In following Jesus, we could learn to experience real freedom

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

A reflection on the daily readings, for Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.

+ Skipping down the street, the children were chanting in unison: “Step on a crack, you break your mother’s back; step on a line, you break your father’s spine.”

Leave it up to kids to come up with a funny rhyme to accompany such a thing as skipping down the sidewalk.

Do they believe this? I doubt it.

But it is! It even sounded fun!

But when it comes to rules and commands and legalities, none were better at this than the Jews.

They had 613 laws — 365 commandments which coincide with the number of days in the solar year; and 248 negative commandments, a number ascribed to the number of bones and main organs in the human body.

Whew! I am exhausted already!

So it is no wonder why some people came to him complaining and citing that Jesus‘ disciples were not properly fasting and following all of those rules.

And Jesus, typically, takes it deeper: “Wedding time for feasting, and after the bridegroom leaves, time for fasting.”

And then “old cloth and new cloth” and “old wineskins and new wineskins,” and the ability to make distinctions and to see rules and laws not so important in themselves, but leading us to a place of freedom and love and devotion.

Even here Jesus is talking like a high priest, and Hebrews tells us why.

He was truly chosen by God to be the high priest, to experience for and with his people the suffering that would lead him to obedience to and trust in the Father that would make him perfect in love and bringing salvation to all.

Imagine, in following Jesus, we could learn to love rather than to hate; to forgive rather than to live, and maybe even die never forgetting and never forgiving the wrongs done against us.

Freedom to love! Freedom to live! Freedom to forgive!

Freedom, as they say: “Not just freedom from, but freedom for.”

Now that’s the meaning and reason for laws and commandments!

Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.