September 13, 2026 Essay: Have We Lost Our Way?
Complacency has beguiled us. Caught up in the web of bewilderment and shock we have succumbed to a new normal. Daily events have overwhelmed our senses; disbelief is accompanied by despair and fear. What will tomorrow bring? In the span of a few short years, the very notion of truth has been compromised, our moral compass bent in the direction of greed and bombast, and our will to right what has been hijacked by feckless agents eviscerated. In the dread of the present moment, nonetheless, we stand, alone or with others, at the intersection of a complex network of paths. Which one do we choose to take? We can either tolerate the madness and meander in a maze of golden hued phantasms or stand tall and walk in the direction of truth, righteousness, and justice—hallmarks of the kingdom of God, of what it means to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.
One of my favorite Robert Frost poems is The Road Not Taken. I am sure many of us are familiar with it from our primary or secondary school days. It is well worth reading again.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood,
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence;
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The path one takes is always a matter of personal choice, a decision informed by both intellect and emotions. How to decide sometimes takes on more importance than what to decide. In our decision-making, when there is harmony between reason and love—love of neighbor, love of self, love of God—the serenity of peace envelops and guides us. The brilliance of that serenity illuminates the path that beckons us, and each decision we make throughout our lives and in our daily routines is a step on the path we have chosen. However, immersed in the distractions of how way leads on to way, we sometimes lose our direction. Our focus and energy are often hijacked and our courage wanes. No longer steadfast in our gait, it can seem too great a risk to continue on the road we have chosen.
Perhaps today more than at any other time in recent memory, we cannot be complacent. It is good to be reminded of the path we have chosen—a path that all too often feels less traveled by, a path that demands courage, commitment, and labor. To be a member of this parish is to travel together on the same road with joy in our hearts, as heralds of hope in a frightening world, to bring solace to those who hunger for understanding, compassion, justice, and peace. The path is not an easy one, but it can make all the difference. And so, what is that path?
On the night before he died, Jesus shared a meal with his closest companions and invited them to follow him so that they could be in the place he would prepare for them. To encourage them, he also said, “where I am going you know the way.” In reply, Thomas said to Jesus, “Master, we do not know the way.” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (Jn. 14:6).
— Rev. Dennis J. Yesalonia, S.J., Pastor