoned man lacked were simply not that important. The Colossians might be tempted to feel sorry for their incarcerated hero, but knowing he was not feeling sorry for himself, they would dismiss the thought. 

Having said all that about freedom, I think the word might be glory or mystery, as we find in today's scriptural reading; or Christ within me. It is certainly more than a feeling. It is an ability empowered by willingness to set aside self-pity and speak of heavenly things. Or it might be an ability to listen to another's sorrows or, care for another's physical needs, or forgive another's trespasses. It is that willing readiness to do whatever the Spirit asks of me at this moment. That is real freedom.