Many years ago as I was entering religious life my sister gave me a gift; I think it was for Christmas. It was a picture of a road sign, with an arrow pointing in two directions. It is the kind of sign that you find as a road comes to an end and as a drive you have to make a choice to go either right or left. Beneath the picture were the last three lines of Robert Frost's poem The Road Not Taken.
"Two roads diverged in the woods, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
The picture has hung on my wall where ever I have lived over the years and has been an inspiration; it has been a reminder that the journey that I have traveled even though difficult at times has been the right journey.
We might say that Moses is presenting to us two roads that diverge in the living of life. That we stand before those two roads that Moses calls Life and Death, blessing and curse, prosperity and doom. There are no signs just the choice of two roads, two ways to live life and we have to choose. Moses suggests that we choose life. In many ways this suggestion is the road less traveled because it is not always comfortable, it is not always self-gratifying, it is not always easy and it is not always the road everyone else is traveling. The road of life can be filled with crosses, struggles, challenges, steep hills and selfless responses.
The road of life has none of the allurements that you often find on the other road, power, wealth, instant gratification, self-importance, status and greatness in the eyes of the world. Yet, on the road of life you also do not find loneliness, judgmentalness, selfishness, greed, anger and death. On the road of life you will find a community. It is a community ready to help, ready to walk with you. It is a community with a vision, a purpose beyond this life. It is a community of faith, of hope and of love. On the road of life your faith will be strengthened, your hope will be enlivened and love will be the order of the day!
Yes, as we begin Lent we are presented with two roads diverging in front of us. There is a great crowd walking down the one, no so many on the other. Which road are we going to choose? My hope is that we choose the road less traveled, my hope is we choose life because that will make all the difference!
Lenten Daily Prayer: O God of Life, as we stand before the roads that this day presents to us, enliven us with the wisdom to choose the road of life. As we walk this road less travel keep us ever mindful that we are not alone that you walk with us. Strengthen us for the crosses, the challenges of this road. Grace us with the hope that we will always find your presence, your forgiveness, your mercy, your truth and your love as we make this journey. May we choose the road of life today and let it make all the difference in our life and in the lives of all we meet! Amen!
Runner's Thought: Perhaps as we run today we too should choose the road less traveled: the road of awareness as we run, the road of revelation as we run, the road of intention as we run, the road of mindfulness as we run, the road of imagination as we run, the road of prayer as we run. Today let's pick a road we have not traveled lately and let it make a difference in our life today!
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! May you celebrate with your loved ones today, especially the most important loved ones in your life! For me this is a day to remember all the many people who have brought the gift of love into my life. I offer a special prayer for all of you today and I also remember those who have passed on who were such important teachers of love in my life. I truly hope all of you will have a wonderful day gifted with many moments of love and many people you love! Blessings today and always! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
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