Tonight we ask: What is freedom? How can we be free? St. Paul helps us to understand the complicated reality which freedom is by inserting this concept in a context of fundamental anthropological and theological divisions. He says: "Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another." The rector has already told us that "flesh" is not the body, but, in St. Paul's language, it is the absolutizing of the I, of the I that wants to be all and have everything for itself. In short, the absolute I, which does not depend on anything or anyone, seems really to possess freedom. I am free if I do not depend on anyone, if I can do everything I wish. However, precisely this absolutizing of the I is "flesh," namely, the degradation of man, it is not the victory of freedom: libertinism is not freedom, instead, it is the failure of freedom.

And Paul dares to propose a strong paradox: "Through charity, be of service " (in Greek "douleuete"); in other words, paradoxically, freedom is realized in service: We are free if we become one another's servants. And so Paul puts the whole problem of freedom in the light of the truth of man. To reduce oneself to the flesh, apparently raising oneself to the rank of divinity -- "I, man alone" -- introduces a lie. Because in fact, it is not like this: Man is not an absolute, being able to isolate himself and behave according to his own will. This goes against the truth of our being. Our truth is, above all, that we are creatures, creatures of God and we live in relationship with the Creator. We are rational beings, and only by accepting this relationship do we enter into truth, otherwise we fall into falsehood and, in the end, are destroyed by it.

We are creatures, hence dependents of the Creator. In the age of the Enlightenment, especially for atheism, this dependency seemed like something from which it was necessary to free oneself. In reality, however, it would be a fatal dependency only if this Creator God was a tyrant, not a good Being, only if he was as human tyrants are. If, however, this Creator loves us and our dependence implies being in the realm of his love, in this case, in fact, dependency is freedom. Thus, we are, indeed, in the love of the Creator, we are united to him, to the whole of his reality, to all his power. This, therefore, is the first point: To be a creature means to be loved by the Creator, to be in this relationship of love that he gives us, with which he provides for us. From this derives above all the truth about ourselves, which at the same time is a call to love.

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Filed under: * Religion News & Commentary • Other Churches • Roman Catholic • Pope Benedict XVI • * Theology • Theology: Scripture

1. Rev. Patti Hale wrote: Beautiful. February 24, 6:22 am | [comment link]

2. Karen B. wrote: I’ve only had time so far this morning to read the posted excerpt but have bookmarked the whole text for more careful reading and reflection. This is beautiful and powerful and is a helpful lead up to Lent.  It makes me realize the vacuity of so much of the theological reflection I’m used to reading.  You can sense how Scripture has so deeply shaped and formed the Pope and his words here.  Wonderful to read.  And while profound, it is clear and accessible. I had to chuckle at one line, however: dependency is freedom It sounds so Orwellian!  But in this case it is not “truthspeak” but LITERAL TRUTH.  Amen. February 24, 7:12 am | [comment link]

3. Pb wrote: This is in stark contrast to the recent issue of Scientific American which celebrated the Darwin bicentenial. Apparently there is a dispute as to whether certain organisms who learn to work together can survive better that those who do not.  I am not a literal creationalist but I recognize that much scientific thought is driven by such 19th century scientists as Freud, Marx and Darwin. If everything is the product of random chance, then the Pope is off base and his argument fails. February 24, 12:20 pm | [comment link]

4. Harry Edmon wrote: Always good to see the Pope quote Luther! February 24, 9:32 pm | [comment link]

5. Fr. Dale wrote: ” ‘flesh’ is not the body, but, in St. Paul’s language, it is the absolutizing of the I, of the I that wants to be all and have everything for itself.” This is a wonderful understanding of what St. Paul refers to as the flesh. “paradoxically, freedom is realized in service”  This concept is beautifully spoken in our Morning Prayer Collect for Peace. “...to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom” February 25, 1:18 pm | [comment link]

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