Sirach 15: 14-20 God in the beginning created human beings and made them subject to their own free choice. If you choose, you can keep the commandments; loyalty is doing the will of God. Set before you are fire and water; to whatever you choose, stretch out your hand. Before everyone are life and death, whichever they choose will be given them. Immense is the wisdom of the LORD; mighty in power, he sees all things. The eyes of God behold his works, and he understands every human deed. He never commands anyone to sin, nor shows leniency toward deceivers.
Frank Sinatra in years past had sung a song called “I did it my way”. That was the world at the time of the tower of Babel and is also our world today. We communicate but do we really? We try to do things our way and sin. Last Sunday Father Vince said that we all end up sinning. We are not perfect.
In English we have words that sound the same and I will give an example that I have collected. Fourth ..forth Mail….male Sale….sail Capitol…Capital Write…right. This is only a partial list. Still even in the same language we can have differences. In the Norther United States, a carbonated drink could be a pop, and, in the South, it could be a soda. My grandson in the United Kingdom will call them crisps and I will call them French Fries. I work part time in a Deli. I have to take a double take in how someone will pronounce the word, Genoa. Years ago, I worked at a call center few people could pronounce Dulles Airport in Washington, DC.
Still even when people speaking the same language and have perfect pronunciation, there are still misunderstanding. Marriage counselors and priest have full time jobs trying to clear up misunderstandings in families and relationships. Remember your parents telling you to do what you are told. Simple!…No, man is still building the tower and still separating himself from his creator.
Jesus says in today’s Gospel, what profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.
We have a choice in life to follow God’s plan or not. Genesis gives us the alternative. So, the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the speech of all the world. From there the LORD scattered them over all the earth.
Jesus’s plan is simple but incomplete. The only way we can follow the plan is to have a relationship with Jesus. Our lives could be so much simpler, if we stopped trying to be so arrogant and build our own towers in life. In the background I can still hear my Mom or Dad say,” Do what you’re told.”
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please pray for Cancer Victims and their Caregivers. Pray for Peace in the Ukraine and for the Salvation and Emotional health of the Ukrainian people. Pray for the Salvation of the Russian people.
