The Catholic Calendar for Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Daniel 3:14-20,91-92,95
Daniel 3:52-56
John 8:31-42

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. . ."

Are there any more frightening words in the Bible than these? The truth, how frightening it would be to look at the face of the truth, undisguised by euphemism and circumlocution. Could any of us stand this?

But truly, the call of the Christian life is to gaze unflinchingly at the Truth Himself, and to obey Him completely. The Truth incarnate is also Love incarnate. We have nothing to fear but the loss of our fears.

And yet so many of us are afraid to look. We look around the truth. As a society we allow abortion because we cannot face the truth of what abortion is. We make elaborate semantic arguments to deny that we are murdering children. As a society we are worse than Herod himself.

But, we cannot take on the guilt of all society. We must stand away and stand for the truth. Not just in abortion, but in all things. We must respect and recognize the true sanctity of life. We must respect the sanctity of marriage. We must gaze upon the face of Truth, and know that we are loved. And that through that love we have the power to love others.

The Truth frees us from many things. But more than anything the truth frees us from our illusions about the world and about ourselves. The Truth will set you free if only you will allow Him to do so.

- JuandelaCruz (1994)

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