May Jesus Christ be
praised and may his holy Mother pray for us.
They had a choice to
make. The people of the tribes of Israel had a choice to make. After years of
wandering through the desert and after victories over all of their enemies, the
people had to make a choice. They could serve the Lord who led them out of
Egypt and into the Promised Land, or they could serve some other gods. They had
to make a choice and in a solemn celebration the people of the tribes of Israel
declared with their leader Joshua that they would serve the Lord.
The twelve disciples of
Jesus had a choice to make. After the feeding of the five thousand men on the
side of the mountain, and after the Lord Jesus had announced that he is the
Bread of Life, and after the Lord Jesus had told them that they must eat his
flesh and drink his blood to have eternal life, the twelve disciples of Jesus
had a choice to make. Most of the large crowd walked away from Jesus. Most of
the men who had eaten the bread on the side of the mountain and heard the
preaching of Jesus about the Bread of Life walked away from him. The twelve
disciples had a choice to make. In a simple conversation the twelve disciples
with Peter their leader declared that they would remain with Jesus.
Saint Paul encouraged
husbands to make a choice. He encouraged husbands to love their wives with the
same life-giving, love-giving, holy and sacrificial love with which Christ
loves the Church. Saint Paul reminded husbands of the choice that Christ the
Bridegroom made for his beloved bride the Church. Husbands, Saint Paul said,
have a choice to make.
And we have a choice to
make. We have a choice to make to remain with Jesus or to walk away from him.
In solemn celebrations, like Baptism and first Holy Communion and Confirmation
and even with each and every Amen that we pronounce at Mass, we make our choice
to remain with Jesus. Like the tribes of Israel with Joshua we make our choice in
solemn celebrations to remain with Jesus. But we also make our choice to remain
with Jesus in simple conversations and in simple situations every day. We make
our choice in simple situations every day to remain with Jesus.
When we choose what we
will watch on television, see in movies, or listen to on the radio, we are
making a choice about remaining with Jesus. When we use the great gift of
speech to build up a life or tear down a reputation, we are making a choice
about remaining with Jesus. When we use our precious time in service or even in
silence with those who suffer, we are making a choice about remaining with
Jesus.
And we have a choice to
make every day.
The Lord God, for his part,
has made his choice. He has chosen us from all eternity. We were created in
love and from the foundation of the world we have been chosen to share in the
likeness of the Son of God. We have been claimed and chosen in the waters of
Baptism. We are strengthened and chosen in the celebration of the Eucharist.
God has chosen us. Let
us remain with him. Amen.
Preached
at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC
