Daily Readings - Thu Feb 23 2023
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 a profound invitation to reflect on the choices we make in our lives. The first reading from Deuteronomy sets before us a clear choice: life or death, blessings or curses. Moses urges the people to choose life by loving and obeying God, emphasizing the importance of commitment to God's ways. This passage is part of Moses' final address to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land, a moment of critical decision that will shape their future.
The Gospel reading from Luke shifts our focus to Jesus, who speaks about the necessity of self-denial and taking up one's cross daily. He warns that following him requires losing one's life to save it, a stark reminder of the cost of discipleship. This passage occurs as Jesus journeys toward Jerusalem, where he will face suffering and death, illustrating the depth of commitment required to follow him.
Both readings invite us to consider the choices we make daily. Just as the Israelites had to choose between life and death, we too must decide whether to follow God's path or our own desires. Jesus calls us to a life of self-denial, not in the sense of rejecting life's joys, but in prioritizing our spiritual life and commitment to him. This choice is not about comfort but about trusting in God's plan, even when it leads to sacrifice.
In our daily lives, we face countless decisions that test our commitment to God. We are called to embrace the cross, trusting that through our struggles and sacrifices, we will find true life. Let us remember that choosing life means loving God, obeying his commandments, and trusting in his promise of eternal life. May we, like the Israelites, choose life and may we, as disciples of Jesus, follow him with courage and fidelity.