"As Saint peter knew, the paradox of the Gospel is that we are set free from the chains of our own making by choosing to yoke ourselves to Christ, who bursts our bonds by his own death and Resurrection" (Magnificat Magazine)
To be a Christian and to follow the path of Christ demands great sacrifice. This sacrifice varies depending on our state in life and also to the degree in which we surrender ourselves to God. This surrender which seems quite 'radical' to many is met by our Lord with immense grace, mercy, and love. It is because of His love for us that we are provided with the freedom to love him, to serve Him, and to continually strive toward Him amidst our difficulties and challenges. It is because of our Lord's mercy that we are able to experience a sense of His peace, joy, and love.
Through faith and a strong will to live in accordance to God's design we are opened up to the invisible reality of Christ. This surrender that we are called to and reminded of many times by Jesus in the Gospel requires great obedience. The concept of obedience is often difficult to accept and seems to be one that many in our modern world reject. We can often fail to recognize that obedience to God is not imprisonment, but is a means by which we bind ourselves to the fullness of truth, love, and freedom found in our Lord alone.
So often one can settle for the tangible things of this world and claim to be 'liberated' and 'free' by doing as they please in the name of themselves and end up in the shackles of selfishness and disillusionment. Jesus calls us to obedience and sacrifice not for punishment, but for love. He offers to us an interior freedom and we must take the time to detach from external entrapment. We can only be truly free when we bind ourselves to the source of all freedom and fulfillment. We can only know this by giving ourselves completely through sacrifice and obedience. Blessed are they who hear the "hound of heaven" and answer by the laying down of their lives through sacrifice, service, and love.
May we begin each day with thanksgiving to God and think often of the end of our life,so that we may live each moment striving for purity of heart and draw nearer to our Lord in all things until we are truly Home.(CC)
