1 Cor 2:1-5 Ps 119:97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102 Luke 4:16-30

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

Here in the US, there is one thing that nearly all Americans seem to pride themselves on: freedom. We hear it praised from our earliest years, and that acclamation carries until the end of our lives. Tied closely with this is the overwhelming support for independence. (I feel this was previously far more prevalent for males, but now after civil rights movements and the impact of feminism, I do not think such separation exists.) Again, we can find this at the youngest age.
           
For example, I work at a cupcake shop. Often times we will have a mother or father come in with their children to pick out a cupcake. And nearly every single time, the parents will ask the child, “Which one do you want?” We don’t think anything of this… in fact, most of us would consider such a statement the “right” or “correct” thing to do (myself included). Yet, do we take the time to realize that in doing so we are really encouraging our children to become independent? When we are dealing with cupcakes, this obviously is not life or death. But in other situations, the stakes are higher; and then I begin to question whether or not this promotion of independence can be harmful if the person is not mature enough.
           
So where am I going with this… In the responsorial Psalm for today we read, “Lord, I love your commands.” At first glace, given my American socialization, this is very uncomfortable to me. But the more I pondered this phrase, the more I feel in love with it. Just think, how many times do you find yourself wishing one of your friends/family members would just PICK somewhere to go to lunch (I know I encounter that all the time) or that someone would just tell you want to do for once. The more I thought, the more I realized I oftentimes crave for freedom, but not necessarily independence. And the more I prayed with this phrase, the more I came to realize how incredibly freeing “giving up everything” can be.
           
One final thought. I found this scribbled in the back of a book I borrowed earlier this week. It reads, “It is only when we have lost everything, that we are truly free.” What then, if I were to really turn everything over to God, and just follow God’s commands…