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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Angelus
Message
On the Freedom of Christ
"A Conscious Choice Motivated by Love"
H.H. Benedict XVI
July 1, 2007
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
The Biblical readings of the Mass this Sunday invite us to meditate
on a fascinating theme that can summed up thus: freedom and the
following of Christ. The evangelist Luke recounts that Jesus, "as
the days in which he would be taken from the world were approaching,
resolutely turned toward Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51).
With the expression "resolutely" we can glimpse something of the
freedom of Christ. He knows in fact that death on the cross is
waiting for him in Jerusalem but in obedience to the will of the
Father he offers himself up for love. It is in his obedience to the
Father that Jesus realizes his freedom as a conscious choice
motivated by love. Who is freer than he, who is omnipotent?
He did not live his freedom, however, as license or dominion. He
lived it as service. In this way he "filled" with content a freedom
that would have otherwise remained an "empty" possibility to do or
not do something. As the life itself of man, freedom takes its
meaning from love. Who is more free? The one who holds onto all
possibilities for fear of losing them, or the one who "resolutely"
gives himself in service and thus finds himself full of life because
of the love that he has given and received?
The apostle Paul, writing to the Christians in Galatia, in present
day Turkey, says: "You were called for freedom, brothers and
sisters. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the
flesh; rather, serve one another through love" (Galatians 5:13).
Living according to the flesh means to follow the egoistic
tendencies of human nature. Living according to the Spirit, however,
means letting oneself be guided in intentions and deeds by the love
of God that Christ has given to us. Christian freedom, therefore, is
completely different from arbitrariness; it is following Christ in
the gift of self, right up to the sacrifice on the cross.
It might seem paradoxical, but the Lord lived the culmination of his
freedom on the cross, as the pinnacle of love. When on Calvary they
shouted: "If you are the Son of God, come down from that cross!" He
showed his freedom as Son precisely by remaining on the gibbet to
fully accomplish the merciful will of the Father. Many other
witnesses to truth have shared this experience: men and woman who
remained free even in a prison cell and under the threat of torture.
"The truth will set you free." Those who belong to the truth will
never be the slave of any power, but will always know how to freely
be the servant of their brothers.
Let us look to Mary Most Holy. Humble handmaiden of the Lord, the
Virgin is the model of the spiritual person, totally free because
she is immaculate, immune to sin, and completely holy, dedicated to
the service of God and neighbor. With her maternal care may she help
us to follow Jesus, to know the truth, and to live in the freedom of
love.
[After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims in
various languages. In Italian, he said:]
From Colombia comes the sad news of the barbarous assassination of
11 regional deputies of the department of Valle del Cauca, who were
held hostage for more than five years by the Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia.
As I pray for them, I unite myself with the deep pain of their
families and of the beloved Colombian nation which is once again
shaken by fratricidal hate. I renew my earnest plea that all
kidnapping cease immediately and that those who are victims of such
inadmissible forms of violence be returned to the affection of their
loved ones.
[Translation by ZENIT]
[In English he said:]
I am happy to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors
present for today's Angelus. Today's Liturgy reminds us that to be a
Christian means to follow Jesus. He is the Teacher, we are his
disciples. May the Lord give us grace and courage so that our life
will always be inspired by the words and actions of Jesus. I wish
you all a pleasant stay in Rome and a blessed Sunday.
© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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