Post-feast of the Exaltation of the Cross; Holy Martyrs Trophimus, Sabbatius and Dorymedontus (276-82)
Galatians 4:28-5:10; Mark 6:54-7:8
Read Galatians 4:28-5:10
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
In the Victor Hugo novel and the recent derived musical, Les Misérables, we find Jean Valjean as a prisoner of 19 years (for stealing a loaf of bread) set “free” which, in reality, is a life-time parole. He is penniless and homeless and finds it hard to pick-up any work. A bishop who finds Jean sleeping on his doorstep, takes him in for the night, feeds him, gives him some wine to warm him, and a bed in which to sleep. Jean leaves in the morning with almost all the silverware in the household. After being caught and brought before the bishop with the accusation that he is a thief, the bishop states that the police are wrong and that he gave Jean all this silver and, in fact, forgot the silver candle-holders. After the police leave, he tells Jean to take it and be an honest man.
This act of love by the bishop starts a whole chain of events of love begetting love in the novel (not without many hardships and sufferings). Jean realises that it was the love of this bishop that made him a changed man, and again, he realises that the source of the bishop’s love was the love of God. Recall what St John writes: we love because He first loved us!
Our freedom in Christ is found in that love by which He has loved us. A love, a gift of Self to us, without counting the cost. The effect of that love is draw out of us all selfishness, and to draw to a profound selflessness. Anything else leads us to slavery (again). Let us pray for the faith by which Jesus is the sole foundation of our faith and that He may transform us by His divine love!