Gollum, Aragorn and true freedom

On March 14, 2013, St. Joseph the Worker Parish hosted Freedom, a Reconciliation event for youth and young adults in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. The event was incredible, thanks in large part to the many young volunteers. The following the talk is from the end of the night, after hundreds of youth and young adults had the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

In one of his short stories (Capital of the World), Ernest Hemingway describes an incredible parable. In Madrid there was a young man named Paco. In Spanish “Paco” is short for “Francisco” and is a very common name. For various reasons, Paco had become estranged from his father, run away from his home and was living on the streets. His life was on a downward spiral towards destruction. This was the last thing that Pacho’s father wanted. He desperately wanted to find his son but knew that he could never do this just by wandering the streets of Madrid, and so he made one last desperate attempt to locate his son.  He paid good money to publish a large advertisement in Madrid’s largest newspaper “El Liberal”.  The ad, which took up nearly a page, read as follows:

"Paco, meet me at the Hotel Montana at noon on Tuesday. All is forgiven! Love, Papa."

That Tuesday at noon the father made his way to the Hotel Montana. When he reached the hotel he discovered something incredible. A huge crowd had gathered, it filled the lobby and spilled into the street. Over 800 young men named Paco were waiting for their fathers and the forgiveness and reconciliation they never thought was possible.

We have come here this evening like so many Pacos. This Church has been our Hotel Montana. We have come and received the reconciliation and forgiveness that we never thought was possible. We have been reconciled with our Father. We have also been reconciled with each other. Being in such a large group has been incredibly encouraging because realized that we are not alone in our desire to be forgiven. Together we have received Freedom from Jesus. We have been set free.

Where do we go from here? When we leave here this evening, how do we continue to live this experience of freedom? St. Paul gives us some important advice:

It was for freedom that Christ has set us free (Gal 5:1)

We have received freedom tonight so that we can go and live in freedom. A critical question is: what is freedom?

For many people freedom means the ability to choose anything. I am only free if I can go in any direction, if I can choose to do anything that I want. When we think this way about freedom, any laws or rules - whether they come from parents, government or the Church - seem oppressive and negative because the constrain our freedom. True freedom, some people say, is just the freedom to choose whatever you desire.

This, however, is not the true freedom. This is not the freedom for which Christ has set us free. When we look at our lives we find that it is not true being able to choose to do anything we please makes us free. On the contrary, our experience teaches us an important lesson. When we choose bad things and actions, it does not make us free but rather slaves. On the other hand, it is only when we choose good things and good actions that we become truly free. To help illustrate this, I want to compare as an example two different characters from the Lord of the Rings series: Gollum and Aragorn.

When we look at the life of Gollum we see clearly that making bad choices does not make us free. When Gollum choose to take the ring, this bad decision turned him into a slave or the ring. He became addicted and was unable to live without it. The same thing happens to us when we choose to sin or simply become over attached to something which is not bad in itself. The sin or that thing that we are attached to become our precious. Social media is an example of this. In itself it is neither good nor bad. You probably find that it can become addictive. You need to constantly check if people liked or favorited your posts or tweets. You hesitate to go places where you do not have WiFi access. It can make you less free. We can become addicted to all kinds of things. For example, we can become addicted to un-forgiveness. If we refuse to forgive somebody, we are a slave to our grudge, we are not free from the hurt that person has caused us. Through our choices we can get enslaved to many things: gossip, pornography and even laziness. In the life of Gollum and in our own life we discover that choosing to sin or choosing to get attached to certain things does not make us free but rather enslaves us.

When we see the life of Aragorn, we see just the opposite. Unlike Gollum, Aragorn does not make choices based on what is easiest or most attractive at the moment. Aragorn chooses the path of virtue. He chooses to be humble, to serve other and defend the weak. This is a difficult path, but in the end it leads Aragorn to be truly happy and free. Aragorn becomes king, not just of Middle Earth, but of his own being. He is not enslaved to any behaviour or sin. In our own life, following the path of Jesus is not easy. Following the ten commandments and the sermon on the mount is no easy task. Forgiving our enemies is extremely difficult. Growing in virtues like humility, charity and justice takes hard work. When we live this way, however, we become truly free. The saints are the freest people in the world. In the life of Aragorn and in our own life we find that when we choose the good, regardless of the cost, we find true and lasting freedom.

