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Wednesday, March 20, 2002

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Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
Daniel 3:52-56
John 8:31-42

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abiding in god's word frees us to love

"If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples; then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." —John 8:31-32, our transl.

Because God is Love (1 Jn 4:8, 16) and love must be freely given, God made us free. Freedom is a corollary to love. When the human race sinned, it severely curtailed its freedom and therefore its capacity to love. When Jesus redeemed us, our freedom was restored. We now have the freedom to give our lives to the Lord and to love Him with all our hearts.

We can love in this freedom and have greater freedom by being Jesus' disciples and abiding in His word (Jn 8:31). The word of truth is the word of freedom. We can abide in His word by:

  • praying the Mass daily,
  • referring to the Catechism often,
  • reading the Bible daily,
  • praying the rosary daily,
  • praying the "Angelus" three times a day,
  • blessing our meals through God's word and prayer (1 Tm 4:4),
  • praying God's word with our spouses and families,
  • sharing God's word and our faith as often as possible, especially with our families,
  • using God's word to examine our consciences, especially before going to Confession,
  • listening to Christian programs on the Scriptures and reading Christian Bible-based publications, and
  • praying the Liturgy of the Hours.

If we do many of these, we will be in God's word many times a day. We will abide in God's word. Only in this way will we be fully free to love (see I Will Give You Pastors, Pope John Paul II, 26).

Prayer:  Father, by being true to Your word, give me true freedom and true love.

Promise:  "If the Son frees you, you will really be free." —Jn 8:36

Praise:  Patricia now prays several times a day when not so long ago she had only prayed on Sundays.

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, August 18, 2001


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, August 25, 2001