Ep16 Free Will & the Self

"For God has willed that man remain 'under the control of his own decisions,' so that he can seek his Creator spontaneously, and come freely to utter and blissful perfection through loyalty to Him. Hence man's dignity demands that he act according to a knowing and free choice that is personally motivated and prompted from within, not under blind internal impulse nor by mere external pressure."~ Gaudium et Spes §17God, in His incredible goodness, has created each of us in His image and likeness. Because of that, every one of us enjoys the unspeakable gift of free will. We each have the power to choose, a sense of personal agency and volition. But in this fallen world, our awareness of our own free will comes with so many questions:Can we really be trusted with free will?Why does God allow us to choose evil?Do we still have free will when we feel like we don't have any choice, or when we feel constrained by expectations (others' and our own)?The depth and power of our own free will lies in the kind of relationship that God desires with you, His precious child - a relationship that is free, total, joyful, intimate, and authentic. The Lord loves you perfectly and He calls you to respond to that love by choosing to love Him in return. It's in this free response of love that we find psychological health and spiritual wholeness.Fr. Nathan LaLiberte returns to reflect on God's unfathomable gift of free will and how we, His children, can live in true freedom!Episode 16 Show NotesSupport the showThank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.Follow us on Instagram & FacebookInterested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for IntegrationMusic: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.