Daily Readings - Sun Aug 25 2024

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

The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of commitment, love, and the transformative power of faith. In the first reading from Joshua, we hear the prophet calling the people of Israel to make a choice: to serve the Lord or to turn back to the idols of their ancestors. Joshua reminds them of God’s faithfulness, recounting how He led them out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land. The people, moved by this reminder, affirm their commitment to serve the Lord, declaring that they will follow Him and no other. This passage emphasizes the importance of remembering God’s actions in our lives and allowing that memory to shape our decisions. The second reading from Ephesians shifts our focus to the relationships within the Christian community, particularly within marriage. Paul calls husbands and wives to live out their commitment to one another in a way that reflects the love of Christ for the Church. He emphasizes mutual submission, respect, and self-giving love, drawing a deep connection between the sacrament of marriage and the union of Christ with His bride, the Church. This reading reminds us that our relationships are not just about personal happiness but about living out the Gospel in concrete ways. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of the Eucharist as the source of eternal life, saying, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” Many of His disciples find this teaching too difficult to accept, and they abandon Him. Yet, Peter and the other apostles remain, confessing their faith in Jesus as the Son of God. This passage invites us to reflect on the mystery of the Eucharist and the commitment it requires. Just as Joshua called the people to choose the Lord, and just as Paul called husbands and wives to live out their commitment in love, Jesus calls us to embrace the gift of His Body and Blood as the source of our spiritual life. These readings remind us that faith is not a passive belief but an active commitment to God and to one another. Like Joshua’s people, we are called to remember God’s faithfulness and to make choices that align with our commitment to Him. Like the Ephesians, we are called to live out our relationships in love and mutual respect. And like Peter, we are called to stay with Jesus, even when the journey is difficult, trusting that He has the words of eternal life. Let us ask for the grace to live out our faith with courage, love, and fidelity, knowing that it is in Him that we find true life.