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[At
Jesus’ crucifixion,] one
of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying “Are you not
the
Messiah? Save yourself and us.” The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear of God for you are subject to the same
condemnation? And indeed, we have been
condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man
has done
nothing criminal.” Then he said,
“Jesus,
remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He
replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in
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The
movie “Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith”
maps the personal path of
Anakin Skywalker as he becomes the dreaded dark figure, Darth Vader. As the movie begins, Anakin is clearly the
celebrated Jedi knight that everyone in the Jedi Council expects him to
be. But he is young and ambitious. He wants more than he has. And
when he thinks that his pregnant wife
might be in jeopardy and that he is not getting the recognition he
deserves, he
feels that he needs guidance. He chooses
Palpatine instead of Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi, and begins his descent to
embrace
the “dark side.
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The
men who were crucified with Jesus, as he suffered the ignominy of a
criminal
death, had embraced the dark side of life. As one of them says,
they were being punished correctly. They had
chosen poorly, and they were paying
the consequences. If they had guides in
their lives, they were people who were more interested in
self-satisfaction
than in accomplishing anything good. But
one of the condemned chooses another guide, even though very late in
his life. He chose Jesus, asking him for help, and receiving
an eternal reward.
It is a complicated world that we live in, and therefore we all need guides. We need someone or something who can show us the possible pitfalls that surround us and someone or something who will show us what is right and what is wrong. Most of us have parents or grandparents who serve such a role in the beginning of our lives, but as we get older, we choose our own guides. The guide we choose becomes perhaps the single most important action that a young person makes. Luckily, we can alter that choice as we grow, but sometimes, if the choice is evil, as Anakin Skywalker chose, we begin a path that not only brings personal destruction, but also can lead to a whole life of ruin and malcontent. By their very definition, Christians choose the guide of Jesus Christ in their lives. They choose him to be the way, the truth and the life that directs their every action. Following through on such a choice is difficult, but it leads to a life that is rewarding both here and in a future eternal life. |
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THOUGHT
Who or
what do you think most people choose as a guide in our world today?
PRAYER Good
and gracious God, we must have good guides in our lives if we are to
live
well. Now that we have chosen your Son
as a guide, help us to sincerely accept his guidance, even if it is
difficult. Be with us, we pray.
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |
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