Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Okay, let’s be real: Who would choose death and doom over life and prosperity? Unfortunately, the reality is not as simple as that. Many people do choose to gain the world and lose their soul in the process. Therefore, Moses is quite right to say that the choice is counter-intuitive. The Law of the Lord at first appears to be a burden.
Father John Riccardo has pointed out that this is the wrong way to look at God’s commandments. Moses is speaking to the Israelites as they stand on the border of the Promised Land. God had delivered them from oppression in Egypt by parting the Red Sea, sustaining them in the wilderness for forty years, and then leading them to a bountiful home where they could worship the true God in freedom. If the Lord wanted them to be slaves He would have left them in Egypt. Surely then, to receive divine Law was to live in the dignity worthy of the children of God.
We expend energy and push through pain when we exercise to have a healthy body. We eat kale and choke down kombucha instead of hotdogs and milkshakes to avoid heart attack. We cut into healthy flesh to remove internal infections and restore overall wellbeing. Sometimes choosing life means striving to enter through the narrow door. Why is it narrow? Because it is the shape of Christ Himself: the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Reflection by Fr. Pachomius Meade, OSB
Posted in Articles for Lent, Daily Reflections, Lenten Resources