Deacon Tom Writes,
Free to Choose
Jeremiah is teaching the people about simple holiness that leads one to a life of happiness and a sense of security and well-being in the Lord. He uses some vivid images contrasting two opposing ways of life- the holy and the wretched. “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings… (whose) heart turns away from the Lord.” Why would one turn their back on the all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful Lord of all and follow a stumbling fool walking in the dark? Not a good thing, Jeremiah says, for such a person is “like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season.”
On the other hand, the blessed person “is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream…its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit”. Seems rather a simple choice, doesn’t it?
Jesus also uses contrasting ways of life in today’s readings from St. Luke’s account of the Beatitudes to teach about a life of holiness and blessedness on the one hand and a life of misery and woes on the other. We learn that blessedness is a state of being; it is an attitude with which we go through life. Being blessed is our state of mind when we realize that we can never be satisfied with the things of this world. Being blessed is not about what we have or don’t have, it is about knowing what constitutes the important things in life and choosing them: good relationships, simple living, humility, a prayerful spirit.
Our readings today cause us to stop and evaluate our lives by looking to see how we are living them. Are our lives healthy and vibrant because we are rooted in virtuous living? Or are we going through a desert experience and withering away? The difference, I suspect, is what emphasis we place on God in our lives. The more God-centered our life, the more blessed we will be, in our hunger for the things that matter, in our finding comfort in our times of sorrow, in our persevering through our daily trials and struggles.
Today’s readings would have us consider the quality of our spiritual lives based upon the path that we choose. Are our lives flourishing like a tree planted by a stream, fully alive, deep-rooted, a full canopy providing shade and comfort for those around us or, are we withered up and dying of thirst, rotting from the inside out as we go about our lives. It's our choice! Today we hear Saint Paul make the case that we have much to lose by choosing the wrong path as he reminds us that ... “If Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain; we are still in our sins…. And if for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.”
May we know in our hearts the simple truth that God has called us to the fullness of life in this world and in the next. By his grace we will make the right choice.
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
Image Credit: Pinterest.com - Sermon on the Mount.catholicism.org
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