Broken chains

I'd never noticed before that the introduction to the Ten Commandments refers to the Lord as the one who brought us out of the house of bondage. I guess that term has taken new meaning for me recently, as I've entered the world of the wage-slaves, doing work I really don't care about in order to bring in a paycheck. At our Ash Wednesday service, we talked about the barriers that keep us from God, and metaphorically burned them on the pieces of paper they were written on to provide our ashes. For me, though, the images of chains can be much more effective. I find many times that I can see quite clearly what my personal struggles and what is keeping me from God; it's not that God is hidden behind a veil or a wall, but instead that I feel bound at times to the things that keep me from completely abandoning myself to God's calling through ideas of what is practical, responsible, and reasonable. In fact, my Committee on Preparation for Ministry encourages me in this tendency. I don't think I've ever heard these very dry adjectives attributed to saints like Dorothy Day, Fernando Cardenal, or the other ministers I admire. How wonderful it is for these chains to be broken, to be truly delivered from the house of bondage!