Pizarro's Choice-Decision-Sexagesima Sunday

The great Spanish general, named Pizarro, was marching to conquer the city of Peru. Thus far he had beaten his foes. He had gained ground, he had left behind him a trail of victories, and he had conquered most of the country except its capital city. On this capital city he was now marching. One morning the signal to march was given and the men did not move. The general demanded to know why and a man came forward and said, “General, we have crossed the ocean with you in ships that were hardly safe, we have suffered fever, heat, and starvation, we are weighed down with our heavy arms, we are dying with thirst. We wish to quit the campaign and go back to our homes in Spain.” History hinges on the decision of Pizarro. He knew that if they went forward they would conquer and be wealthy for the rest of their lives, but that if they turned back they would be pursued by their enemies and killed before they reached home. He walked to the center of an open space and began to speak to the men. He took out his sword and held it high in the air. He told them of the victories that this sword had led them to. Then he drew a line in the sand at his feet and said, “On one side of this line is death, disease, sorrow, and defeat. On the other success, luxury, happiness, and victory. I call on you, my soldiers, to choose as becomes brave Castilians. That is to choose as becomes brave men. Stay on this side of the line and die in disgrace. Cross the line and either live in glory or die in glory.” He crossed the line and called on them all to follow him. First one man stepped over. Then a few more. Then the drummer boy. And finally the whole army was marching on Peru. The city fell like a tree under a woodman’s ax.

This goes to show that decisions demand only one thing; that they be made and made without recall. If you have been sincere so far in making yourself into an image of Christ, you will have learned how to make a choice. Many and many a time we stand like Pizarro’s men wondering what to do. We are faced with a choice and we do not know which to make. The answer is to behave as becomes good Christians. You may be faced with a choice to stay in bed on Sunday mornings instead of going to church, to eat breakfast or to go to Communion, to go to confession when you are sent or to go home and pretend that you went, to obey your parents, or to argue about it, to wash the dishes or to leave them for someone else, to pay attention in school or to daydream, to do your homework yourself or to copy someone else’s—In all these things you must choose either one or the other. You go forward or go backward. You follow Christ or the devil. Like Pizarro’s men you cross the line to victory or you stay back in defeat. To stay in bed on Sunday morning instead of going to Mass is the same as saying to the devil, “You win.” You have refused to cross the line. You did not choose as became a brave Christian. If a choice is to be made, see that you make the right one. On one side is defeat—that is the easy side, the devil’s side. On the other side is victory—that is Christ’s side.

                                                                                                    ~ “Heavenwords,” Imprimatur 1941 ~