5th Sunday in Lent (Year A)

Today, we read of Jesus' raising of Lazarus in John 11. Before Mass, my wife told me about a tragedy in the parish. A pair of parishers, both of whom we know, committed adultery! I was shaken. Immediately, I thought of their children and their children-in-laws. They must be terribly hurt. Then, these two friends came to my mind. They have disappeared from the parish and must be suffering silently somewhere. Like Lazarus, they are shut off from us and probably from God. May Jesus have mercy on them, give them the Spirit and raise them from their tomb.
In his homily, Father Martin Ip said that when we are selfish, we become autistic and shut ourselves up in our tomb. We need to reach out and come back to life again. He told us the story of a reporter in an hunger-stricken region in Africa. He saw a starving woman and gave her a piece of bread. She was so hungry that without a thought, she shoved the whole piece of bread into her mouth and munched. Then, before she would swallow this life-saving piece of bread, she seemed to remember something. From inside her mouth, she slowly removed the paste and started feeding a tiny, bony baby in her bosom. This woman has the right and freedom to preserve her life. Yet, it is a greater freedom to restrain from what she can do, what she wants to do. Very often, we misunderstand the meaning of freedom and do whatever pleases us in the name of freedom. Yet, it is a higher freedom not to satisfy our own selfish desires. Very often, we abuse the freedom God has given us and become the slave of our lust.
Twice, St. Paul has said
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12).
All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up (1 Corinthians 10:23). How wise he was.
In Analect, Confucius shared with us the journey of his heart. It took him 70 years to coach his heart so that he was able to follow his heart's desires without breaching the rules.
吾十有五而志於學；三十而立；四十而不惑；五十而知天命；六十而耳順；七十而從心所欲，不踰矩。【論語‧為政】
We are no Confucius or St. Paul. Nor are we seventy yet. How much more should we be careful lest we abuse our freedom and be enslaved by harmful desires, bringing tragedy to ourselves and our beloved?

My God, I pray to surrender my freedom and autonomy. Bring us out of our tombs so that we may see Your light again. May I whole-heartedly follow Your Wisdom throughout this life. Amen.