Most of us treasure our freedom. We like to have our own space. We do not relish the idea of being ordered about or boxed in.

This desire for freedom can extend to our approach to religion and even to God himself. We can look upon religion as something that restricts our freedom, that interferes with our autonomy. We can regard God and his commandments as factors that prevent us from being the people that we really want to be. Get rid of all this and we will be free: we will blossom as liberated human beings of the 21st century.

Ideas such as these have a long history. They figure in the story of Adam and Eve who thought that they knew better than God what was good for them. They figure in the story of the Prodigal Son, who longed for freedom and growth beyond the limiting confines of his father’s house.

These ideas are still around. Many still believe that by setting God and religion aside, by following their own ideas and inclinations, they can truly be free. It is however sadly the case that when God disappears, men and women do not become greater: they lose sight of their divine origin. They lose sight of their being made in the image and likeness of God. They lose the sense of their being called to be part of his plan for human history.

The Bible assures us that our growth does not become stunted when we make room for God in our lives. On the contrary, when he enters into our days, they become richer. When he gives us direction, we see more clearly why we are here and where we are going. We see that heaven is the homeland, the destiny for which we hope. We see life on this earth as the overture to eternal life, to life with God. May we spend it in a manner that is consistent with this vision, this hope.

By Monsignor Kieran Heskin Sacred Heart Church, Ilkley