The Lord set me free from compulsive behaviors.

"Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." (St John Paul II).

"Brothers and sisters: It is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the freeborn woman. The son of the slave woman was born naturally, the son of the freeborn through a promise. Now this is an allegory. These women represent two covenants. One was from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar. But the Jerusalem above is freeborn, and she is our mother. For it is written:

"Rejoice, you barren one who bore no children; break forth and shout, you who were not in labor; for more numerous are the children of the deserted one than of her who has a husband.

"Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are children not of the slave woman but of the freeborn woman.

"For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery." (Cf Galatians 4: 22 to 5:1).

Monday 10th October 2022 of the 28th Week of Ordinary Time.

Rejoice brothers and sisters, we are free. The Son has truly made us free. Free from what?

#1 Free from compulsive habits of sin: pornography, lying, cheating, anger.
#2 Free from crippling fears, worries and doubts.
#3 Free from the spirit of Unbelief that denies us all the benefits of our filial adoption as the children of the Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.

Here is how the Son freed me from almost two decades of tobacco addiction. 

It was the eve of Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras. A fine Tuesday afternoon. I was amongst friends and suddenly I said: "Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. I have done nothing in Lent for many years. I will not smoke tomorrow. I wanted to observe Lent only for Ash Wednesday." Laughter broke out among my friends. "Impossible! Impossible!" They intoned. I did not smoke on Ash Wednesday. And Thursday, Friday, Saturday and for a whole week. In exactly 7 days, the desire for tobacco was removed from me. The itch simply dried up.

How did it happen? I was saved by grace through faith. For I did not doubt that It was the merciful love of Christ that set me free. At the time, I did not have any "filthy works" I could point to. No regular prayer life. No Sacraments. No corporal or spiritual works of mercy. Jesus did it so that all the honor and glory should come to Him. Also that I could bear witness to His merciful love as I am doing today. I may also add that a couple of years later, Jesus again intervened in my life and set me free completely from dependency on alcohol.

What is your addiction? Whatever it is, the Son wants to set you free.

10. 10 . "The Rosary will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities and will lift them to the desire of eternal things.  Oh, that soul would sanctify themselves by this means!" (4th Promise of the Blessed Virgin Mary to those devoted to the Holy Rosary).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com