CHOOSE LIFE…

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 

“See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil.16 If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you this day, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you are entering to take possession of it.
17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them,18 I declare to you this day, that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land which you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live,20 loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you and length of days, that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

Luke 9:22-25 
22 saying, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”23 And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.24 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

MEDITATION 

THE FIRST READING: God lay down the rules of engagement, enjoining His people to; obey, apply, hold on to and submit to the commandments and the laws that the legislative ecclesiastical body has passed, to secure God’s blessing and clear their path to the promised land. In a nutshell, the people have a choice, for they can choose life by cleaving on to the Lord or death should they reject His ordinances.

THE GOSPEL READING: Christ foretel the manacious trajectory of His life, based upon the skirmishes and pushback that emminated from the scribes and Pharisees, who were members of the ecclesiastical body the Sanhedrin. Christ thought it wise to lay His cards on the table and appraise the twelve of His choice to obey and submit to the Father, rather than capitulate to the edicts of the corrupt Sanhedrin! With this said, Christ called upon the twelve to take up their daily cross and follow His example to choose life. Conversely, should they choose to save their lives by appeasing the Sanhedrin who has been compromised by the Roman authorities who lord over them, then they shall loose their lives.

It has become patently obvious that a handful of cardinals, bishops, priests and members of laity—scoffers of Gods laws— have taken their cue on matters of Gods creative order; human design, dignity and purpose,9 from medical and political pundits who do not subscribe to Gods commands! Believers and ecclesiastical office bearers are called to pray, fast and choose life, take the high road even if it comes at the cost of suffering and persecution, rather than submitting to secularists who could not care less about man’s soul nor heaven or hell!

LET US PRAY:Psalms 1:1-4,6,

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away.6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.