(Optional Memorial for Saint John Eudes, Priest)
Or:
(Optional
Memorial for the Blessed Virgin Mary)
On Saturdays in
Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the
Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed.[1]
Mass texts may be taken from the Common
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive
Mass,
or from the special collection of Masses
for the Blessed Virgin Mary.
 |
| “Exhortation of Joshua” by Marc Chagall, 1931-39 |
Reading
1:
Joshua 24:14-29
Joshua gathered together all the tribes
of Israel
and addressed them, saying:
"Fear the Lord and serve him
completely and sincerely.
Cast out the gods your fathers served
beyond the River and in Egypt
and serve the Lord.
If it does not please you to serve the
Lord,
decide today whom you will serve,
the gods your fathers served beyond the
River
or the gods of the Amorites in whose
country you are dwelling.
As for me and my household, we will
serve the Lord."
But the people answered, "Far be it
from us to forsake the Lord
for 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 eyes
and protected us along our entire
journey and among all the peoples
through whom we passed.
At our approach the Lord drove out all
the peoples,
including the Amorites who dwelt in the
land.
Therefore we also will serve the Lord,
for he is our God."
Joshua in turn said to the people,
"You may not be able to serve the
Lord, for he is a holy God;
he is a jealous God who will not forgive
your transgressions or your sins.
If, after the good he has done for you,
you forsake the Lord and serve strange
gods,
he will do evil to you and destroy
you."
But the people answered Joshua, "We
will still serve the Lord."
Joshua therefore said to the people,
"You are your own witnesses that
you have chosen to serve the Lord."
They replied, "We are,
indeed!"
Joshua continued:
"Now, therefore, put away the
strange gods that are among you
and turn your hearts to the Lord, the
God of Israel."
Then the people promised Joshua,
"We will serve the Lord, our God,
and obey his voice."
So Joshua made a covenant with the
people that day
and made statutes and ordinances for
them at Shechem,
which he recorded in the book of the law
of God.
Then he took a large stone and set it up
there under the oak
that was in the sanctuary of the Lord.
And Joshua said to all the people,
"This stone shall be our witness,
for it has heard all the words which the
Lord spoke to us.
It shall be a witness against you,
should you wish to deny your God."
Then Joshua dismissed the people, each
to his own heritage.
After these events, Joshua, son of Nun,
servant of the Lord,
died at the age of a hundred and ten.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary
on Jos 24:14-29
In this last chapter of the Book of
Joshua we hear of the final act Joshua performs. After asking the people to
give up all other gods but God the Father, he tells them it will not be easy.
He reminds them that if they are not careful they could fall from grace. He
then establishes a covenant between God and the people and goes to his rest.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 11
R. (see 5a) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take
refuge;
I say to the Lord, "My Lord are
you."
O Lord, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. You
are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the Lord who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the Lord ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be
disturbed.
R. You
are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You
are my inheritance, O Lord.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary
on Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 11
Psalm 16 is an individual hymn of
praise. The psalmist prays that God will
shield the faithful from harm and expresses confidence in the Lord’s salvation.
The passage closes with praise for God’s loving mercy. This selection is structured to support the
Pauline ideal of placing God first in the life of the faithful. Their greatest
possession is being loved by God and loving God in return. In these strophes,
we also echo the sentiment expressed by Joshua 24:15 above when he said: “As for me and my household, we will serve the
Lord.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew
19:13-15
Children were brought to Jesus
that he might lay his hands on them and
pray.
The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus
said,
"Let the children come to me, and
do not prevent them;
for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to
such as these."
After he placed his hands on them, he
went away.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary
on Mt
19:13-15
In this passage from St. Matthew’s
Gospel we again see Jesus inviting everyone to come to him including this time
the children. There are two connotations
here. First we remember that the Lord
said earlier in the Gospel that the Kingdom
of God
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
Today we hear Joshua conclude his term
as leader of the tribes of Israel
Joshua uses the instrument great leaders
have always used, personal example. He
does not ask the people to do something he himself is unwilling to do. He gives us the famous phrase: “As for me and my household, we will serve
the Lord.”
We have seen this verse reproduced on
media and it is widely familiar even if most people do not know where it came
from or who said it. We wonder how many
of those people have asked, as we do today, what it means? What does it mean to serve the Lord? In Joshua’s speech it was clear that he was
challenging the people to observe the laws and precepts laid down by the
patriarchs of the people, by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and most specifically
Moses. He told them it would not be easy
(“You may not be able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God."). Are we
able to “serve the Lord” without faltering?
Thank God for His Son. The
Hebrews to whom Joshua spoke did not know Jesus; had not even heard the promise
of the Messiah. Joshua told them that if
they failed to live up to their vows, God would punish and kill them. We have the Christ who came to show us God’s mercy.
If we do our utmost in God’s service we
are to him as little children who would never be punished by a loving Father
for doing our best. The mercy of God is
boundless and his love and tenderness toward us is endless. All we need to do is pray for guidance, look
carefully at our own motives, and serve the Lord from our hearts as best we
can. “As for me and my household, we
will serve the Lord.”
Pax
[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous
Notes no. 5
[2] The picture is “Exhortation of Joshua”
by Marc Chagall, 1931-39
[4] The readings are taken from the New
American Bible hyperlinked to the Vatican.VA site with the exception of the
Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and
is for private use only.
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