Daily Readings - Sat Aug 14 2021
Joshua
14Now therefore, fear the Lord, and serve him with a perfect and very sincere heart. And take away the gods that your fathers served in Mesopotamia and in Egypt, and serve the Lord15But if it seems evil to you that you would serve the Lord, a choice is given to you. Choose today what pleases you, and whom you ought to serve above all else, either the gods that your fathers served in Mesopotamia, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.16And the people responded, and they said: "Far be it from us that we would forsake the Lord, and serve foreign gods17The Lord our God himself led us and our fathers away from the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude. And he accomplished immense signs in our sight, and he preserved us along the entire way by which we journeyed, and among all the people through whom we passed18And he cast out all the nations, the Amorite, the inhabitant of the land that we entered. And so, we will serve the Lord, for he is our God.19And Joshua said to the people: "You will not be able to serve the Lord. For he is a holy and powerful God, and he is jealous, and he will not ignore your wickedness and sins20If you leave behind the Lord, and you serve foreign gods, he will turn himself, and he will afflict you, and he will overthrow you, after all the good that he has offered to you.21And the people said to Joshua, "By no means will it be as you are saying, but we will serve the Lord.22And Joshua said to the people, "You yourselves are witnesses, that you have chosen the Lord so that you may serve him." And they answered, "We are witnesses.23"Now therefore," he said, "take away strange gods from among yourselves, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.24And the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord our God, and we will be obedient to his precepts.25Therefore, on that day, Joshua struck a covenant, and he set before the people at Shechem the precepts and the judgments26He also wrote all these things in the volume of the law of the Lord. And he took a very great stone, and he stationed it under the oak that was in the Sanctuary of the Lord27And he said to all the people, "Lo, this stone shall be to you as a testimony, which has heard all the words of the Lord that he has spoken to you, lest perhaps, afterward, you might choose to deny it, and to lie to the Lord your God.28And he dismissed the people, each one to their own possession29And after these things, Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old
Matthew
13Then they brought to him little children, so that he would place his hands upon them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them14Yet truly, Jesus said to them: "Allow the little children to come to me, and do not choose to prohibit them. For the kingdom of heaven is among such as these.15And when he had imposed his hands upon them, he went away from there
Sermon
In today's readings, we are invited to reflect on the themes of commitment, humility, and the sincerity of our relationship with God. The first reading from Joshua presents a pivotal moment in the history of the Israelites. Having entered the Promised Land, Joshua calls the people to renew their covenant with God. He challenges them to make a conscious choice to serve the Lord wholeheartedly, rejecting the idols of their past. Joshua’s words are both a warning and an invitation: to recognize the holiness and jealousy of God, who demands our undivided loyalty. The people, moved by the memory of God’s faithfulness, commit themselves to serve the Lord, and Joshua seals this covenant with a stone of witness.
In the Gospel, we encounter a different kind of moment. Jesus is approached by parents seeking his blessing for their children. While the disciples try to dismiss them, Jesus insists that the children come to him. He declares that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like these little ones—humble, trusting, and unencumbered by the complexities of adulthood. This scene reminds us that our relationship with God is not about power or status but about simplicity, openness, and a childlike dependence on Him.
These readings are connected by the theme of wholehearted commitment to God. Joshua calls the people to reject idols and serve the Lord sincerely, while Jesus teaches us that humility and childlike faith are essential for entering the kingdom. Together, they invite us to examine our own hearts and lives. Are we allowing anything—whether it be pride, distractions, or worldly attachments—to come between us and God? Do we approach Him with the humility and trust of a child?
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: What are the “idols” in our lives that compete for our allegiance? How can we, like Joshua and the Israelites, renew our commitment to serve the Lord with sincerity? And how can we cultivate the humility and openness of children in our relationship with God? May we, like the people at Shechem, choose today whom we will serve, and may we, like the children in the Gospel, find the kingdom of heaven in our midst.