Feast of the Presentation, Feb. 2, 2014
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
In the famous novel “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo, Jean Valjean is freed from a hard labor camp. He was placed in this penitentiary after stealing a loaf of bread for his starving sister. Jean finally experiences his longed-for freedom, but quickly finds that it is an illusion. Valjean must carry documentation which states that he is a criminal for the rest of his life. He is basically on life-time probation with no hope of making a decent living.
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This only goes to harden the heart of Valjean who is at war with a world which has always treated him with such contempt. Then something totally unexpected happens to Jean. He is approached by a poor and holy Bishop who invites him in with no questions asked. Valjean accepts the invitation, but then steals the Bishop’s silver in the night. Quickly, he is captured by the law and brought back to the Bishop’s residence. The poor cleric refuses to admit the theft and tells Jean that he has “bought your soul for Christ.” Valjean is ransomed from his sins. He is bought by the blood of the Lamb; he is free! At that moment the criminal realizes that the words from John’s Gospel are true, “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
Living anew
Does this mean that the rest of Jean Valjean’s life is easy? No, in fact the consequences of living as a new man will mean that he must face many sufferings and walk the road to Calvary. Jean is still on the run from the unforgiving laws of the State. Yet, he spends his days in works of mercy defending the poor ones or the most forgotten of his time. Valjean adopts the daughter of a dead prostitute and gives her all his love.
For many people freedom is having many opportunities or securities. Essentially, we all want to be free from suffering, which humanly is normal. But, Jean Valjean shows us that true freedom is found in knowing we are loved unimaginably by God and showing that same radical love to those around us. This means being a contradiction. We are told in the Gospel that Jesus was a sign, which was “contradicted.” There is something out-of-place in His life. He is the God-man who comes to bring freedom and yet he is also the “suffering servant” who dies a humiliating death. Mary’s life will also be filled with contradiction. She is at the same time the Mother of God and the one whose heart “a sword shall pierce.”
Enslaved by opposites
Who is really free in this life? Who is really blessed by God? The answer to these questions is not always clear on this earth. Is it those who have wealth and/or security? How about the poor who have not no known attachments? In the novel, it is clear that both the poor and the rich can be very much enslaved. The poor fall victim to despair by focusing solely on their sufferings. The rich are so concerned with avoiding discomfort and/or suffering that they are enslaved within their greed.
In the end, it is a matter of perspective. How do we look for freedom? This question determines who we become. If freedom is a license to do what we want and seek pleasure then we will always run from the Cross. Our struggle to achieve worldly freedom will leave us always wanting for more. Only when we begin to look through the eyes of God can we, like Jean Valjean, find true freedom. It has already been given to us in baptism. We only need to respond to grace and believe that all is in the hands of God.
Freedom with proper eyesight
Jesus’ Presentation in the Temple shows us that God’s ways are nonsense to those who do not believe. Christ came to suffer and to be a failure by human standards. But, with the eyes of faith we see that Jesus is offering us freedom beyond the sufferings and joys of this world. All things good or bad “work together for those called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28).”
Inner freedom means that we can live in poverty and still be very free. We can have a life of suffering while at the same time be filled with joy and peace. This is because God is using all things for our benefit, to purify us, and for the good of others. Jesus’ death on the cross “bought souls for God!”
Like Jean, we can discover the “hidden pearl.” The mystery of life is found in Jesus. Living for Him and trusting Him brings freedom beyond imagining. This is something that no one can take away. For “if the Son makes you free you will be free indeed!”