Homily for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Listen to the homily

• Why don’t people follow Christ?
  • Many reasons
  • Big reason – they see Christian life as restricting freedom
    • Conversely, St. Paul says Christ came to free us
• Definition of freedom
  • Secular definition
    • “Ability to do what I want, when I want to, and how I want to.”
  • Christian definition
    • “Able to do what we ought to do”
      • Ability to do that which is right
    • First definition is not freedom, but license
      • Abuse of freedom
• Difference in definitions
  • First sees laws as restrictions on freedom
  • Second sees legitimate laws as enhancing freedom
    • Analogy is out-of-bounds rules in football or soccer
      • Limit area of play != restriction of freedom in play
  • St. Paul encourages us to follow the second definition
    • Not first
• Hear first understanding of freedom when someone “doesn’t need dogmas”
  • Sees doctrines, dogmas, etc. as rules which restrict
  • Christian view of freedom
    • Dogmas, doctrines, etc. set out-of-bounds for following Christ
      • So long as we’re in the field, we’re in good standing
      • Rather than restrict, limits free us
        • Don’t have to worry about being in right relationship
    • It’s not hard to know if we’re in right relationship w/ Christ
      • Seek to know and understand the rules and live them in love for Christ and our neighbor
        • Not selfishly
• True freedom brings a joy we will never find if we live merely for ourselves

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