24 December

Faith and freedom

Luke 1:67-79

A faith-filled heart will always be a thankful heart that recognizes the work and the presence of the Lord.

This is a fitting ending to our preparation this Christmas - the ability and the grace to detect how the Lord brings freedom into our lives and how we respond to this new found freedom.

"Blessed be the Lord, for he has come to his people and set them free!" is the first utterance of Zechariah after nine months of being mute.  Now he can speak.  Before, he doubted the words of the angel, thus, he couldn't speak.  But he opened his heart to God and named his child, "John".  He is now freed from his muteness.

We can only proclaim things if we live in God's ways.  Let us further distinguish the marks of a truly free person.

First, recognizing that it is God who frees

It is God who frees; it is He who works; it is He who sanctifies.  In the first reading God was the one who lifted David from being a shepherd to becoming king.  It is God who blesses us, and now, it is God who invites us to real life.  We can never be free if we attribute all freedom to ourselves.  We shall only be enslaved deeper by our sins.

Second, it is God who sends

God sends people who would do His command to free others.  Here, John was called Prophet of the Most High who will go before the Lord to prepare His way.  It is God who created us and sends us.  He knows us by name; he knows why we are here on earth.  It is up to us to respond well, heeding to the voice of the Lord and walk in His ways.  Only the person who does what he is meant to do is a truly free person.

Third, it is God who guides us

God is light to all peoples and guides us in the way of peace.  It is always morning in the world of God.  Light shines upon those who do good to others.  A truly free person brings others to the light of God and not further into the darkness.

If we have entered into these three realities, our freedom is not far away!  Jesus is near and we can see him!

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