Chapter 3
Growing in Authentic Human Freedom
Jesus reveals by His whole life, and not only by his words, that freedom is acquired
in love, that is, in the gift of self...Greater love has no man done this, that a man lay
down his life for his friends...” Veritas Splendor
Freedom means knowing how to reflect on what we do, knowing how to evaluate
w/c are the behaviors that make us grow.” Pope Francis
Our freedom is God’s gift. With this gift, we can follow Jesus in our everyday living.
Through the Holy Spirit, our freedom is perfected.
St. Paul speaks , “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedoom” (2 Cor
3:17)
Freedom is something we experience in our capacity to choose and in the person
we become through our choices
Christian faith, through the scripture & Church’s teachings, guides our critical reason
towards freedom.
Freedom in the Old Testament
Freedom & God’s Law God constantly called his people to become truly free. The
most important experience of freedom in the life of the Israelites was their exodus
from slavery & suffering from Egypt to a new life of freedom & dignity as God’s
people.
Thru his servant, Moses, God delivered the Israelites from hradships & injustice,
bringing his people safely across the Red Sea, and providing basic needs as they
crossed the dissert to reach Mt. Sinai, it was on this Mt. Sinai God gave His people
the Decalogue to be truly free.
They promote authentic freedom by commanding all persons not to worship false
gods, kill, steal, lie, and commit adultery which are all abuses of human freedom.
Having given the 10 commandments, God also summoned His people to love one
another & live freely as a community.
Freedom is Relational
This means that since God created us persons in the community, our freedom is
always relational. True freedom is fostered when people respect the dignity of each
other.
This idea is better understood through these examples:
1. We gain freedom to enjoy a clean and orderly school environment.
2. The lives of both passengers & pedestrians are safeguarded.
3. Our neighbors have the freedom to rest & sleep comfortably in their homes.
4. Our classmates are freed from discrimination or prejudice from others.
A Philosophy that basically asserts the absence of free will is called determinism.
True Freedom is Doing the Good
The Decalogue actually prohibits the acts that can destroy our freedom. It would
impossible to live without fundamental moral norms.
The Decalogue do not only prohibit but express what we should do to be truly free.
These moral obligations are essential in our life as a community
Freedom in the New Testament
Jesus calls us to true freedom
The most perfect sign of God’s call for us to become truly free is Jesus Christ. Thru
his life, teachings, and sacrifice, Jesus showed us the love of God & others. It
reminds us that self-centeredness & sin we abuse our freedom.
In the gospel of Luke (4:18), Jesus announce his life’s mission by proclaiming the
words of the prophet Isaiah:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings
to the poor, he has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, recovery of sight to
the blind, & to let the oppressed go free.”
Christ invited all persons to the fulness of a graced life & true freedom by healing the
sick, forgiving sinners, & preaching the good news.
Jesus Christ brought freedom from conditions, attitudes, and acts that hinder us
from following Him to give us the freedom for growing in His likeness
Growing in Freedom Growing in true freedom calls for a personal commitment.
Christ is the source of our authentic freedom. It is the power of Christ thru the Holy
Spirit that allows us to overcome sin and temptation. Thus, to grow in the likeness of
Christ is to grow in true freedom.
God as the source of all goodness, has always called us to true happiness and
freedom. Through the life, teachings, Paschal sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ.
Prayer is our explicit encounter with God who is the source of all goodness. Thru
prayer & liturgical worship, we led towards God’s presence.