CALLED TO BE FREE
Reflections on the Meaning of Christian Freedom

CALLED TO BE FREE
Reflections on the Meaning of Christian Freedom

Fear, doubt, hesitation, and uncertainty are just a few of the emotions that hold us captive and prevent us from becoming all that we were called to be as sons and daughters of a loving God. How often Jesus had to ask his own disciples why they were so fearful, so reluctant to act, so slow to believe. He spoke of their lack of faith and said that if they would abide in his word, they would truly be his disciples. They would “know the truth and the truth would set them free” (Jn 8:31-32). There is power in truth, a power which liberates our spirit and gives us courage to confront the evil in the world around us. In contemplative prayer, the Spirit of God communicates that truth to us in a deep and experiential way. We sense the presence of the triune God and recognize the many ways in which God empowers us. “I can do all things in him who strengthens me,” was the way St. Paul put it. In this work, Father Maloney brings together from Scripture (especially the Johannine and Pauline writings), the early Eastern Fathers, and the writings of the great mystics of the Church a number of personal insights into the role and need for spiritual freedom to help the reader live consciously in the love of God so that he or she can bring forth in their lives the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

About the Author: Well-known in Roman Catholic and Russian Byzantine Rite circles for his many works on prayer and spirituality, Fr. George Maloney, SJ, is the author of many Alba House titles including The Mystery of Christ in You, Your Sins Are Forgiven You, The Spirit Broods Over the World, God’s Incredible Mercy, and Called to Intimacy. Father Maloney is director of Contemplative Ministries in Seal Beach, California.