So, where do we go from here?  Let us follow the path of Aragorn and not Gollum. Perhaps there are areas in your life, whether it be relationship or behaviors, in which you feel enslaved. Never loose hope! Take courage from the experience that we have had here together this evening! We are in this together so let us encourage one another! If we continue to strive to make good choices with the help of Jesus, we will experience more and more the true and lasting joy and freedom of being beloved sons and daughters of our heavenly Father. Pacho, all is forgiven! Let us rejoice in this amazing gift and calling: it was for freedom that Christ has set us free.

(Jesus + us) > (Devil + temptation)

GN 2:7-9; 3:1-7; MT 4:1-11   (1st Sunday of Lent, Year A)

The Temptations of Christ, 12th century mosaic at St Mark's Basilica, Venice

One of the most interesting books I have read is the Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis. Lewis was an Oxford professor and author whose best known work is the Narnia series. The Screwtape Letters is a very unique work in which Lewis writes a series of fictional letters between two demons. The letters are all written by a senior demon, Screwtape, in order to mentor his nephew Wormwood, a junior tempter. Wormwood has been given the task of ensuring the damnation of a man who is referred to simply as “The Patient”. In his letters, Screwtape tries to advise Wormwood how to succeed in his task. What impressed me about the book were the incredible insights it gives into human nature - both our strengths and weaknesses - and the reality of temptation. So much of the book described things that I had experienced, just from a very different perspective, that of our enemy.

It is important that we have a realistic and balanced view of the Devil and temptation. In particular, it we need to avoid extremes when we consider Satan and his influence in our life. On one extreme, there are those who tend to see the Satan lurking under every rock. They too easily attribute problems in the world to demonic activity. Instead of taking responsibility for their own bad choices, they can pass the buck saying “the Devil made me do it”. In this extreme position, it is often forgotten that Jesus has defeated Satan and given us the power to resist temptation. Another extreme are those who ignore the Devil altogether. Some go so far as to call Satan a myth or a superstitious idea that we have now grown out of. They deny that there is some actual, personal evil that is trying to bring about our ruin through temptation. This way of thinking is also a problem. Imagine what would happen if a nation were under attack and the people lived in a sense of denial about the situation, refusing to believe that they were at war or even had an enemy. There is an interesting point about this point of view in a part of the Screwtape Letters in which Screwtape writes to Wormwood:

Our Master’s (the Devil’s) greatest triumph was in convincing men that he doesn't exist.

Clinging to either of these extremes views of the Devil and temptation hinder our ability to follow Jesus.

Satan does indeed exist and is trying to destroy us by telling us lies about our true identity. We may wonder, if Jesus has defeated the Devil, why does the Devil continue to battle? An analogy might help. Imagine a smoker who is addicted to cigarettes. Everyday when he goes to open a package of cigarettes, what do he read on the package? Smoking kills. The smoker knows this habit is killing him but he does it anyway because he are dependent on the nicotine. He needs it. Satan is addicted and dependent on hate. He knows he is defeated but he cannot but hate us and try to destroy us. He does this by lying to us about who we are as human being. The reality that we find in the book of Genesis is that we have been created in the image of God. We are all beloved sons and daughter of God, infinitely loved and precious to Him. We have been given a wonderful role in God’s wonderful creation: to build a world that reflects His values of love and justice. For these reasons, as human beings we need to have God at the center of our lives, it is just who we are. Satan attacks this identity. Just as in the case of Adam and Eve, he tries to make us push God outside of our lives and not without success. How many families today are so busy with work, school, and extracurricular activities that they do not have enough time to be together, let alone with God? In our busyness we forget about trying to build a world more reflective of God’s values. The Devil tries to make us forget that we are loved and precious to God. How many young people today, thinking that they don’t measure up to society’s standards for beauty and goodness, feel that they are worthless and unlovable? Satan is trying to destroy us by telling us lies about who what it means to be a human being.

In His temptation, Jesus shows us our true identity. Pope Emeritus Benedict explains that Jesus’ temptations are so significant because they

address the question as to what truly matters in human life. At the heart of all temptations, as we see here, is the act of pushing God aside because we perceive him as secondary, if not actually superfluous and annoying, in comparison with all the apparently far more urgent matters that fill our lives. (Jesus of Nazareth, vol. 1, p. 28)

In His responses to Satan, Jesus always affirms that as human beings, we can have no existence outside God – He must be at the center. The same temptations that Jesus experienced were undergone by Adam and Eve and the people of Israel, all of whom failed. Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit, thereby pushing God outside their lives. The people of Israel, after being freed from slavery in Egypt, turned their back on God by not trusting that He would provide for their materials needs and instead worshiped idols. Jesus, during His temptation in the desert, conquers the temptations of the Devil to push God out of the center of our lives, thereby affirming what it truly means to be human.

