Wednesday of the
Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
(Revelation 4:1-11; Luke 19:11-28)
“Freedom isn’t free,” politicians favoring large military
budgets say. They are right although
perhaps in a way that they do not intend.
Incipient freedom may come as a gift from God, but that freedom must be
developed through hard work. We might
see today’s gospel in this light.
The nobleman gives gold coins to three servants. Those coins may be considered the gift of
freedom, the ability to choose among the good.
If it seems odd to imply that the three receive different amounts of
freedom, it should be remembered that human freedom is always limited. Physical, psychological, and social factors
do not necessarily determine what one chooses but can limit her choice. Two of the servants use their coins
wisely. They develop the freedom given
them through virtue. It becomes easy for
them to choose good and reject evil.
They would no more swear at a driver who cuts them off on the highway
than would Mother Teresa. The third
servant never works to develop freedom.
Only with difficulty can he choose the good. More likely, he like a bulldog will bark at
anyone who comes near.
As Thanksgiving approaches, we might consider thanking
God for the gift of freedom. We are not determined
beforehand to be saints or sinners, parents or priests for that matter. Rather we can choose along these different
paths. We can be the kind of person we
want to be by developing virtue. Freedom
is a truly wonderful gift.
