Daily Readings - Thu Feb 15 2018
Deuteronomy
15See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.16For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.17But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,18I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.19This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live20and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Luke
22And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
Sermon
In today's readings, we are presented with profound choices and commitments that shape our spiritual journey. The first reading from Deuteronomy captures Moses' impassioned plea to the Israelites as they stand on the brink of entering the Promised Land. He lays before them a clear choice: life and blessing through obedience to God's commandments, or death and curse through disobedience. This moment is pivotal, as it underscores the Israelites' responsibility to remain faithful to the covenant they have with God, a covenant that promises life and prosperity if they adhere to His ways.
The Gospel reading from Luke shifts our focus to Jesus, who reveals the inevitable path of suffering and rejection He must endure. He then turns to His disciples, emphasizing the cost of following Him. Jesus calls them to deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him, asserting that true life is found in losing oneself for His sake. This teaching challenges the disciples—and us—to reevaluate our priorities and commitments, recognizing that earthly gains are worthless compared to the eternal life offered through Christ.
Both readings invite us to reflect on the choices we make in our daily lives. Moses' words remind us that our decisions have consequences, urging us to choose life by staying true to God's commandments. Jesus extends this by calling us to a radical commitment, one that involves self-denial and embracing the cross. In a world filled with distractions and temptations, these readings encourage us to remain steadfast in our faith, trusting that God's plan, though often challenging, leads us to true and eternal life. Let us, therefore, choose life by following God's path, even when it demands sacrifice, for it is in losing ourselves for Christ that we truly find ourselves.