Thursday after Ash
Wednesday
(Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Luke 9:22-25)
“Choose life.” We have
all seen bumper stickers with this anti-abortion message. No doubt,
people who feel burdened by an unexpected pregnancy find the message
ironic. To them life means not taking on the
responsibility of birthing a child so that they may pursue personal ambitions. Life, then,
is one of those simple words with a range of meanings.
In the reading from Deuteronomy today, Moses
exhorts the Israelites to “choose life.” He has in mind
God’s righteousness that promises to benefit both individual and
community. By following God’s commandments not only the present
generation but also future ones will thrive. As is his custom, Jesus
radicalizes Moses’ message. He tells his disciples that life comes
when they lose their lives for his sake. This loss surely entails some
sacrifice of personal ambition and may require prematurely letting go of
biological life. But these are small forfeitures
in comparison to the promise of happiness in eternal life.
Made at Baptism and renewed in every Eucharist our
choice has been for Jesus’ way to life. But have we been
faithful to that selection? During Lent we test ourselves and make
all necessary adjustments. We should foresee ourselves securely on
the road to full life by Easter.
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