Daily Readings August 26, 2012

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 122

Reading 1 Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b

Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,summoning their elders, their leaders,their judges, and their officers.When they stood in ranks before God,Joshua addressed all the people:"If it does not please you to serve the LORD,decide today whom you will serve,the gods your fathers served beyond the Riveror the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling.As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

This is a beautiful stanza and it is our family motto:

As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Joshua has gathered the people of Israel after much navigation to arrive at the Promised Land and fight off the pagan settlers there.  And after they have been victorious, he challenges them, "Are you going to follow the Lord or not?  Make up your own minds.  Because I already know what I'm going to do, my family and I will follow the Lord."

But the people answered,"Far be it from us to forsake the LORDfor the service of other gods.For it was the LORD, our God,who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt,out of a state of slavery.He performed those great miracles before our very eyesand protected us along our entire journeyand among the peoples through whom we passed.Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."

And the people of Israel, again, agreed to obey the Lord who had brought them out of Egypt.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21

Response. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Many are the troubles of the just one,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him;
he watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

As I've mentioned before, this stanza, Taste and see the goodness of the Lord, is one of my favourite in Scripture and always reminds me of the Eucharist.  The Psalm itself reminds me of several other beloved verses.  The first four lines remind me of Rom 15:6, the next two of Luke 1:46, the next two of Psalm 116:15, the next two of Heb 10:31, and the last eight all remind me of the beatitudes, Matt 5:3.

Reading 2 Eph 5:21-32

Brothers and sisters:Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.For the husband is head of his wifejust as Christ is head of the church,he himself the savior of the body.As the church is subordinate to Christ,so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.

I am blessed with a very obedient wife, she is far greater than I in the Kingdom of Heaven.  I understand however, that there is a controversy amongst Christians as to how to understand this teaching.  We have always understood it literally, however, after twenty seven years of marriage, I have learned, sometimes reluctantly, that my wife is better than me in many things.  And in those matters, I have subordinated myself to her.

Husbands, love your wives,even as Christ loved the churchand handed himself over for her to sanctify her,

I think all husbands pray that they love their wives as Christ loves the Church.  To death.

cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,

This is a reference to us, the Baptized who are washed with water and blessed with the word of God spoken by the priest who administers the rite.

that he might present to himself the church in splendor,without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,that she might be holy and without blemish.

She, the Church, is us.  The Church is the Body of Christ, because we are the Body of Christ.

Romans 12:4-5
King James Version (KJV)
⁴ For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:  ⁵ So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.He who loves his wife loves himself.For no one hates his own fleshbut rather nourishes and cherishes it,even as Christ does the church,because we are members of his body.For this reason a man shall leave his father and his motherand be joined to his wife,and the two shall become one flesh.This is a great mystery,but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

This is why, matrimony is a Sacrament in the Catholic Church.  I pray that all matrimonies can achieve this ideal.

Or Eph 5:2a, 25-32

There is not much difference in the alternative in the alternative reading, so I'll just reproduce it below.

Brothers and sisters:Live in love, as Christ loved us.Husbands, love your wives,even as Christ loved the churchand handed himself over for her to sanctify her,cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,that he might present to himself the church in splendor,without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,that she might be holy and without blemish.So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.He who loves his wife loves himself.For no one hates his own fleshbut rather nourishes and cherishes it,even as Christ does the church,because we are members of his body.For this reason a man shall leave his father and his motherand be joined to his wife,and the two shall become one flesh.This is a great mystery,but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

Gospel Jn 6:60-69

We return to the Bread of Life discourse, where Jesus continues to expound upon His real presence in the Holy Eucharist.

Many of Jesus' disciples who were listening said,"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"

In case you've lost track, at this point, Jesus has repeated about seven times in various ways, that in order for us to have eternal life, we must eat His Flesh and drink His Blood.  Here's an example:

John 6:54
King James Version (KJV)
⁵⁴ Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

This is what Jesus disciples' call a hard saying which they can't accept.

Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,he said to them, "Does this shock you?What if you were to see the Son of Man ascendingto where he was before?

Jesus says to them, "this shocks you because you have not realized the fact that I am God."

It is the spirit that gives life,while the flesh is of no avail.

Here's another one which the Protestants misunderstand.  I don't know how many Protestants have told me that Jesus is here saying that "His" flesh is of no avail.  What?  Think before you speak!  It is His Flesh which was crucified for our salvation.  How can anyone say, it is of no avail?

The reason they don't understand this verse is because, they lack spiritual discernment (1 Cor 2:14) AND because they have overlooked a little detail. Let me show you.  Jesus says, "THE flesh is of no avail."  But throughout John 6, Jesus is not speaking of THE flesh.  He is speaking of HIS flesh.  Let me lead you through John 6:

eat the bread which is MY flesh; John 6:51
eat the flesh of the Son of man; John 6:53
eat MY flesh; John 6:54; 56
MY flesh is food; John 6:55
eat of ME:  John 6:57
I am the bread you must eat; John 6:58

Throughout John 6, Jesus speaks of HIS flesh.  Not of THE flesh.  What is the significance?

Lets go through a few parts of Scripture which mention THE flesh:

Romans 7:25
King James Version (KJV)
²⁵ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Romans 8:3
King James Version (KJV)
³ For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

THE flesh is where sins dwell.  But sin never dwelt in Christ:

Hebrews 4:15
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁵ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.

and Jesus continues saying, the words that I have spoken to you must be spiritually discerned.  We can go to another verse in Scripture which confirms this:

2 Corinthians 3:6
King James Version (KJV)
⁶ Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

The Teachings of Christ are spiritually discerned.  That doesn't mean "metaphorical" as some seem to believe.  But the Spirit leads us to the deeper meanings of the Word.  To pure truth:

John 16:13
King James Version (KJV)
¹³ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

But there are some of you who do not believe."Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believeand the one who would betray him.And he said,"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to meunless it is granted him by my Father."

Jesus knows that some do not believe Him.  And explains that faith in Him is granted by the Father through the Holy Spirit.

As a result of this,many of his disciples returned to their former way of lifeand no longer accompanied him.

And most of His disciples left Him at that time.  The scary thing about it, if you check your Bible, this is probably verse 66.  In other words, this is verse 66 of Chapter 6 in the book of John.  Those who left Christ became anti-Christs.

John 6:66
King James Version (KJV)
⁶⁶ From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go?You have the words of eternal life.We have come to believeand are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

This is very significant to me.  Notice that Jesus did not call those fellows back and say, "Hey guys, you misunderstood.  Come back."  Uh-uh.  He turned and challenged the Apostles.  "Would you like to leave as well?"

But St. Peter comes through again.  "To whom would we turn?  We believe that you are the Son of God!"   THAT, is beautiful!

Sincerely,

De Maria