17th Week in Ordinary Time
Then the righteous will shine like the sun. (Matthew 13:43)
Commenting on the gift of free will, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus once wrote, “The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you choose, what you think, and what you do is who you become.” We all have a choice in how we live this life. Even if we are facing very difficult circumstances, we can choose how we react to them. So ultimately, it’s up to us whether we are happy or unhappy in this life.
As today’s reading shows, our eternal state is also a matter of our choice. Here we see the fate of those who have decided to reject God: “wailing and grinding of teeth” (Matthew 13:42). But God didn’t just throw them like weeds into the fire—they chose not to receive his mercy. They used their free will, but in the wrong way. God kept loving them, but they had to accept that love.
Those of us reading this have already given our lives to the Lord. But we still have a choice. That’s the beauty of free will. We can do much more than stay out of the weeds. We can become wheat that brings in a great harvest for the Lord. As we cooperate with God’s grace, moment by moment, day by day, we can make the choices that will turn us into saints. Every one of us carries the light of Christ in our hearts, but it’s up to us to decide how brightly we will let it shine!
The best choice you can make today—and the one that helps you the most to be that bright light—is to spend time with your heavenly Father. Let him love you, let him teach you, and let him form you. Tell him how much you love him and how much you need him. Ask for his wisdom and grace for every situation that comes your way. Call on him to dispel any darkness, doubt, or fear that tries to trip you up and keep you from doing your best. Let his light shine through you, and you’ll certainly bear fruit for his kingdom!
“Thank you, Lord, for loving me so completely! May all my choices be inspired by your Holy Spirit, and may they all bring glory to your name.” Amen!Exodus 33:7 Moshe would take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp. He called it the tent of meeting. Everyone who wanted to consult Adonai would go out to the tent of meeting, outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moshe went out to the tent, all the people would get up and stand, each man at his tent door, and look at Moshe until he had gone into the tent. 9 Whenever Moshe entered the tent, the column of cloud would descend and station itself at the entrance to the tent; and Adonai would speak with Moshe. 10 When all the people saw the column of cloud stationed at the entrance to the tent, they would get up and prostrate themselves, each man at his tent door. 11 Adonai would speak to Moshe face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then he would return to the camp; but the young man who was his assistant, Y’hoshua the son of Nun, never left the inside of the tent.
34:5 Adonai descended in the cloud, stood with him there and pronounced the name of Adonai. 6 Adonai passed before him and proclaimed: “YUD-HEH-VAV-HEH!!! Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai] is God, merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace and truth; 7 showing grace to the thousandth generation, forgiving offenses, crimes and sins; yet not exonerating the guilty, but causing the negative effects of the parents’ offenses to be experienced by their children and grandchildren, and even by the third and fourth generations.” 8 At once Moshe bowed his head to the ground, prostrated himself 9 and said, “If I have now found favor in your view, Adonai, then please let Adonai go with us, even though they are a stiffnecked people; and pardon our offenses and our sin; and take us as your possession.”
28 Moshe was there with Adonai forty days and forty nights, during which time he neither ate food nor drank water. [Adonai] wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Words.
Psalms 103:6 Adonai brings vindication and justice
to all who are oppressed.
7 He made his ways known to Moshe,
his mighty deeds to the people of Isra’el.
8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in grace.
9 He will not always accuse,
he will not keep his anger forever.
10 He has not treated us as our sins deserve
or paid us back for our offenses,
11 because his mercy toward those who fear him
is as far above earth as heaven.
12 He has removed our sins from us
as far as the east is from the west.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
Adonai has compassion on those who fear him.
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