September 25, 2024

Choices We Make

Deacon Nelson Abreu

The main theme of our readings today is about decisions and choices we make. Most of you may have heard of Tony Robbins who is one of the most renowned life coaches and is known for his ability to motivate people to make decisions and achieve their goals.
 
Tony Robbins states that we all make our decisions in life, on how we associate either the amount of pain or pleasure which will result from the choices we make. If we see a decision as creating more pain, then we will not do it – but if a decision is going to create more pleasure, than we will do it.

Example:  Decision -  Should I go to church? 

The pain – I have to get up on early Sunday morning. I can’t sleep in. It is my only day off from work.  I will miss going out with my friends for breakfast? I really wanted to go fishing on Sunday.  
 
The Pleasure – It is my opportunity to give thanks to God, my heavenly Father, for allowing me to make it through another week. I will hear His Word and receive His body and blood to strengthen me for the upcoming week, and most of all I will get to see Monsignor Gervasio once again in person.
 
Now regardless of how we make our decision, they are part of our lives and we all have to make them in life.  The choices we make, fill in the gaps of our lives.
 

First Reading:

Our first reading today is from the last chapter of the Book of Joshua. We see the people of Israel standing at a critical moment. Joshua, their leader, challenges them to choose whom they will serve: the false gods of their ancestors or the true God, who brought them out of slavery in Egypt. Joshua declares his own choice with the famous words, "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
 
The bible is timeless because just as in the time of Joshus, everyone is following something or someone. It is in our DNA to follow, to strive for an end goal which becomes our main focus in life. But what are we all looking for?
 
Blaise Pascal a French mathematician and Catholic writer said it best in my opinion:    “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.”
 
So, this passage reminds us that our relationship with God is a choice. It is not something we can take for granted. Every day, we must decide to serve the Lord, to place Him at the center of our lives. Just as the Israelites had to choose between the false gods of their past and the living God who had saved them, we too are faced with choices that challenge our commitment to God.
 
Will we serve the idols of our time, such as, money, power, success, or pleasure—or will we serve the Lord?

Second Reading:

The second reading from Ephesians we read, Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church.
 
We can call this reading “The nudging of wives by their husbands,” because when these lines are read, almost all husbands smile at their wives and nudge them – lol.
 
But brothers and sisters, we must see these readings through our spiritual eyes, since that St. Paul is speaking here about the relationship between husbands and wives, comparing it to the relationship between Christ and the Church. Paul emphasizes the choice we make as husbands and wives of Self-Sacrificing love and respect, urging us to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  
 
While this passage has been the subject of much discussion, its deeper message is about the nature of true commitment and love. Just as Christ loves the Church and gave Himself up for her, to the point of death on the cross, so too are we called to love and serve one another in our relationships endlessly. This is not a love that is self-serving, but one that is sacrificial, faithful, and enduring. It is a love that mirrors Christ's love for us—a love that is committed even unto death.

Sidenote.

Let us never forget the best definition on choices we make comes from  The Great Theologians, – The Rolling Stones,  who said:
 

Gospel:

Now in our Gospel reading for today comes from the end of John’s Bread of Life discourse. It represents a turning point in the life of the disciples, for Jesus gives them a choice: either to stay and accept the Eucharistic gift of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, or to leave with those who can’t understand him or who refuse to change.
 
This reading from John presents us with one of the most challenging moments in Jesus' ministry. After teaching about the Eucharist, Jesus is met with resistance and disbelief. Many of His followers find His words too difficult to accept, and they turn away, no longer walking with Him.  Remember also the audience Jesus is talking to at this time.  As the crowd heard this, “eating of flesh and especially drinking of blood”, they took it literally, seeing it through their human eyes, which was unacceptable and seen by some as cannibalism and the drinking of blood was seen as an evil act.
 
Jesus then asks the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Peter responds with a profound statement of faith: "Lord, 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."
 
This moment captures the essence of discipleship. Following Jesus is not always easy. There are times when His teachings challenge us, when our faith is tested, when we may be tempted to walk away. Yet, like Peter, we are called to recognize that Jesus alone has the words of eternal life. There is no choice, no other path that leads to true life, to salvation, to the fulfillment of our deepest desires.

Application:

OK, so where does this all leave us?
 
Today’s readings invite us to renew our commitment to God and to choose Him. We are called to make a deliberate choice to serve the Lord, to love as Christ loved, and to follow Him even when the path is difficult. This choice requires faith, courage, and trust in God’s promises.
 
Let us also remember that we never make these choices alone. God’s grace is always with us, giving us the strength to choose Him, to serve Him, and to remain faithful to Him. And like Peter, may we always respond with the conviction that there is no other place to go but to the Lord, for He alone has the words of eternal life.

Conclusion:

So as we continue next in our mass, to the Liturgy of the Eucharist, let us ask for the grace to choose God every day, to serve Him with our whole heart, and to follow Him faithfully. May our lives be a testament to the love and commitment we have for our Lord, who has given us the gift of eternal life.
 
May God bless you all today and always
 
Amen