The gladiator theme’s song lyrics, inspirationally written by Lisa Gerrard, are not a sheer made-up language. More than that the mix of ancient languages normally attributed to Irish, Gaelic, Latin, Spanish, Armenian, Greek, Hebrew and so forth, seem to point out the inner wish of every human being to figure out his/her existential meaning. From the interviews with both Lisa Gerrard and Hans Zimmer what emerges crystal clear is the fact that the special language used in “Now we are free” song is one coming from a soul that is communicating directly with God. Its apparent senseless words unveil the soul’s desire to live with God eternally.
Unfortunately original sin tried to shatter this divine ideal for which every human being, body and soul, was created by God. Original sin ushered into our world two disastrous effects. One of them is exterior whereas the other is interior. The former comprises sickness, suffering and death while the latter introduced concupiscence and separation from God. Concupiscence stands for the rebellion of our appetites versus our intellect. Due to them our will can easily find itself enslaved by our desires. Because of our failings we start learning the harsh lesson that we cannot blindly trust all of our desires. Sometimes they can blatantly betray our best interests.
Fortunately separation from God, the most serious ramification of original sin, is happily ended by the sacrament of Baptism. The other consequences of original sin mentioned above are slowly reduced when we, thanks to God’s grace, grow in holiness. The total annihilation of original sin’s effects finally occurs in heaven following the resurrection of the dead.
Obviously a loving God could not tolerate that his sons and daughters be separated from him. He had to do something to bring them back to his life-giving grace. John’s prologue sums up the initiative he undertook: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). However it was the letter to the Galatians which spelled out how he accomplished his loving initiative.
“When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir” (Gal 4: 4-7).
The letter to the Galatians portrays Mary’s essential cooperation with God’s grace. Without her ‘Yes’ God’s providential plan of salvation would have been ended up in complete ruin. A great homily by Saint Bernard of Clairveaux shows how the whole world eagerly awaits Mary’s reply to the angel’s invitation.
“Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal Word… Open your heart to faith, O blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the Creator. …” Mary’s extraordinary ‘yes’ to the Father’s salvific design was greatly motivated by her God-infused grace of the Immaculate Conception. Her preservation from original sin, which God had destined her from eternity, fully equipped Mary to be the Mother of the Redeemer. Thanks to Mary’s Immaculate Conception and her ‘fiat’ God incarnate could be born amongst us so that “now we are free!”
O Mary, who didst enter the world free from stain, do thou obtain for me, from God, that I may pass out of it free from sin. Amen”.
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap