““For you were called for freedom”For you were called for freedom” (Gal 5:13).

Around the year 50 A.D. the apostle Paul had visited the region of Galatia, in central Asia Minor, which is now Turkey. Christian communities had sprung up

there which had enthusiastically embraced the faith.

After Paul had personally presented

Jesus crucified to them, they had been

baptized, and clothed them with Christ,

with the freedom of the children of God. “They were running well” along this new way, as Paul himself

recognized.

Then, all of a sudden, they began

to seek freedom elsewhere. Paul was

surprised to see how quickly they turned away from

Christ. This is when he invited them to

rediscover the freedom that Christ

had given them:

““For you were called for freedom”For you were called for freedom”

What freedom are we called to?

Can’t we now do what we wish?

““Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin,” Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin,” responded Jesus.responded Jesus.

““We have We have never been never been enslaved by enslaved by

anyone,” anyone,” replied Jesus’ replied Jesus’

contemporaries contemporaries when he told when he told them that the them that the freedom he freedom he

came to bring came to bring would set them would set them

free. free.

There is a subtle slavery, fruit of sin, which torments There is a subtle slavery, fruit of sin, which torments the human heart. We know well its many faces: closing the human heart. We know well its many faces: closing

in on ourselves, being attached to material goods, in on ourselves, being attached to material goods, hedonism, pride, anger…hedonism, pride, anger…

We will never free We will never free ourselves completely ourselves completely

from this type of from this type of slavery. Freedom is slavery. Freedom is a gift from Jesus: he a gift from Jesus: he

set us free by set us free by making himself our making himself our servant and giving servant and giving his life for us. We his life for us. We are thus invited to are thus invited to correspond to the correspond to the freedom that has freedom that has been given to us.been given to us.

This freedom is “not so much the possibility to choose This freedom is “not so much the possibility to choose between right and wrong, but rather to increasingly between right and wrong, but rather to increasingly

move towards what is good.” This is how Chiara Lubich move towards what is good.” This is how Chiara Lubich explained it to some youth.explained it to some youth.

She continued by saying: “I have experienced that what She continued by saying: “I have experienced that what is good frees us, and what is evil enslaves us. Now, to is good frees us, and what is evil enslaves us. Now, to

acquire freedom, we need to love, because what enslaves acquire freedom, we need to love, because what enslaves us most is our own ego.us most is our own ego.

Instead when we Instead when we always think about always think about others, or about the others, or about the

will of God in will of God in fulfilling our duties, fulfilling our duties, or of our neighbor, or of our neighbor, we are not focused we are not focused

on ourselves and we on ourselves and we are thus freed from are thus freed from

our ego.”our ego.”

““For you were called for freedom”For you were called for freedom”

How should we How should we then live this then live this

Word of Life? Word of Life?

Paul himself tells us Paul himself tells us how to do so. After how to do so. After

reminding us that we reminding us that we are called to freedom, are called to freedom,

he explains the meaning he explains the meaning of being “at the service of being “at the service

of others,” “with of others,” “with charity,” because the charity,” because the

whole law “is fulfilled whole law “is fulfilled in one statement, in one statement,

namely, ‘You shall love namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as your neighbor as

yourself.’”yourself.’”

We are free – this is We are free – this is the paradox of love – the paradox of love – when out of love we when out of love we begin to serve others, begin to serve others, when, going beyond when, going beyond

our egoistical our egoistical tendencies, we forget tendencies, we forget about ourselves and about ourselves and

we focus on the needs we focus on the needs of others around usof others around us..

We are called We are called to the to the

freedom of freedom of love: we are love: we are free to love! free to love! Yes, “to be Yes, “to be

free, we need free, we need to love.”to love.”

““For you were called for freedom”For you were called for freedom”

The late Bishop The late Bishop Francesco Saverio Francesco Saverio

Nguyen Van Nguyen Van Thuan, Thuan,

imprisoned imprisoned because of his because of his

faith, remained faith, remained behind bars for 13 behind bars for 13 years. Even then, years. Even then,

he felt free he felt free because he was because he was

still able to love at still able to love at least the prison least the prison

guards.guards.

““When I was put in isolation,” he once recounted, “I was When I was put in isolation,” he once recounted, “I was patrolled by five guards: two of them were always with me patrolled by five guards: two of them were always with me on different shifts. The administrators had told them: ‘We on different shifts. The administrators had told them: ‘We will alternate you every two weeks with another group, so will alternate you every two weeks with another group, so

that you will not be that you will not be contaminatedcontaminated by this dangerous bishop.’ by this dangerous bishop.’ Then they decided: ‘We will not change you anymore, Then they decided: ‘We will not change you anymore, otherwise this bishop will contaminate all the guards.’otherwise this bishop will contaminate all the guards.’

““At the beginning the At the beginning the guards did not speak guards did not speak with me. They only with me. They only answered ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ It answered ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ It was really a sad was really a sad situation… They avoided situation… They avoided talking with me.talking with me.

““One night, a thought One night, a thought came to me: ‘Francesco, came to me: ‘Francesco, you are still very rich. you are still very rich. You have Christ’s love You have Christ’s love

in your heart; love them in your heart; love them as Jesus loved you.’as Jesus loved you.’

““The next day I began The next day I began to love them even to love them even

more, to love Jesus in more, to love Jesus in them, by smiling, or them, by smiling, or exchanging a kind exchanging a kind word with them. I word with them. I began to tell them began to tell them

stories about my trips stories about my trips out of the country… out of the country… They then desired to They then desired to learn some foreign learn some foreign languages: French, languages: French,

English… my guards English… my guards became my students!”became my students!”

a

““For you were called for freedom”For you were called for freedom”

““Word of Life,” Word of Life,” a monthly publication of the Focolare Movementa monthly publication of the Focolare MovementText by Fr. Fabio Ciardi and Gabriella FallacaraText by Fr. Fabio Ciardi and Gabriella Fallacara

Graphics by Graphics by Anna Lollo in collaboration with Fr. in collaboration with Fr. Placido D’Omina (Sicily – Italy)(Sicily – Italy)