There are two ways of life, and God has given us freedom to make our own choice. “Before man are life and death, whichever he chooses shall be given him” (Sir 15:17). Yet He gives us every instruction needed to say “Yes” to God’s way and “No” to Satan’s way. So the Church leads us to pray with the psalmist in today’s psalm response, “Instruct me” (Ps 119:33). We need to beg the Lord for His instruction because we have been entrusted with the power to choose.

There is no neutrality in this choice. So it is important to instruct those under our spiritual care before letting them make that choice. This applies particularly to our children. The world will instruct people via Satan, and will do so loudly and with pressure. We Christians must likewise instruct these people, and do so with the loving heart of the Good Shepherd (see Mt 11:29). As you instruct, do so with love.

We have the freedom to choose our own eternal destruction. We have the freedom to choose eternal joy and to have influence in the salvation of our loved ones by our life of trust in God. The Lord declares: “I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom…Choose life” (Dt 30:15, 19). ”