Hopefully your week was holy and warm.
While in Poland, I learned a lot about the USA, but since I came here in 2014, I became more interested in this country and its history. (By the way, I think it’s much easier to learn and under-stand the history than to understand what’s going on right now!?)
So, on July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and approved Richard Henry Lee’s motion that the thirteen colonies in North America declare their Independence from Great Britain and from the rule of King George III. On that July 4, celebrated now as Independence Day, the Congress approved the Declaration. Since then, human history has been punctuated with many such declarations of independence. Over 40 countries on the continent of Africa, more than a dozen newly independent republics in the former Soviet Union, several areas in Eastern Europe (including Poland–November 11, 1918) and conflicting ethnic groups with differing ideologies in many countries have engaged in civil wars and declared their political independence from those who had controlled them.
The clamor for independence can be heard everywhere, from Hong Kong in the east to the Basque country in the west. Independence, self–rule, and the prerogative of determining one’s own direction, goals and priorities have perennial appeal for most human beings. But, as is often the case, the readings for today’s liturgy invite us to consider human life on earth from a different perspective. The inspired authors of today’s readings, Jeremiah, Paul and Luke, make a motion, as it were, a motion that each of us should consider making a Declaration of Dependence on God, to receive our true blessing.
The way of life is the way of Jesus, the way of the Beatitudes, the way of surrender and dependence on God! It’s the way of loving service to God and our brothers and sisters that leads to eternal life. The other way is the way of death. It is the way of self–centeredness, self–reliance, immorality, self–indulgence, and immediate gratification. It leads to death and hell. Which way are we going? The challenge of the Beatitudes is: “Are you going to be happy in the world’s way or in Christ’s way?”.
Be blessed choosing wisely!
Fr. Tom