Because we are endowed with free will, humans are able to choose their path: we might not be able to choose our race, our family, or the economic status in which we begin life. And we remain powerless over a great many things throughout life. But one choice is always available to us. We are always able to decide to follow God’s way or not.
We think of the first real moral choice in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had to decide between the way of obedience and the way of disobedience. And we know that the choice of disobedience at the beginning of human history had terrible consequences.
The Lord takes up this motif of two ways in the Gospel today: a way that leads to life and a way that leads to destruction. And the Lord even describes these two ways: the way that leads to life is narrow, few are truly willing to conform themselves to walk this path, the way that leads to destruction is wide and broad; the Lord sees many souls walking this path, and so this teaching is a warning to a sinful selfish world, change your ways, change your path before it is too late.
Few verses in the Bible are as sobering as these. The Lord challenges us to look at our lives from the perspective of where we are headed. The stakes are extremely high—our eternity is determined by the choices we make in this life.
Now many of our contemporaries don’t like to think about eternity. They like to live under the delusion, either, that everyone automatically goes to heaven, or that this life is all that there is. But that is not the message of the Bible, that is not the message of Our Lord. Our choices matter. If everyone went to heaven, if heaven was guaranteed, then faithfulness, obedience, self-sacrifice, really wouldn’t matter.
We must not allow ourselves to be swept up by the attitudes and faithlessness of the world, but rather we must make the choice, daily to follow Christ down the narrow path, in the moment of temptation, we must exert real moral effort to remain obedient to God, and if we have turned our back on God, and begun to wander down that destructive path, we must repent, and turn around, for the direction we are facing at the end of life will determine our eternity.
With the help of God’s grace, may we choose, wisely…for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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That the Holy Spirit may guide the selection of a new bishop for Cleveland, that he may be a man of wisdom, of deep Christian faith, hope, and love.
For the protection of the unborn, and that people of goodwill will work together to enshrine the protection of the unborn in law and in the hearts of all.
For the conversion of those who do not believe in God, for Catholics who have left the Church, those guilty of heresy or schism, and for a return to the sacraments of those who have fallen into serious sin.
For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, all victims of abuse, especially children, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to live the call of Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom, for the repose of the soul of Margaret Gorczyca, for whom this mass is offered.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.
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