Laws

Jesus said, "Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them." (Mt 5:17)
What an appropriate Gospel passage for me as we, Filipinos, celebrate our Independence Day.
There are some consequences in my life:
First, To be truly free, we need the law. Aristotle defined law as reason free of passion. Our passions are not bad. Nay, they are even necessary because they give color and flavor to our life. But our passions need to be put in place, which is the function of the law, for our sake and for society's sake.
Second, The challenge is to go beyond, not against, the letter of the law; to go right to the spirit of the law. To obey the law for its own sake is slavery. We are called to obey the law because of what it promotes: the true good of the human person and of society. In other words, we obey the law out of true love and respect for ourselves and for others.
Third, When we are guided by a correctly-formed conscience, and this is always a work in progress, the law loses its "oppressive" hold over us. There is an inner "law" that dictates what we think, say and do, and they are not against external laws. When we have acquired the mind and the heart of Jesus, all other laws are unnecessary, because the law of love guides us from within.