Daily Readings - Sun Aug 22 2021

¹Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.²Joshua said to all the people, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods.¹⁵But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."¹⁶Then the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!¹⁷It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.¹⁸And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God."

Ephesians

Chapter 4

³²Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Chapter 5

¹Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children²¹Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.²²Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.²³For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.²⁴Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her²⁶to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,²⁷and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.²⁸In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.²⁹After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church--³⁰for we are members of his body.³¹"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."³²This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church.

John

Chapter 6

⁵³Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.⁶⁰On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"⁶¹Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you?⁶²What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!⁶³The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.⁶⁴Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.⁶⁵He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."⁶⁶From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.⁶⁷"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.⁶⁸Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.⁶⁹We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

Sermon

In today's readings, we are invited to reflect on the themes of commitment, faith, and the transformative power of God's love. The first reading from Joshua presents a pivotal moment for the Israelites as they choose to serve the Lord despite the allure of other gods. This choice is rooted in their history of deliverance and miracles, highlighting the importance of remembering God's faithfulness. The second reading from Ephesians extends this theme into the realm of relationships, urging mutual love and respect, with husbands and wives reflecting the selfless love of Christ and the Church. The Gospel from John challenges us with the profound truth of Christ's sacrifice, emphasizing that true life comes from Him alone, even when His teachings are difficult. These readings remind us that our faith is not passive but active. Joshua's call to choose God, Ephesians' guidance on living out faith in relationships, and John's emphasis on commitment to Christ despite challenges all point to the necessity of intentional, daily decisions to follow God. In our lives, this means choosing to trust God over the world's offerings, nurturing our relationships with love and respect, and staying faithful even when faced with difficulties. Ultimately, today's readings call us to a deeper commitment to Christ and to living out our faith in every aspect of our lives. May we, like Peter, affirm our belief in Christ, trusting in His words of eternal life and striving to reflect His love in all we do.