       

Lent is a time to take strength in our fight against Satan. In different ways, the Devil wants to tempt us to push God outside our life. With Jesus at our side and with His strength we can fight this lie. I would like to offer four practical tips for fighting temptation.

1. Remember we have an enemy. Maybe this sounds simplistic, but recall what C.S. Lewis wrote: the Devil’s greatest triumph was convincing men he doesn't exist.
2. Know your weak spots and guard against them. St. Ignatius of Loyola reminds us that like any enemy the Devil attacks us in our weak spots. What is your weak spot? Pride? Vanity? Lust?
3. Show a bold face to the Devil. St. Ignatius explains that in tempting the Devil is like a barking dog, if you are firm and determined from the beginning, the dog will back off. When temptations come, we should resist them strongly the moment they arise. For example, if you feel resentment towards someone, try to forgive them right away. Do not let relive the hurt and allow it to build up.
4. Stay out of the Devil’s territory. St. Augustine says that the Devil is like a chained dog. This dog is powerful, but is confined by the length of the chain. If you enter the dog’s area it can hurt you, if you stay outside, you are safe.  The Devil’s territory is serious sin, un-forgiveness, occult practices (like consulting horoscopes and fortune tellers) and spiritism (trying to contact the dead). If we don’t want to get hurt, we need to stay clear of this territory.

These are just a few tools that can help us this lent to take strength for our fight against Satan with the help of Jesus.

When I first heard about the Screwtape Letters, I was hesitant to read the book. I thought that a book about imaginary letters between demons trying to figure out the best way to tempt someone would be sad and depressing. When I read the book, it had a very different impression on me. I found it encouraging because it helped me make sense of what I experienced in my own life. The reality is that we do have an enemy who tempts us and tries to make us push God outside our life thus ignoring our true identity as sons and daughters of God. The Good News is that Jesus has defeated the Devil and with Jesus by our side we too can resist temptation. As we begin this lenten season, strengthen ourselves by: 1) remembering we do in fact have an enemy, 2) knowing and guarding against our weak spots, 3) Showing a bold face to the Devil when temptation comes, 4) staying out of the Devil’s territory. With Jesus by our side we will surely be victorious in the battle against temptation.

Ash Wednesday: all projects have a deadline

Deadlines and due dates are an inescapable part of being a student. There is always an upcoming test on this day. There is forever an essay due on that day. When I was a student I lived deadline to deadline. I would check my calendar regularly in order to remind myself of what exam I should be studying for or which project I should be working on. Though deadlines could add stress to my life, in hindsight they helped me. Due dates ensured that I actually worker hard to learn new material and skills. Left to myself, I tend to procrastinate and fill my time doing things that that are easier and more enjoyable. Due dates were a blessing because they gave me incentive to work on something more difficult. In the end, this helped me to learn and become better.

Ash Wednesday plays the same role in our life as followers of Jesus as deadlines do in the lives of students. One of two phrases can be said when ashes are put on our heads:

1. Repent and believe in the Gospel.
2. Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.

As Christians, we all students. The first phrase, "repent and believe in the Gospel", reminds us that we are working on a project of vital importance: our very self. We are trying to improve ourselves by changing the way we think and act so that we think and act more like Jesus. Our project is to transform ourselves to become more like Christ.  The second phrase, "remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return", makes us aware that this project is not something that is open-ended. It has a set due date: the day that we die. There are no extensions; after we die we can no longer repent. Though thinking about our future death can seem a little depressing, it should ultimately help us to live better in the present. Just as remembering the date of an exam urges us to study harder, remembering that we will one day die should motivate us to make changes in our life.

Ash Wednesday is a gift. We remember that we are one year closer to the due date of our greatest assignment and asses how we are doing on it. Often we give up things for lent: chocolate, social media or television. This can be a very helpful practice. In addition to this, I suggest we do something practical. Our lives are full of different relationships, with God, family, friends and coworkers. Today look at your life and see if there is one relationship that you would like to improve. Perhaps you would like to spend more time with Jesus in prayer. Maybe you want to be more attentive and a better listener for your spouse. Or perhaps you want to be more forgiving and patient with a coworker or classmate. Choose one relationship and focus on improving it this lent. Let this be our homework that will help us fulfill our most important project: becoming more like Jesus. Remember, we do not have forever. Each year the deadline to complete this project draws closer.