The Choices We Make
(Josh.24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b; Eph.5:21-32; Jn.6:60-69)
We make choices every day. Most are small, like what to eat or wear, but some are big, like where to work and who to marry.
Knowingly and unknowingly, we make choices all the time. They shape our existence, and every good choice helps us live our very best lives.
Victor Frankl, the psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, described our ability to choose as ‘the last of the human freedoms’. He once wrote that everything can be taken from a person but this one thing, the ability to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.
Because of this, Frankl said, every human being has the freedom to change at any instant.[i] Even in our darkest moments, we always have the power to choose how we respond to our situation.
How well, then, do we exercise our power to choose? Do we do it well, or do we tend to be more passive, perhaps avoiding decisions altogether or leaving them to others?
Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot tells the story of two men, Estragon and Vladimir, who spend all day every day waiting under a tree in the countryside for someone named Godot to arrive.
They aren’t sure if he’s coming, but they hope that when he does, he’ll bring meaning and purpose to their lives. So, they wait for Godot, and as they wait, they eat and argue, and they talk about all sorts of things. But nothing changes, and they just keep waiting. And waiting. And waiting. [ii]
A fruitless and empty life can lead to very deep regrets.
In 2012, Bronnie Ware published a book about her work in palliative care. In it she reveals the five biggest regrets her dying patients shared with her:
- I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
- I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
- I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
- I wish I’d stayed in touch with my friends, and
- I wish I’d let myself be happier. [iii]
No-one likes regrets, so how can we ensure we always make the right choices?
Firstly, by understanding our values (what we believe is fundamentally important in life) and always using this as a sound basis for daily decision-making. Much like the wise man who built his house on rock (Mt.7:24-27).
And secondly, by making sure that all our choices are consistent with our values.
In John’s Gospel today, Jesus concludes His Bread of Life Discourse. This is the talk he gave in the synagogue in Capernaum, just after feeding the 5,000.
Essentially, He’s saying, ‘I am the Bread of Life who came down from heaven to give life to the world. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live forever.’
In other words, ‘Come to me for spiritual food that will nourish and transform your existence. Come to me if you want eternal life.’
Here, Jesus is giving his listeners – that’s us – a choice: are you going to believe me and accept my Eucharistic self, or will you reject me?
Many of Jesus’ disciples do reject Him. They can’t understand how someone who turned water into wine can also transform bread and wine into His own flesh and blood. So, they turn away, and only the original Twelve choose to stay.
It’s not much different today; so many people would rather sit on their hands than choose Jesus. They’d rather follow the false gods of our day. But take note: Jesus never forces us into anything. He always lets us choose for ourselves.
In our first reading today, Joshua is the man who replaces Moses after the Israelites enter the Promised Land. Joshua is getting old, and he calls on the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel to choose: either to remain faithful to the God who gave them their new home, or to follow the false gods of their new land.
Joshua says he plans to serve God, and his people agree to do the same.
Today, Jesus is offering us a sound and sensible foundation for our lives; one that actually leads to eternal life. He’s inviting us to follow Him.
Right now, Jesus is asking, ‘What about you, do you want to go away, too?’
Peter replied, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life.’
What is your reply to Jesus?
[i] Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, Beacon Press, Boston, 2023.
[ii] Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot, Grove Press, NY, 1954.
[iii] Bronnie Ware, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying. Hay House, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, 2012.