Simple strategy for life choices

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today share experience and wisdom that is found when we are faithful to our choice to live according to the Will of God.

Crossroad decisions for life

The dramatic interplay between Sennacherib, Hezekiah, and Isaiah at the end of the 8th Century BCE is described in the Second Book of Kings.

In approximately 701 BCE, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, attacked the fortified cities of Judah, laying siege on Jerusalem, but failed to capture it (it is the only city mentioned as being besieged on Sennacherib's Stele, of which the capture is not mentioned).

In the Sermon on the Mount from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presents wisdom sayings on Pearls Before Swine, The Answer to Prayers, The Golden Rule, and The Narrow Gate. (The Answer to Prayers is omitted from the lectionary selection today).

* [7:12] See Lk 6:31. This saying, known since the eighteenth century as the “Golden Rule,” is found in both positive and negative form in pagan and Jewish sources, both earlier and later than the gospel. This is the law and the prophets is an addition probably due to the evangelist.

Fred Hanna reflects on the understanding of the Golden Rule that resulted from taking a rescue dog home.

We have a dog now.  His name is Remy; he is a rescue dog.  My children have wanted a dog for a long time until finally I gave in.  And, in short order, he has won my heart and considers me, arguably, his favorite.  Remy immediately came to mind with today’s reading, ‘Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.’  His unconditional love when I walk in the door is how he wants to be treated, so I return the love in kind. When I stop and hold him, feed him, take on a walk, etc., he returns to me with love and kindness.

Don Schwager is reminded of Psalm 1 when he reflects on the choices we make to help us move towards the goal of loving God and obeying his will.

The Book of Psalms begins with an image of a person who has chosen to follow the way of those who are wise and obedient to God's word and who refuse to follow the way of those who think and act contrary to God's law : Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night  (Psalm 1:1-2). When a path diverges, such as a fork in the road, each way leads to a different destination. This is especially true when we encounter life's crossroads where we must make a choice that will affect how we will live our lives.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Psalm 48:2-4, 10-11 concludes that the world is filled with physical “meditations” about the Lord.

The people of Israel had a physical place designated by God where they could experience his presence. Isn’t this true for us too? We may not have a “holy city” nearby, but we do have reminders of God’s presence: physical objects, places, and even gestures that remind us of the truths of our faith and offer us spiritual comfort.
Catholics have a name for this: a sacramental.

Friar Jude Winkler explains the history of two sieges of Jerusalem by the Assyrians. The wisdom sayings in Matthew are in the Jewish tradition of inspiring reflection on truth. Friar Jude explains how the gate to heaven is both narrow and wide.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that when the economic institution is our primary lens, as it is in the U.S., religion tends to be diluted by pragmatic, win/lose, and power attitudes. God is bought and sold more than loved, waited for, or surrendered to. He quotes Paul Hawken, an American entrepreneur and environmentalist, who shares a similar insight he learned from a farmer in Maine.

The problem with the United States is that it usually hits exactly what it is aiming at. And for decades now, we have aimed for money and possessions. We got it. It was not evenly distributed and is now highly concentrated, posing as great a threat to democracy as any foreign power ever did, but that is what this country made—money. In the process, we completely forgot that success and failure, when measured by currency alone, are impostors, and that our lives, the transience of which often becomes evident all too late, can have little meaning unless we feel in our passing that we were able to serve the nature and humanity [and God] that gave us our breath and soul. [1]

The wisdom sayings from the Sermon on the Mount remind us of the tension between God and wealth declared in Matthew 6.24. The wisdom sayings today are connected to our approach to living in a society threatened by an increasing attachment to the pursuit of wealth.

References

(n.d.). 2 Kings 19. Retrieved June 26, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/2Kings/19:9 

(n.d.). Matthew 7. Retrieved June 26, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/matthew7.htm

(n.d.). Assyrian siege of Jerusalem - Wikipedia. Retrieved June 26, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_siege_of_Jerusalem

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved June 26, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 26, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/