For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. – Galatians 5:13 (NABRE)
Our culture says many things about freedom. It says freedom is the ability to do anything we want. It says freedom is acting on our own selfish desires no matter how it affects others. It says that if we are not allowed to act on every impulse, we are not truly free.
But as Catholics, we have a different definition. Freedom is the ability to do what we ought. It is knowing the right thing and choosing to do it, no matter the cost to us. It is controlling our sin-corrupted desires and surrendering to what God wants, not what we want.
Because at the heart, we can’t have freedom if we don’t have love…and vice-versa. Freedom is a condition of love, but if we don’t choose to love, we’re really not free. If we want to be truly free—and say no to being enslaved to all the passing power, wealth, and pleasure the world offers us—we must have a deeper yes: the yes to love God and love others as He loves.
But God’s love isn’t the fleeting, pleasure-driven feeling the culture calls love. God’s love is the nitty-gritty, self-giving, all-the-way-to-the-cross kind of love. God’s love means sacrifice…so that’s how we are called to love. By serving others and sacrificing our own wants, desires, and selves.
Because freedom means love, and love means sacrifice.
So, this lent, how will you choose freedom over slavery? How will you choose to love God and love how He loves? What sacrifices will you make?
© Isabelle Wood 2025
Photo copyright Canva
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