Freedom comes from trusting in the Father

Throughout this Easter season I’ve been reading and re-reading a book by Fr. Jacques Philippe called Interior Freedom and boy is it good! The premise of the book is that we find true happiness and freedom to the extent that we put Christ in the driver’s seat of our lives and grow in the theological virtues of faith, hope and love. Basically we need to pull over and let Jesus take the wheel, which is much easier said than done (hence my fifth time reading this book).

Handing Christ the keys is not a one-and-done activity, but rather a daily undertaking that involves cooperating with the Holy Spirit. Our natural inclination is to grip the wheel ever more tightly, as we try to gain control over our lives. But if the events of the past year have taught us anything, it’s how little control we really have. That’s where the Holy Spirit comes in.

The Holy Spirit invites us into a relationship with God, encouraging us to trust in the infinite goodness of our Heavenly Father, who delights in giving good gifts to his children. He also nudges us to spend time with our Father, so we can bask in his presence, learn to imitate his ways and be embraced by his love. Ultimately, our faith is about cultivating the type of trust a child instinctively places in his father.

May each of us abide in the Father’s love and walk in the freedom that comes from knowing that we are sons and daughters of the Most High God, because as Mother Teresa once said, “When you know how much God is in love with you, then you can only live your life radiating that love.”