Have you been taking advantage of every opportunity to do good? Or have you been ignoring them, preferring to mind only your own affairs? - Daily Reflections March 5,2015

NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT   The First Reading from the prophet Jeremiah today is a two-part discourse: the first part is a curse, followed by a blessing. The contrasts are clear enough. The dividing line between the two parts is very clear.        Most importantly, we are compelled to make a decision. We have to choose between the two — we cannot remain neutral or indifferent in front of these options. The so-called “option paralysis” is not for us.        If ever we make a wrong choice — that is, the one not according to God’s will, abusing the freedom He granted us and in defiance of His commandments — hopefully we will be able to learn from our mistakes, grab a rebound, and make a follow-up shot still. Because if we will not realign our choices and stubbornly prefer wrong detours in our journey, we might come to an inevitable dead end.        A better analogy is that of the Gospel parable today: the uncrossable chasm. Abraham explained it to the rich man who ended up in the place of torment: “Between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.” There is a certain finality to it, the hard-to-accept consequence of the wrong options we chose.        No supernatural phenomenon will make up or compensate for our stubbornness if we do not make an effort to learn the important lessons which life already gives us early on. (“They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them... If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.”)        Finally, God will only “reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds” (First Reading). Such is the unmistakable criterion: not our chatter, but our concrete deeds, most especially our works of mercy and charity. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB   REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Have you been taking advantage of every opportunity to do good? Or have you been ignoring them, preferring to mind only your own affairs?   Wake up my soul, Lord, from slumber and grant me the grace to respond to Your call to love the poor in our midst.