Monday, March 29, 2010

"Evil is an abuse of freedom"

The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to "the slavery of sin."
-- CCC 1733

As we move forward this week our mission is "going upwards" with the Lord to His Passion, to Jerusalem, our Holy Father reminded us yesterday. Let us keep in mind that every evil is an abuse: an abuse of freedom. The wounds of abuse are not healed by more abuse.

Unreasonable and malicious attacks do not bring justice to those who have been wounded. The healing brought by the Just One, the Suffering Servant, is never present in the injustice which maligns the other.

Only by standing together, going upward together with the Lord, in and of the truth, can the healing of justice be brought to all who seek it, both those wounded by sin and those who seek to stand with them; by all of humanity wounded by sin.

Christ does this work of healing and justice always in and through His Body, Church: "My Servant shall justify many".

"Humbly believing with the Church, like being bound together in a roped party ascending to God, is an essential condition for following Christ. Not acting as the owners of the Word of God, not chasing after a mistaken idea of emancipation -- this is also part of being together in the roped party. The humility of 'being-with' is essential to the ascent. Letting the Lord take us by the hand through the sacraments is another part of it. We let ourselves be purified and strengthened by him, we let ourselves accept the discipline of the ascent, even if we are tired." (Pope Benedict XVI, Homily for Palm Sunday 2010.)
-- ((((..))))

Art: Ecce homo, Tiziano Vecellio.

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