“If you choose, you can keep the commandments, they will save you” are the first words we hear during today’s Liturgy of The Word.  These words come for Sirach chapter 15 and may resonate with us differently depending on where the emphasis is applied.  Think of the very first word, “If”.  As used in this Scripture, much rides on this one word; Salvation.  Then the next word, “you”.  It is used three times in this short passage and in its first use combined with the word “choose”, God is reminding us that we have to play an active role in our own Salvation.  Having given us free will, God has given us the choice to decide whether or not to go to Him.  The next two words, “you can”, are God’s pep-talk to us that we can!  Imagine God speaking to us directly and repeating the words, “You Can, You Can, You Can”!  God is telling us we can “keep the commandments”….“If we choose”  Of course, this is not simply a one and done choice right?  We must have the resolve to make this choice each day.  We must wake up each morning and begin our day by giving thanks to God for another day and then continue with prayer for strength to face the challenges we will face.

   We are so blessed to be able to be nourished with God’s Living Word during the Mass.  Today, we should feel incredibly strong and determined after hearing God speaking His words to us.  God does not give us any more than we can handle and He does not ever expect us to do anything on our own.  He is calling us to holiness and wants us to be the absolute best that we can be.  We are called to be Saints and God has given us all the tools to be able to do so…“if we choose”.