Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
(Romans 8:31b-39; Luke 13:31-35)
Today’s gospel, the proximity to All Souls Day, and, for
those living in the Northern Hemisphere, the season of autumn suggest a
reflection on death. In the reading
Jesus indicates that he has reflected seriously on his death. He does not flinch in fear when the Pharisees
tell him that Herod wants to kill him. Rather, he proceeds to Jerusalem to meet
the death of his destiny.
Death is the last act of human life. To make it advantageous requires a
realization, a decision, and a choice.
We must realize that its inevitability is not centuries in the future
but relatively soon. Even youth should
realize the need to prepare now for death’s arrival. Now is the time to decide what we want to
live for. Do we want to limit the meaning of our lives to ourselves? Or do we want our lives to impact
others? Jesus, of course, was aware that
he would die for the sake of all humanity.
Finally, we need to choose how we are to live in accordance with our
decision. The choice is
multi-faceted. It includes the work we
do, the kind of family we have (traditional family, religious community, or
possibly a school or other type of institution), who will be our intimate friends,
etcetera. If we have decided to live for
ourselves, these choices are not difficult.
We will strive to maximize pleasure, power, and prestige. But if we have decided to live for others, we
will deliberate on the choices carefully.
If we have chosen to follow Jesus to Jerusalem, we too will
suffer martyrdom. It will be difficult
but not likely gruesome or lonely. We
will find ourselves among good people whose friendship will give us comfort and
hope. Most importantly, in the end our spirits
will be opened to the reception of eternal life.
