“Freedom, informed by reason, is ordered to the truth and finds its fulfillment in the goodness- the beatitude- of human flourishing, not in winning a few more skirmishes in the battle between God’s allegedly arbitrary will and mine. The truth about the drama of the moral life and about freedom is revealed, John Paul concludes, by the example of those prepared to die rather than do what they know is wrong. The witness of martyrs is a powerful counter to the claim that the dignity of freedom lies in doing things my way. The martyr teaches us that freedom is truly personal and truly liberating when it seeks the good and rejects evil, even to the point of death. Not everyone is called to be a martyr. Everyone is called to be a witness to moral truth, and “witness” is the original meaning of the term “martyr.” The threshold of hope, the threshold of human dignity, is not crossed by lowering the bar of the moral life but by reaching higher – and then, if one has failed, by reaching higher again” (Witness to Hope, 690-691).
As Christians we can often be questioned as to why we follow certain “rules” or perform certain habits. Can’t you just do whatever you want? At the heart of this question lies a misunderstanding of freedom. The contemporary cultural proclaims freedom is having the ability to choose from a myriad of options. On the contrary, freedom is found in the ability to choose the good. It is a combined movement of both the will and the intellect, enlightened by Truth. The martyrs show us that freedom is not a contradiction between our will and God’s as He longs for us to be authentically happy.
As I meditated on last week’s Gospel from the Holy Family these words echoed: “Out of Egypt, I called my son.” They’ve stuck with me this past week as I’ve heard Christ’s call towards freedom. The angel appeared to St. Joseph and told him to flee to Egypt until given further instructions. Then the angel told Joseph to go to Israel. St. Joseph was then warned to go to Galilee instead of Judea. Joseph played an active role in following the angel’s advice. Mary played an active role by trusting and following Joseph’s lead. Christ models dependency and empowerment by trusting His safety and life to their cooperation to God’s grace (no pressure). As awestruck as I was by the obedience, trust, and courage of Mary and Joseph, I paused to question what were Mary’s emotions? After giving birth to the Savior of the world in a stable, she found out people wanted to kill her Son and in order to avoid trouble, they were lead from one place to another to avoid danger. She was sinless, not emotionless. Yet, she protected and mothered the Christ child as she rode on the donkey while St. Joseph led them to safety.
As the Lord called the Holy Family towards safety, He beckons us to move towards interior freedom as well. It’s something we all long for, yet how often do we consciously move towards it? First, how aware are we of the ways, habits, thoughts, and fears, which hold us in captivity?
Mary, the model of grace, is the exemplar of freedom. Mary surrenders everything of herself - her life, her plans, her dreams, her emotions- to see the fulfillment of God’s promise as all she could ever want. She trusts though she might not understand and ponders the Annunciation. She runs to Elizabeth to celebrate both of their good news at the Visitation. She willingly and independently follows Joseph’s lead. She nurturers Christ in the moments of “typical” family life in Nazareth. She journeys to Calvary and witnesses the crucifixion and death of her innocent son. She also sees Jesus heal the blind, raise the dead, feed the poor, and proclaim the kingdom. Her Immaculate Heart contains all the sorrows and joys of motherhood; while also knowing Her Son’s divinity. Mary had the joy of living Emmanuel, God with us, and she offers us the same. For as she was a Mother to Christ she longs to be a Mother to each of us.
"To those who are devoted to her, especially young people -- like Pier Giorgio Frassati, who used to come up here [Marian Shrine of Oropa] to give himself to prayer -- the Blessed Virgin proposed to be a shelter and a refuge, the heavenly Mother who opens her house to give everyone the invigorating experience of a more profound contact with God.Dear young people who are listening to me! Like Pier Giorgio, may you also discover the way of the Shrine, in order to undertake a spiritual journey which, under Mary's guidance, brings you closer to Christ. You can then become His witnesses with the conviction and keenness which characterized Pier Giorgio's apostolic activity. You will bear witness to Christ, as he did, especially in the university world, in which there are boys and girls who perhaps have not yet resolved the question of the meaning of their life. By word and example you can show that Christ has the really satisfactory solution for the crucial problems of life. Dear friends, do not hesitate to come up here in search of light and strength for your journey of faith, and a more firm hope for a courageous and consistent Christian commitment in the world of today." ( Pope John Paul II, Angelus at Marian Shrine of Oropa July 16, 1989).
Our Lady of Grace, pray for us. Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, teach us to love and trust Our Mother as you did. Help us to surrender our wills and ways to her Maternal care and concern. May we know she intercedes for us and that us loving her is the most perfect imitation of Christ. Teach us to behold our Mother. St. John, pray for us.
Verso l’alto,
Kathryn Grace
My best days are right in front of me
Stand by me (and she always does)
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