“Neither physical nor geographical circumstances can restrict the freedom of loving souls.” (St. Bernard of Clairvaux)
How is this possible?
A loving soul can integrate all circumstances into its journey with God. It speaks to the Lord about them and asks for the grace to accept difficult circumstances that, as they may initially appear, seem to rob it of its freedom or at least to restrict it. In response, our loving Father assures the soul that he has taken everything into his loving gaze. The soul’s freedom lies precisely in this, for turning one’s gaze to the Father frees the soul from its attachment to difficult circumstances. It learns to bear them, to surrender itself to God’s will, and to receive inner consolation from the Father.
It is an astonishing process, and it reveals to us the freedom of the soul—how, through God’s grace, it can rise above adverse circumstances. Sometimes we witness this when people have learned to bear their illnesses and limitations with the help of the Lord. A peace radiates from them that one would not expect given their external circumstances.
The key to realizing St. Bernard’s words is the loving soul. It has already taken God’s side and learned to live with and in the One who said, “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36) It has already encountered the Lord in many ways and is familiar with him. It has learned to rely on our Father, and all the moments in which it has experienced his love remain vivid in its memory—or rather, the Holy Spirit reminds it of them (cf. John 14:26). It learns to put its trust and love—which bring about its inner freedom—into practice in every situation so it can become more loving.