THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Thursday after Ash Wednesday, 2022

Deut 30:15-20

Ps 1

Luke 9:22-25

Choose Life

Dear friends in Christ, life is full of choices and in fact the more the options available, the better. It is also true, that too many options could create confusion, leaving the person involved perplexed and unable to pick the best. Choices are closely linked to human freedom. When God made Adam and Eve, he gave them the freedom to choose, and left them to use their freedom as it’s pleasing, to either obey or disobey, putting before them the consequences of their choices and actions. 

Our First Reading today is from Deuteronomy (30:15-20). Moses on the journey to the promised land, placed before the people the commandments, but with also the right to choose whether to obey God or not. “See I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord…then you shall live and multiply…But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear…you shall perish.” Joshua will someday put before the people the same options and assure them that left to himself and his household, they will serve the Lord only. What about you, which will you choose?

Moses in this passage, clearly encouraged the people, to choose life and by life, he means the way of the commandment. The way of the commandment is, “Loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and clinging to him; for that means life to you and length of days…” This life was the light of men, that came into the world and gave his life for us, that we may have life and have it to the full—Jesus Christ, who told his disciples that, “I am the way the truth and the life.” This life goes beyond living in the flesh to living in the Spirit, because when this earthly dwelling, which is our body falls, there is another prepared for us with Christ, a life that has no end.

Today’s Gospel (Luke 9:22-25) teaches the lesson of the cross, as the true way of life. Once Jesus had taught his disciples, that he must suffer to get to the glory of the resurrection, he went on to tell them, how to access that life too. “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” This is perhaps one of the greatest challenges of Christianity, one that is difficult for even the preachers of the word of God to accept. A Christianity without the cross is more appealing to many, a life without troubles, is what many desire, but real life teaches, that there are hills and there are valleys, and same applies to the human journey on earth.

Let us pray: God our eternal Father, we desire to choose life, give us the courage to be firm in our resolve. Grant us the light of your Spirit to keep us in the path of life. Amen.

+Remain blessed