Today the Church wastes no time.

Ash Wednesday told us to return.
Today Scripture tells us what that return costs.

Moses says: “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.”

There is nothing vague about it.

Not “options.”
Not “preferences.”

Life.
Or death.

God does not manipulate.
He proposes.

“Choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him.”

Notice how life is defined.

Not by comfort.
Not by success.
But by love, obedience, and fidelity.

Life is communion with God.

Anything that weakens that communion is death — even if it feels pleasant.

Sin rarely looks like death at first.
It looks attractive.

A fish out of water may feel free for a moment.
But it is suffocating.

Freedom only exists within the order we were made for.

And then Jesus speaks in the Gospel:

“The Son of Man must suffer many things… and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

This is the first announcement of the Passion.

And immediately He says:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Daily.

Not once in a lifetime.
Not only in dramatic moments.

Daily.

To deny oneself is not self-hatred.
It is putting God before the ego.

It is refusing to let appetite, pride, or fear rule the heart.

We live in a culture that says:
“Express yourself.”
“Protect yourself.”
“Fulfil yourself.”

Jesus says:
“Deny yourself.”

That sounds like loss.

But listen carefully:

“Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

There it is again.

Life and death.

The paradox of the Gospel is this:

Clinging leads to loss.
Surrender leads to life.

Think of a clenched fist.

If you keep your hand tightly closed, you cannot receive anything.

Only an open hand can receive a gift.

So too with the soul.

If we cling to control, to reputation, to comfort —
we lose life.

If we open the hand —
if we entrust ourselves to Christ —
we find it.

Jesus asks:

“What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”

You can gain admiration and lose integrity.
Gain wealth and lose peace.
Gain influence and lose your soul.

The world measures profit one way.
God measures it another.

Lent places the choice before us plainly.

Life or death.
Self-preservation or self-gift.
Autonomy or obedience.

Christ does not hide the cost.

There is a cross.

But notice something.

The cross comes before the resurrection —
but it does not cancel it.

“On the third day be raised.”

The cross is not the final word.

In God’s design, self-gift leads to glory.

So today is simple.

Choose life.

Choose obedience.

Choose the cross.

Not because suffering is good in itself —
but because love is.

And love always costs something.

Cling to yourself, and you shrink.

Give yourself to Christ,
and you live.

That is the choice.

And it is placed before you
today.