1ST READING ISAIAH 66:10-14c
2ND READING GALATIANS 6:14-18
GOSPEL LUKE 10:1-12, 17-20
I have always liked Father Rick’s opening welcome when he says; “We have the Good Health and Freedom to come from far and near to worship.” Freedom is a word I don’t take for granted. Freedom for Christians comes with one condition of which I’ll tell you a little bit later but for now, think of what freedom means for you and we will see if we come to the same understanding.
Our first reading from Isaiah was written after the return of the exiled Jewish nation from Babylon. In this powerful scripture passage God promises to send peace flowing over Jerusalem like a river. If this message sounds good to us in our times, think how good it must have sounded to the tired remnants of Israel, recently returning from the desert, from exile and the discouraging circumstances.
The image God inspired in Isaiah are all full of hope, from the river of peace to the consolation of the nursing child and the promise of fresh growing things in the springtime. These are healing words meant for broken hearts.
The short passage from Galatians also speaks of hope, with a sharp focus on the New Creation arising out of the cross of Christ thus bringing peace. It is not circumcision (the observance of ritual requirements) that matters. Nor is it circumcision that hinders. The issue is whether we allow the cross of Christ to renew us-to make us a New Creation. When we allow the cross of Christ that has brought us to a New Creation to guide our attitudes and actions, there is peace. This was the principle for the original building of the early church and it is still the way we reach out to help bring the reign of God into our world today.
The instructions of Jesus to the disciples in the gospel story today suggest, very practically and concretely, what that means. They should go forth bearing good news in a spirit of utter simplicity and non-violence.
The first word Jesus tells them to speak is; “Peace to this house.” And the test as to whether the good news is falling on fertile ground is; Is this peace returned? When it is, this becomes a time to bring healing and to declare that the reign of God is at hand.
These three readings tells us first, don’t lose hope, that peace is the best sign of God’s presence. It is a gift of God but it must be received willingly as a gift and not something we think is owed. When we welcome God’s presence, peace flows over us like a flowing river.
As I reflected on these readings I not only realized God’s peace but also a sense of Freedom. You might be saying to yourselves, of course freedom. This is the 4th of July weekend remembering our freedom and independence and rightly so. But that is not the freedom I am talking about.
Jesus sent the 72 with a lot of stipulations- 1) take very little with you. 2) Talk to no one along the way. 3) Offer peace to the households. 4) Eat and drink what is set before you. 5) Cure the sick. Sounds like a lot of regulations! Is this Freedom?
With all the commands that Jesus gives one might think that they are limited. This is freedom? Well, it is in the 72 disciples obedience that frees them to complete their mission. The rules don’t bind them, they free them to be Christ like and it is in this, in Him, that they find true freedom.
Some people look at freedom as free of any constraints of any kind- “I am free because I can do whatever I want, where I want, and with whomever I want and no one can stop me.” This goes against the freedom that the founding fathers of our country envisioned and definitely the freedom that the Church understands: for both, true freedom is not merely the capacity to do what one merely wants but rather it is so much more-true freedom is the capacity to do what we should.
Freedom is part of why we are here in this Church. We are free to worship God and the mass is the perfect sacrifice. We owe God our adoration, praise and thanksgiving as a matter of justice to Him just because he is God and what we do here is merely an anticipation of the eternal banquet we hope to enjoy forever with Him.
The real irony is that the more we stray from the truth even as we claim freedom, the less free we become because we actually become slaves to our passions and our sins. So knowing the truth is crucial for us as Christians.
In other words, if freedom is the capacity to do what we ought, then how do we know what we should do? We learn what the truth is through who is the truth; Jesus, who says “I am the way, the truth and the life.” We don’t get to determine what the truth is. We receive the truth from our God who reveals it to us in his son and continues to deepen our understanding through the Son’s bride, the Catholic Church.
This is one great reason why we come to Church every Sunday.
So, our freedom opens us up to the truth that is no longer merely a law but a person, Jesus Christ, who says I am the way, the truth, and the life. Let us all rediscover what true freedom means, a freedom to do what we ought, living the truth in Christ and not merely the freedom to do what we simply prefer.
It is only when we live in the truth that we will be totally free. We are all sent today to proclaim the truth and also to live it. The disciples came back happy to report the progress to the Lord. We too can be happy when we, in the freedom of truth, work for God and his kingdom.
Then we can really relate to the Last verse in our gospel today: “Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in Heaven.”
Now, have we come to the same conclusion on what freedom means? Have a very joyous and safe 4th of July.