Only the Free Can Liberate

Jesus, being all powerful, he did not dream of omnipotence. Renouncing all the advantages of being God, he subjected himself to all the disadvantages of being a man. The scene of the Passion was where he radiated power and wisdom. We have only to observe the intimacy of Jesus, and we are immediately aware that He did not have an exaggerated image of himself, nor did he adhere to his “I,” for he did not have an “I.” That is why he bore himself, in those scenes, with so much liberty, serenity and grandeur. Nothing mattered to him, neither the insults nor the injustices. He was liberated from everything. And so, he felt free. Because he was free, he himself was a liberator. Only the ones who are free can set others free.

Maximum detachment means maximum liberty. Maximum Liberty means maximum greatness. At Gethsemane, the Father took over the will of Jesus. With his total surrender into the hands of the Father, Jesus was left with nothing: he had no disciples, no friends, no fruit of his labor, no fame, no blood, no life... He was left with nothing. If he had nothing, he had nothing to lose; he was the freest man in the world because he was the poorest man in the world. That is why he bore himself with so much greatness and freedom in the scenes of the Passion. What can disturb one who has nothing and refuses to possess anything?

Extracted from the book “Come with me” by Father Ignacio Larrañaga