The Sign of Freedom: Embracing the Freedom of the Children of God

Gal 4:22-24.26-27.31—5:1, Psalm: 112, Lk 11:29-32

Memorial of Our Lady of the Pillar

Memorial of Saint Carlo Acutis

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

On this day when we celebrate the dual memorial of Our Lady of the Pillar, the patroness of Spain and the Americas, and the young blessed Carlo Acutis, a modern witness to the faith, the Word of God presents us with a profound and liberating message. Saint Paul contrasts the slavery of the law with the freedom of the promise. Jesus offers the sign of Jonah—the sign of His death and resurrection—to a generation seeking wonders. Mary, the free woman, and Carlo, the young seeker of truth, show us how to live in the freedom of the children of God.

In his Letter to the Galatians, Saint Paul uses the allegory of Sarah and Hagar. Hagar, the slave woman, represents the old covenant of Mount Sinai, a covenant of slavery and bondage. Sarah, the free woman, represents the new covenant of Jerusalem above, a covenant of freedom and promise. We are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. “For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” This is the heart of the Gospel: we are not slaves to the law; we are children of the promise. We are not bound by the burden of earning our salvation; we are freed by the grace of God.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus speaks to a generation that seeks signs. “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” The sign of Jonah is the sign of the prophet who was in the belly of the whale for three days, and it points to the death and resurrection of Christ. The people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah. The Queen of the South came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But now, “something greater than Jonah is here,” and “something greater than Solomon is here.” The greatest sign is standing before them—Jesus Himself. But they refuse to see.

The connection between the readings is the call to freedom and the call to see. Paul calls us to freedom from the law. Jesus calls us to see the sign of His own death and resurrection. Mary, the free woman, and Carlo, the young witness, show us how to live in that freedom and to see the sign of Christ’s love.

Our Lady of the Pillar is a sign of Mary’s presence and intercession. She appeared to Saint James the Apostle on a pillar in Saragossa, Spain, to console and strengthen him in his mission. She is the free woman, the one who said “yes” to God and gave birth to the promise. She is the mother of the Church, the mother of all believers, and she leads us to her Son.

Blessed Carlo Acutis, a young man of our own time, understood the sign of the Eucharist. He was a computer whiz, but he used his talents to create a website documenting Eucharistic miracles. He saw the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist as the greatest sign of God’s love. He lived a life of holiness, joy, and freedom, even in the midst of the digital age. He is a witness to the freedom of the children of God.

Pope Francis has said, “Carlo Acutis is a model for young people, showing that holiness is possible in the digital age.” Saint John Paul II, the great pope of freedom, wrote, “Freedom is not the right to do anything we want, but the power to do what we ought.” And Saint Augustine, contemplating the freedom of the children of God, wrote, “Love God and do what you will.”

What does this mean for us? We are called to freedom—freedom from the yoke of sin, freedom from the burden of the law, freedom to live as children of the promise. We are called to see the sign of Christ’s love—in the Eucharist, in the Scriptures, in the lives of the saints. We are called to be like Mary, the free woman, who said “yes” to God. And we are called to be like Carlo, who used his talents for the glory of God and who lived a life of holiness in the midst of the modern world.

Today, let us examine our hearts. Are we living in the freedom of the children of God, or are we submitting again to the yoke of slavery? Are we seeing the signs of God’s love, or are we seeking signs of our own making? Let us ask the Lord to give us the grace to live in freedom, to see His signs, and to be witnesses of His love in the world. Amen.

May God bless you all!