Responsibility and the dangers of a mistaken idea of freedom

“Each man has a covenant with the Lord; each man shall hold full responsibility for his soul and the souls of those he loves.” - Our Lady of the Roses, June 15, 1974

It is a truth of faith that the human person is free. That is, we are not determined to any destiny, but rather by our freewill actions we are self-determining. Bearing this in mind, if man is free, he is then responsible. Even with all the talk of freedom in our society, the idea of responsibility remains an unpleasant topic for many.

Love for the law of God
In order for us to follow the law of God, we must have a right attitude towards God and His laws. Christ tells us, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). His yoke is easy and His burden is light to those who love. Far from being a restriction on our freedom, the lawful man is indeed the only free man, for he has an interior freedom and purity of conscience that he bears with him always. The Book of Ecclesiasticus proclaims, “The fear of the Lord is honor, and glory, and gladness, and a crown of joy” (Ecclus. 2:11). As Pope John Paul II has stated,

…He is actually the one who created freedom and is its most authentic friend. His commandments have no other purpose than to help people to avoid the worst and most shameful form of slavery, that of immorality, and to foster the development of true freedom. (John Paul II, general audience of July 24, 1991)

And in the words of the philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand:

Far from being incompatible with true freedom, obedience to moral obligations constitutes the perfection of man's transcendent freedom. (Trojan Horse in the City of God, 129)

Exchange for a higher good
So much in our lives depends on trust, and most importantly, who it is that we put our faith and trust in. But God never fails us, He is forever “faithful and true” (Apoc. 19:11). The spirit of the world, however, mocks the laws of God and His Church, the spirit of the world is blind to the fact that the faithful children of God enjoy an inner peace that cannot be taken away, even in the midst of trials. As Our Lord has said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you” (John 14:27). St. Augustine says, "The good man, even though he is a servant, is free: the wicked man, even though he is a king, is a servant. He has as many masters as he has vices" (City of God, IV, 3).

The world mistakenly seeks happiness in worldly treasures that corrupt, yet despises the very Gospel message which promises man’s true and everlasting happiness. And this gift of Christ is given freely out of love: “And he that thirsteth, let him come: and he that will, let him take the water of life, freely” (Apoc. 22:17).

“If you would enter into life, keep the Commandments” – Mt. 19:16-17
When the young man in the Gospel asked Jesus, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Mt. 19:17). Pope John Paul II comments on this exchange between Jesus and the young man, pointing out that “a close connection is made between eternal life and obedience to God’s commandments” (Veritatis Splendor, 12). Other parts of Scripture point this out very clearly: “he that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul” (Ps. 10: 6-7); “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them: he it is that loveth me” (John 14:21); and, "He who saith that he knoweth Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4).

Mistaken ideas of freedom and morality
St. Paul exhorts us to put off the old man and not return to our former sense of slavery to sin: “be not conformed to this world” (Rom. 12:2), and “Stand fast, and be not held again under the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1). We must daily work out our salvation, and by God’s grace persevere in His love and in His Commandments. But this world is a “vale of tears” and it is self-deceptive to believe otherwise. A faithful Christian will be persecuted and despised by those who reject Christ, because a faithful Christian is a censure to their selfish and sinful conduct. As Scripture says, “For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth” (Proverbs 3:12), and “Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven” (Mt. 5:10).

With the powerful influence of the mass media and the apostasy of society in general, at no other time in history has the follower of Christ had so many intrusions and attacks upon his Faith. By a constant bathing in our materialistic, hedonistic culture (that is, for the most part, diametrically opposed to the Faith), we can’t help but be affected in some measure by these harmful influences.

Many have adopted these false ideologies paraded before them, to the danger of their own souls. Some Catholics even use the current opinions and customs to determine their behavior, the “everyone’s doing it” mentality. Thus, immorality and immodesty have encroached upon the lives of Christians, and such behavior is rationalized because it is the social norm. The Commandments, nevertheless, are timeless and unchangeable. As St. John the Evangelist writes, "He who saith that he knoweth Him, and keepeth not His Commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4). Sorrowfully, the lives of Christians are often indistinguishable from the social norm.

Others choose to govern their lives according to expediency, the path of least resistance. This is the “it works for me” ideology. This utilitarian view is self-serving, not God-serving. This is another immoral lifestyle.

Yet another common ideology is that whatever feels good at the moment must be the right thing, “because God wants us to be happy.” Here, subjective feelings and emotions rule our lives instead of the knowledge of right and wrong, and we become our own standard of morality. Self-gratification and sensual pleasures then master our lives. This particular ideology prevents a person from taking up the cross of Christ and sacrificing for Him. A person ensnared in this false view is particularly susceptible to human respect, and often chooses the way of the crowd over the way of the Gospel.

The Church is our guide
We are in such great need of spiritual support, particularly today, and this is why Christ has left us with the assistance of His Church. Holy Mother Church is our shelter, strength, and guide in this “vale of tears.” We should thank God daily for the many gifts that are available to us through the Church, and for the great Holy Father that now guides the Church in His name. The following quote from our Holy Father bears special attention. It is one of the greatest summaries on authentic human freedom that has ever been made:

Some pretend to establish on their own what is good or bad, and thus refuse to be directed by another, either by a transcendent God or by a Church which represents him on earth. This position generally results from a great ignorance of reality. God is conceived as an enemy of human freedom, as a tyrannical master, even though he is actually the one who created freedom and is its most authentic friend. His commandments have no other purpose than to help people to avoid the worst and most shameful form of slavery, that of immorality, and to foster the development of true freedom. Without a trusting relationship with God, it is not possible for the human person to achieve fully his own spiritual growth. We should not be surprised, then, when we see that an attitude of moral autonomy easily produces a form of subjugation worse than the feared heteronomy: dependence on the opinions of others, on ideological and political ties, on social pressures, or on one’s own inclinations and passions. Whenever one believes or boasts that he is independent, free from all servitude, he thus reveals that he is subject to personal opinion and to other old and new forms of domination over the human spirit! It is easy to see that the attempt to do without God, or the claim not to need the mediation of Christ and his Church, comes at a high price. (Pope John Paul II, general audience of July 24, 1991)

“If you know in your hearts, O pastors, that souls are in danger of being corrupted, misled, and even destroyed, and you do nothing about it, because you do not wish to offend your superiors, because you value your life in this world too much and your good living; I assure you, O pastors, you shall stand before My Son and He shall not know you. You will be disowned, banished from eternal life in Heaven, and you shall join your father who is the father of all liars, satan, and the prince of darkness.” - Our Lady of the Roses, March 18, 1977

Directives from Heaven... http://www.tldm.org/directives/directives.htm

D141 - Responsibility PDF
D142 - Sin of Omission PDF

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