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Freedom of the soul as the Image of God in us maria Sunday, September 27, 2009

Question:

Happened to read a good article on what true freedom is - for God , from God and how freedom is possibly our most precious gift from god and how misconceptions on what true freedom can be at the root of most of the evils in our culture .

Could it be that freedom of the soul is somehow also the very image of God in us that God ever loves and beholds even when we have used up all that freedom to be a slave to the enemy !

Could it be that it is when we too recognise the Godly image/dignity in us , in spite of the thick walls of hatred that could be the basis of much of the false images we project to hide this inner hatred/death wish ,from the enemy !

Could our Lord have seen only this image of freedom in His children who persecuted Him and thus never became hateful towards them, as He remained in the Father's love and Spirit , seeing us too as The Father does , in His image !

Was all the hatred He took upon hImself, to thus set us free from ourselves - hatred for oursleves and those around , brought on by our wounded pasts and our actions !

He rises from the walls of hatred and death , restoring the glorious and true Image so that even in our worst enemy and in ourselves too , we are invited to look at and see His Image and dignity that too is capable ot being risen !

Focusing on this true image more and more ,in us and those around us , through all the Church given means of wisdom , would that not be the means to be truly free , inorder to be grateful and joyful !

To summarise, is it theologically accurate to say that our Lord spared Himself from any hatred of His persecutors by focusing on their Godly image and that even for souls in hell, this is what The Father truly loves and that we too get truly free /saved when we too can focus on this image , in ourselves an in those around us , through the merits of His Passion and with all the help Mother Church provides !

( Seems religions such as hinduism give a false sense of freedom by saying that even gods are not free from such hatreds and in its fullest sense , comes expressed as rejection of the preciousness of this life itself with the lie of giving the option for endless life cycles , which is against the truth of real God given freedom for us humans , to choose to be with or against God ,as our final freedom !)

And may be Islam also gives the facade of false freedom by advsing that there is no real means to be free from such hatreds but one in encouraged to uphold and exercise the hatred , with a promise of even heaven for same !

Thank you in advance for correction/ clarification !



Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Maria:

Let me focus on your summary:

To summarise, is it theologically accurate to say that our Lord spared Himself from any hatred of His persecutors by focusing on their Godly image and that even for souls in hell, this is what The Father truly loves and that we too get truly free /saved when we too can focus on this image , in ourselves an in those around us , through the merits of His Passion and with all the help Mother Church provides !

Our Lord did not "spare" Himself from any hatred. Hatred is not possible for Him because our Lord is God and God is love itself (1 John 4:8). For a being whom is 100% love, who is actually the essence and substance of love, hatred is not possible. Hatred is purely an emotion of fallen humanity.

We do not find freedom or salvation by focusing on an "image". We find freedom when we absorb into our souls the Truth:

Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." --John 8:31-32

The word "image" I think is a little confusing. What the "image of God" means is that God has granted us with a rational soul that imbues certain attributes of Himself. The rational soul gives us the ability to create, for example, and to reflect upon ourselves and on our mortality, to worship and contemplate God, and to choose good or evil.

Free will is given to us so that we will choose Truth and God. It is only when we choose Truth and God that we have freedom. If we choose against Truth and God we then enslave our will, not free it.

These attributes that God has given us in our rational souls are not mere images, but ontological and spiritual realities that are part of who we are as human beings created by God.

We have the freedom to not hate through the inherent attributes of our rational soul, made possible by the work of Christ on the Cross who freed us from the slavery of sin, and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

There can be no true freedom without Truth, and there can be no Truth without the one true God. Those religions and the secular world who may believe they are compelled to hatred, revenge, and retribution, or that such behavior is permissible, are deeply troubled and not thinking with the mind of God nor with the inherent knowledge of right and wrong that God has imbued into the rational soul of every human being.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary


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