Today's Thoughts...

Today’s Thoughts: “The Gospel offers us the chance to live life on a higher plane… [and in living the joy of the Gospel we] can offer believers, as well as the lukewarm and the non-practicing, new joy in the faith and fruitfulness in the work of evangelization. The heart of its message will always be the same: the God who revealed his immense love in the crucified and risen Christ.” (Pope Francis – Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel)
 
All the readings today, present us with a lens through which we can look at our journey of Lent and our journey of life. At mass, last Thursday, in the first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy Moses set before the people, life and death, blessing and curse and asked them to choose. In our first reading, today from the Book of Genesis (Gen. 2:7-9, 3: 1-7) and in the Gospel (Matthew 4: 1-11) we experience Moses’ challenge lived out. Adan and Eve could choose life or death, blessing or curse. Jesus could choose life or death, blessing or curse. They each chose differently Adam and Eve choosing death, Jesus choosing life. In the middle of these two readings we have St. Paul reminding the Romans where they came from and where they are at this moment and in perhaps a different way St. Paul is putting before the Romans life and death, blessing and curse and asking them to choose life!
 
The words of scripture today and the words of Pope Francis reminds us of the journey of life, a journey full of choices and decisions. Our decisions are oh so important, there are always about life and death, blessing and curse thus we must always look at the journey through the lens of faith because that can make all the difference.
 
Life is not easy. The journey of life is full of temptations that challenge us with choices. Thus, it becomes profoundly important that we know the story and hold it our hearts. It is profoundly important that we live with joy even in the moments of struggle because it can make all the difference. Let us this Lent remember the story of God's love and choose wisely as we live life. Let us choose life, let us choose blessing.
 
Have a blessed Sunday everyone!