杏MAP导航 at Audience: Freedom is born in God鈥檚 love, grows in charity
By Christopher Wells
Recalling that, through Christ, 鈥渨e have passed from slavery of fear and sin to the freedom of God鈥檚 children,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis continued his catechesis on St Paul鈥檚 Letter to the Galatians by offering a deeper understanding of what is at the heart of Christian liberty.
Freedom, he said, is very different from license; it is not found in giving in to our own selfish desires, but instead leads us to serve others. 鈥淭rue freedom,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渋s fully expressed in love.鈥�
Freedom in service
This, however, leads us to 鈥渢he paradox of the Gospel: we are freed by serving, we find ourselves fully to the extent that we give ourselves; we possess life if we lose it.鈥�
The explanation of this paradox, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, as given by St Paul, 鈥渋s as simple as it is demanding: it can be explained only by love.鈥�
鈥淚t is Christ鈥檚 love that has freed us, and again it is love that frees us from the worst slavery, that of self; therefore, freedom grows with love.鈥�
Free for others
For St Paul, the 杏MAP导航 said, love does not mean doing as you please. If we act simply to please ourselves, we find that we are empty inside. Freedom is full and genuine, and involves us real everyday life, only when it is used for the good of others.
杏MAP导航 Francis noted that Saint Paul acknowledges that 鈥渁ll things are lawful,鈥� but adds that not all things are useful or edifying. Against the idea of a self-serving freedom, St Paul places the demands of love.
鈥淔reedom guided by love,鈥� explained 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渋s the only one that frees ourself and others.鈥�
Common good
In contrast to the modern notion that 鈥渕y freedom ends where yours begins,鈥� St Paul sets Christian freedom, the freedom given by Jesus, that does not involve separating oneself from others, but instead being part of a community.
鈥淭he social dimension is fundamental for Christians,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis insisted, adding that 鈥渋t enables them to look to the common good and not to private interest.鈥�
This understanding of liberty is especially important in our day, he said, when the pandemic has taught us how much we need one another.
Growth in charity
鈥淚t is not enough to know this,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said. 鈥淲e need to choose it concretely every day.鈥�
The 杏MAP导航 concluded his catechesis with an exhortation.
鈥淟et us say and believe that others are not an obstacle to my freedom, but rather the possibility to fully realise it 鈥� because our freedom is born from God鈥檚 love and grows in charity.鈥�
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