“As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” - Joshua 14:15

Today’s first reading is all about choices.  Josuah became the leader of the Israelites after Moses died. He gathers the twelve tribes of Israel and challenges them to decide which god they will worship: the God of Abraham or other gods.  He makes it clear that this decision is up to them.

“If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling.” 

They quickly choose the God of Abraham saying, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods.”  They remember all that the Lord has done for them, including bringing them out of slavery in Egypt, performing miracles and protecting them along the way. 

They decide: “we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”

In Matthew’s Gospel today, the apostles try to shoo away people who were bringing children to see Jesus.  In that society, children were not particularly valued, and the disciples didn’t want Jesus “bothered” by them.  Not only does Jesus encourage the children to “come to me,” but he tells the crowd that the Kingdom of heaven belongs to these small, powerless and humble human beings.  Jesus is encouraging us to become smaller, more humble and less powerful.  It is not how our society is set up, but it shows how the ways of Jesus often diverge from the ways of the world.

Each of us makes daily decisions about our lives, and how we connect with God.  Will we spend some time today thanking God for the gifts we have been given, or get sidetracked by “important” tasks that must be done?

Each morning we can begin by asking for help in our choices for the day, to serve others and follow the teachings of Jesus.   We can take a few minutes at the edge of our beds before our day begins, simply opening our hands to God and asking for guidance for the day. Making that choice each day will change how our day unfolds and how the bonds between us and our loving God are strengthened.

Today the Church remembers St. Maximilian Kolbe who made the ultimate choice to love God and serve.  A Polish Franciscan priest, his monastery in German-occupied Poland published several anti-Nazi German publications. The monastery also helped to hide, feed and clothe 3,000 Polish refugees, about half of them, Jews.

Kolbe was arrested in February 1941 and a few months later was a prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp.  That August three prisoners escaped. In retribution, the Nazis chose ten other random prisoners from the same cell block for the underground starvation bunker. As the names were called out, one of the unlucky ones, Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out, “My wife! My children!” 

Witnesses watched in astonishment as Fr. Kolbe offered to take the man’s place. Kolbe pointed to Gajowniczek, a man he did not know, and said “I am a Catholic priest; I would like to take his place because he has a wife and children.” His offer was accepted, and he and nine other prisoners were sent to the bunker.  Gajowniczek, who was present at Kolbe’s canonization in 1971, remembered, “I could only thank him with my eyes.”

According to Saint Maximilian Kolbe Church in New Jersey, in the weeks that followed, Kolbe chose not to focus on his thirst, hunger and impending death.  Instead, he continually lifted up the men with prayers, psalms and hymns.  As the men grew weaker, prayers and songs became whispered, but continued.

After two horrific weeks, nearly all of the men had died of dehydration or starvation. The guards wanted to empty the cell, so decided to give the remaining few a lethal injection.  Kolbe, the only one who was still conscious, lifted his arm for the soldiers to do their fatal work.  His body, along with the others was cremated at the camp.

Most of us will not face decisions like that today, or even in our lifetimes.  But we can focus each day on how we choose to thank and serve the God who loves us endlessly.

Thank you, loving God for the ways you love me and the gifts and people you place in my life today.  Let me recognize the sacredness of each person in my life and to be aware of those who suffer.