25.08.2024 – Iznatoraf – Villanueva del Arzobispo (Jaén)

Lord, to whom shall we go?

(Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18, Psalm 34, Ephesians 5:21-32, John 6:60-69)

Today we celebrate the 21st Sunday in Ordinary time. All the readings are filled with great messages for us. They invite us to renew our faith and trust in God. They invite us to take a stand, to decide, to commit ourselves to Christ and his Gospel.

The first reading from the Book of Joshua reminds us of that bitter encounter and the experience of infidelity and lack of trust among the Israelites in God, even when with their eyes they have seen his wonderous and mighty works like crossing the red sea, feeding them with manna, bringing forth water from rock in the desert for them to drink etc. Now charged with leading them into the promise land, Joshua couldn’t understand how ungrateful and blind these people could be. Convoking all the people on Shechem he now charges them to take a stand, to decide whom they will serve. He inspired the people to wholeheartedly renew their willingness to continue serving the Lord, the God of their Fathers.

In the Gospel we see, how many disciples left Jesus because of his “hard teaching”; they couldn’t accept Jesus’ teaching and they stopped following him. He looked to the Twelve and asked “Do you also wish to go away?”. There are many today who have stopped practicing the faith because they feel that Christianity, Faith in God is too hard; and some have stopped going to Church because the Church’s teaching is against their whims, caprices and ideologies. They would perhaps love to follow Christ and his Church, but only on their own terms. Simon Peter, speaking on behalf of the twelve, responded, “If we go away, if we stop following you, Lord, to whom then can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Saint Paul reminds us of one of those gospel teachings that is now very hard for modern man. Love and Fidelity in the Marital commitment. The rampant cases of divorces have made it rare to find couples celebrating 25th and 50th anniversary of the Sacrament of Matrimony in modern society. Today’s second reading is a reminder that marriage is a live-long covenant and commitment we made to our partner and God on the day of our wedding. Couples should strive to take care of their marriage; love each other, be ready to make sacrifices for each other, care for each other, forgive each other’s mistakes, be patient with one another; just as Christ loves and takes care of His Church.

Brothers and sisters, every day we make choices and decisions. Let us be careful that our choices lead us closer to God and not far away from Him. Our Faith and Choice of God is never in vain for He will continually guide and lead us to the fount of eternal life.

We sing with the Psalmist: “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.”

May God strengthen each day our faith in Him and may our daily choices be inspired by His love for us. Peace be with you!