February 16: Right and Wrong

It is always tempting to let the present moment or the future that lies ahead capture and hold our attention. Take a moment, however, to look back to yesterday's celebration of the Mass. The Church offered us a reading from the Book of Sirach (15,15-20). On the surface, the passage seemed as simple as “choose between right and wrong.” But how does that get played out from day to day (and how might it get played out during the coming Lenten season)?

Ponder the kinds of choices we make in our daily living: between telling the truth and lying; between greed and generosity; between playing fair and cutting corners; between foolishness and wisdom; between arrogance and humility; between what is truly beautiful (and lasting) and what's fake; between kindness and meanness; between welcoming others in and shutting others out; between wasting our time and spending it well; between building others up, or tearing them down; between gossiping and minding our own business; between speaking a kind word or speaking a cruel word. 

We owe it to ourselves to look back and reflect on occasion, even if only looking back as far as yesterday! The wisdom of the past will always find a welcome home in our discernment between "right and wrong" today.