Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

We make all kinds of choices. Some are pretty insignificant choices, like where do we go for dinner today- to Applebees or to The Pine Club. And while I’m there should I get a steak or the grilled fish. Some choices are more significant than that- like which job to finally choose of the many offers that I get or which school do I send my children to. There are even more important choices- like who do I marry or why my marriage should end or should I try the priesthood or choices that affect my children’s future. Whether big or small, it perhaps would not be an exaggeration to say that almost at every point of our life we are confronted with choices. In the readings today we have two groups of people making very significant choices. The tribes gathered by Joshua at Shechem must decide whether they serve Yahweh or other Gods. They decide to serve Yahweh. This is what they say, “For it was the Lord our God….” In other words, they made a choice to serve God for what God had done for them.” The disciples also make a choice in today’s Gospel. After hearing Jesus’ teachings, many disciples made a choice to leave Jesus. “This is a hard teaching” they said. Jesus gives the disciples a choice. “Do you also want to leave?” The disciples make a choice. Lord to whom shall we go? You have the word of eternal life. We have come to believe that you are the Holy one of God.”

So how can we make sure that we as Christians make good choices? A Christian makes his/her decision based on faith. In other words, important choices that have to my salvation; important decisions that have to do with the meaning and purpose of life; important decision have to do with the relationships with God, family and friends; when it comes to making choices about these important things, our decision must be based on faith.

When I say making a choice based on faith I mean two things: The first is that I make those important choices based on the what Christ teaches me. When my choice go against the values of Jesus and what he revealed as God’s will for me, then I am not making my decision based on faith. The second thing is this; like the disciples, making that choice may mean going against what everybody else is choosing. People may ridicule me, think I am a whimp or even say I am stupid. Sometimes I may even find it difficult to live by that choice because it is difficult. In those moments I trust God to take care of me. Like the disciples we too say, “Lord who else shall we choose, what else shall we choose, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy one of God.”

I wish that we can pray and reflect upon these things this week. As a practical exercise, see if you can be conscious of the choices and decisions that you make this week. If important decisions are not in your way this week, even with small decisions like how I spend my time, or my resources or the television programs I choose to watch, see if you can make a choice in faith.

I guess at the end of our life we will look at the choices we have made because in all these choices we were either choosing God and choosing to live without God.

- Fr. Satish Joseph