Tuesday of Week 12 in Ordinary Time (Year A)
Genesis 13:2,5-18 | Psalm 14(15):2-5 | Matthew 7:6,12-14
Looking round, Lot saw all the Jordan plain, irrigated everywhere – this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah – like the garden of the Lord or the land of Egypt, as far as Zoar. So Lot chose all the Jordan plain for himself and moved off eastwards. Thus they parted company: Abram settled in the land of Canaan; Lot settled among the towns of the plain, pitching his tents on the outskirts of Sodom. (Genesis 13:10-12)
We all know how Lot’s story ends, but its beginning is a lesson for us all.
Lot chose the easy route, the bountiful land, the Eden lookalike. Focused on near-term ease, he failed to notice the impending problematic neighbours that were Sodom and Gomorrah.
Likewise, we sometimes choose the easy way out, prioritizing immediate personal comfort over long-term support of our heavenly objectives. It’s perfectly natural for wealth and ease to be the fruits of our labour, or even the side-effects thereof, but when they become our goals, we inevitably lose sight of our main target: reunion with the Lord.
So let us pay heed to the soft voice that is the Holy Spirit within us. Let our conscience be our guide in doing what is right, not what is easy.
Lord, You know we can be lazy, desiring just to wallow in ease and luxury. Help us clear the fog of hedonism from our minds, and focus on You before us, and our neighbours in whom we see Your face. Amen.