6 March/Thursday after Ash Wed.
Deut 30,15-20/Psa 1,1-2.3.4.6/Luke 9,22-25 Reflection
The words of Moses in the First Reading leave no doubt that the people of Israel were
being summoned to make a very important decision at this critical moment of their lives.
They were about to cross the Jordan to physically step on the Promised Land and take
possession of it. Before doing so, Moses wanted to obtain their assurance that they were
going to be faithful to the God who has brought them this far from the land of slavery in
Egypt. The words of Moses are clear – “I set before you life or death, blessing or curse.
Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live”.
The statement of Moses shows that the people of Israel have to make a real choice. God
is not compelling them to opt for him. It is up to them to decide if they will opt for life and
blessing or prefer death and curse. The freedom to choose also means that it was within
their power to be faithful to God or otherwise. The Israelites understood the question of
Moses in terms of prosperity in the Promised Land that they were about to enter but the
question goes beyond that. What Moses requested of them concerned their whole being.
They were to make their choice not only for entry into the Promised Land but also for all
generations to come. Choosing to be faithful to God, to obey and worship him meant life
for them and for generations after them. This choice however came with a commitment.
Choosing to be faithful to God meant being obedient to his laws and commandments that
Moses handed down to them. It is by living according to the laws and commandments
that they will show that they have chosen life and blessing. Disobedience to the law and
the commandments will mean that they have opted for death and curse.
In the Gospel Reading, Jesus makes clearer what it means to opt for God. It is not saying
simply by word of mouth but by concrete action. The option for God demands a
renunciation of oneself and carrying one’s own cross in pursuit of Jesus. The Psalmist
gives assent to the option for God by saying: “Happy indeed is the man who delights in
the law of the Lord and who ponders his law day and night”. To help us appreciate the
weight of the choice we are called to make, he asks: “What gain, then, is it for a man to
have won the whole world and to have lost or ruined his very self?” The Lord continues to demand of us a clear life choice. We are called to decide whether
we want to live for the Lord or we prefer other gods who are nothing before him. There is
no middle way in this choice so we cannot sit on the fence or be lukewarm. The Lenten
Season is an opportune time for us to review our lives and see if we are really living by
our choice for life. It is a time for us to revisit our behaviour and really decide for life so
that the Lord may bless us and generations after us.
