Choosing One or the Other

In the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola teaches of the “Two Standards.”  One is the Standard of Christ and the other is the Standard of the enemy.  We are confronted with the choice to either stand with the army of Christ or with the army of the enemy and his lies.  In St. Luke’s Gospel Jesus says to His disciples one “cannot serve both God and mammon” (Lk. 16:13).  At face value, of course the choice is clear—we ought to stand with the army of Christ and to serve God.  But, when it comes down to making the decision and actually living out that decision day in and day out, is it as clear and easy?  Do our actions and choices make that decision obvious? 

Everyday we are given numerous opportunities to choose.  If someone does an act of uncharity, do I return one?  Or do I even think about saying or doing anything back that would be uncharitable? You may ask yourself how does this relate to either serving God or mammon, to either choosing the Standard of Christ or the Standard of the enemy?  It relates because when I choose to return evil for evil and uncharity for uncharity I am choosing to stand with the Standard of the enemy. “It’s not that bad!” some may say.  But, yes, it is.  Jesus Himself told us, “Whatever you do to the least of my people, you do unto me” (Mt. 25:40).  What we do to our brothers and sisters we do to Christ.  And when we choose to act uncharitably towards another, we act uncharitably towards Christ.  And, when we act uncharitably towards Christ we are not standing with Him.  Hence, we find ourselves standing with the army of the enemy.  In our nonchalance and philosophy of “not sweating the little things,” we have crept over to the enemy’s domain.  That is how the enemy works.  He slowly tempts you with small things, and then moves his way up.  The Gospel also alludes to this when we are told, “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones” (Lk. 16:10). 

While on my weekly apostolate, I visited with the second grade class and we reviewed the Trinity and also learned how when we are mean to our friends we are also being mean to Jesus.  The teacher was giving examples and one of them particularly touched me.  It was about how our actions, however insignificant it may seem, have significant and even eternal consequences and effects. The teacher and I role played on how doing something kind for someone shows that we love them.  So, she pretended to drop a piece of paper on the floor.  I picked it up for her and put it on her desk.  I explained that I decided to pick up that piece of paper for the teacher because I know she was busy and would really appreciate it if I were to help her by picking it up.  The teacher proceeded to say, “When he picked up that paper for me, did I feel happy and did I feel loved?”  Yes, I did.  And what else boys and girls?  Remember those people we pray for who are in purgatory?  That act of kindness may have gotten one person into heaven.” I never really thought about that before.  To be honest I was just hoping to get the point of being kind to someone across, but it is true that our actions do have effects, even eternal ones. 

Our actions mean so much.  We must be conscious of them because the enemy is.  The enemy first tempts us with what appeals to us, and once he has successfully trapped us, he then accuses us.  But we must remember that “the accuser of our brothers is cast out” (Rev. 12:10).  Christ has already won.  Choose wisely.  Stand on the winning side.  Stand on the side of Truth.  Stand with Christ.  Which side will you choose?  It is time to make a choice.