Dear readers, the word “freedom” has a great weight in our culture. At least from the French Revolution – with its motto “Liberté, égalité, fraternité” – We associate it with a series of conquests: in essence, freedom from external constraints and the possibility of self -determined. However, we forget that “freedom” is also part of the Christian vocabulary, starting from the same scriptures.
What does Christian freedom mean then? In the book released in early March, Our son Carlo Acutis. The School of Fede del Saint of the Internet (Rizzoli), The word of Blessed, Mr. Andrea Acutis, takes the word for the first time. And in the chapter entitled “obedient, yet free and lively”, he reflects precisely on the theme of freedom. For a young man, freedom is to want to “free himself” From the authority, a series of desires are affirmed … how did Carlo Acutis experience this freedom? “He used all the good things in this world, but the world was not his treasure. Here, this is the problem: that we are too accustomed to looking for treasures where they are not there. And freedom from material constraints is one of these false treasures ». Then dad Andrea adds: “There is a freedom that as intangible cannot be subject to constraints by anyone: the freedom to desire or love what we want”.
In short, freedom is exercised in the choice whether to follow “false treasures” or say to God “a yes said with ever greater love, decision and firmness”, which consequently entails “a no to everything that opposes the achievement of our treasure in heaven”
. Blessed Carlo Acutis has been able to exercise this freedomwith the choice to put God in first place and to put the commandment of love into practice. In a cultural atmosphere that has educated us to indulge every desire, this freedom is an arduous exercise. Thinking about it, it is the quintessence of the Lenten journey. Another figure that reminds us of an aspect of freedom is the Russian composer Sofija Gubajdulinadisappeared at 93 on March 13th. Converted to Christianity at 30, she was a deeply religious woman, which in the Soviet era involved the dear price of professional marginalization.
The music of Gubajdulina was on the black list of the Soviet authorities, He circulated clandestinely and even was performed abroad without knowing it. “First of all, you have to be faithful to yourself,” said another great composer friend of Sofija and invaded to the communist regime, Shostakovich. Gubajdulin’s inner freedom did not depend on the external circumstances. In this he had learned the lesson of his teacher, Maria Judina, a great pianist, a Jew converted to Christianity, “free spirit” and chriace as few others. In Stalin, who had rewarded her with a dizzying figure for having recorded a record (on the order of the dictator himself, who wanted it), here is the answer given by Maria: «Thank you for your help. I will pray day and night for her and ask the Lord that you forgive her serious sins against the people. God is merciful, he will forgive her. I will donate the money for the restorations of the church in which I go ». Freedom also from the desire to “preserve” one’s life. Stalin does not take a hair.
