https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071425.cfm
There was a time…
When the children of Israel groaned under cruel taskmasters.
They built cities they never owned.
Pharaoh’s pride was purchased with their pain.
But even then… God heard.
He split seas.
He called His people home.
But today’s chains?
They don’t clang.
They whisper.
They are forged from pride…
Fear…
Shame…
Unrepented sin.
And these taskmasters?
They’re not always out there.
They’re in here —
Deep within our hearts.
Resentment.
Addiction.
Complacency.
Comfort that deceives.
We decorate these prisons and call them peace.
We convince ourselves we’re free… because the walls feel familiar.
But Christ stands at the gate.
His hands — pierced for you — reach out.
His voice? Gentle. But unyielding:
“Follow Me.”
He doesn’t compete with our loves.
He reorders them.
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me…
Whoever loves son or daughter more than me…
Is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37)
Even noble loves become chains
If they outrank Christ in our hearts.
He doesn’t ask for perfection.
He asks for surrender.
Baptism is your Red Sea.
The Cross is your compass.
Every step in faith —
Every “yes” in sacrifice —
Is a brick pulled from Pharaoh’s fortress.
Ask yourself:
Am I building bricks for someone else’s kingdom?
Have I traded eternal joy for fleeting comfort?
Do I know the Cross… not just as symbol,
But as path?
Let’s walk out of Egypt —
Not fists clenched in defiance,
But hands open in trust.
Because where Jesus leads…
Deserts bloom.
Chains rust.
Even broken hearts become
Holy ground.
Walk free.
Walk with Him.
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