Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
(Romans 6:12-18; Luke 12:39-48)
In today’s passage from Romans St. Paul deals with a question much like one that troubles society today. He knows that Christ has freed humans from the complexity of following the Law of Moses. The question then arises: since there is no law saying the contrary, is one free to sin? Today many ask whether the copious freedom cherished by western humanity is really good for people?
Paul answers the question of being free to sin negatively. He reasons that just as there is a slavish attention to the Law, there is also slavishness to sin. People give themselves over to sin and resultant death by doing what they know to be wrong. They usually cannot control themselves once they have started down the road to perdition. We can see this happening in addictions. Drug, alcohol, and sex addicts cannot stop doing immeasurable harm to themselves and others. Because of the damage, society to date has restricted freedom in these areas, at least a little.
Theologians after Paul have clarified the nature of true freedom. It is not only a lack of restriction but also an orientation to the good. Paul, somewhat awkwardly, calls true freedom “becoming slaves of righteousness.” It consists of practicing virtue continually so that doing what is right becomes as natural and as healthy as eating cereals and fruit for breakfast.
