“Making a choice for Christ, who is with us, all the time!”

(Based on Deut 30:15-20 and Lk 9:22-25 – Thursday after Ash Wednesday)

A group of youngsters were making fun of the faith of an elderly man: “You show so much piety!

Maybe it’s because you belong to the old – generation!

We youngsters are modern and reasonable!

Faith is not compatible with our modern lifestyle!”

The elderly person, bemused, said, “Honestly, I don’t agree with what you say. All of you are actually people, who practise faith, on a day-to-day basis!”

“Really,” quipped the youngsters, “You like to prove that to us?”

The man of faith, took up the challenge and said: “Just think about this:

You go to a doctor, whose degrees you have never verified…
… and who often diagnoses based merely on external symptoms
He gives you a prescription, you cannot read
You take it to a pharmacist, you have never met
He gives you a chemical compound, whose composition you do not understand.
Then you go home, and take the pill, according to the instructions on the bottle.
… All in trusting, sincere faith!”

And he went on to say, “Remember, young men: faith has nothing to do with any generation!

Faith is all about making a choice.

And my Christian faith is all about me ‘making a choice for Christ, Who I know, is with me, all the time!'”

Do we realise that – knowingly or unknowingly – we are constantly making a number of “choices in life?”

Can we today, very consciously, “make a choice for Christ, who is with us, all the time?”

The Gospel of the Day presents the exhortation of Jesys to make a “choice for Him” – the Crucified Lord!

“If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Lk 9:23)

One of the key aspects, when we analyze the ministry of Jesus is that the Cross was an integral aspect of His life and ministry.

The Cross is a symbol…
… of total self-giving
… of total commitment

The Lord never shied away from the Cross.

And the Lord never shys away from teaching about the Cross.

He never used attractive advertisements to lure more followers…

He never preached an easy life to gather more disciples…

Instead, He preached and proclaimed the Cross!

And the choice before His followers is clear: “Choose Christ, by choosing the Cross!”

Lent is the time of getting back to the basics of our life…
… to re-dedicate our love and consecration to the Lord

The Lord sets before us choices, continually in life… (Cf. Deut 30:15)
… the choice of life and death
… the choice of good and evil
… the choice of blessings and curses

But all these promises of the Lord will be fulfilled, only if we seek to follow His commandments and to walk according to His paths.

The Lord promises much happiness and joy

But these will be delivered…
… only if we are determined and resolved to follow Him closer
… and to live in obedience to His commands!

The Cross was the choice of the Lord…
… a result of deep obedience and total commitment.

The Cross needs to be our choice too!
And this requires…
… deep obedience to the Will of the Lord
… total commitment to our call and consecration as a Christian

Are we ready to embrace this exhortation of the Lord?

Are we ready to get attracted to a life of the Cross – total discipline and deep dedication?

Let us realise that – knowingly or unknowingly – we are constantly making a number of “choices in life!”

Let us today, very consciously, “make a choice for Christ, who is with us, all the time!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Ten Commandments – The Third Commandment

The third commandment of the Decalogue recalls the holiness of the sabbath:

“The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD.” (CCC # 2168)