2nd Week of Lent : Thursday 17th March 2022

Today’s Scripture readings place before us the issue of making choices and the resulting consequences. In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah speaks about the wicked and the just. The corrupt trust in human beings and are cursed, while the just trust in the Lord, and their future is assured by God.

The psalmist depicts and contrasts two fundamental options for human beings. Therefore, people are divided into two groups – those who are obedient to the will of God and the wicked who disobey God. Each group will experience the consequence of their action – life and prosperity for the obedient, and ostracism and uprootedness for the wicked. In other words, one places oneself in the community of the righteous or the unrighteousness by one’s actions.

The story told by Jesus about the rich man and Lazarus also contains a lesson about making choices. The rich man is indifferent to the needs of the beggar at his gate. He did not realise the present opportunity given to him to prepare for the eternal future.

It was not his wealth that kept him from Abraham’s bosom but his untrustworthy stewardship. The story is linked to the teaching of Jesus about the law and the Prophets. He warns the Pharisees that lip service and superficial correctness in observing the Law do not necessarily mean listening to God and being obedient to His word.

We, too, are called to make choices daily.

 Lord, may we make the right choices! Help us to be obedient to You always.