Catechism Links[1]
CCC 796: The Church as the Bride of Christ
CCC 1061-1065: God’s utter fidelity and love
CCC 1612-1617, 2360-2365: Marriage in the Lord
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| “The Institution of the Eucharist “ (detail) by Federico Fiori Barocci,1608, |
Reading 1: Joshua 24:1-2a,
15-17, 18b
Joshua gathered together all
the tribes of Israel
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 River
or the gods of the Amorites
in whose country you are now 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 the peoples through
whom we passed.
Therefore we also will serve
the LORD, for he is our God.”
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Commentary on Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b
In this last chapter of the Book of
Joshua we hear of the final act Joshua performs. Gathering the tribes
together, this passage is the prelude to the covenant at Shechem. Joshua
asks the people whom they will serve, the Lord or “the gods your fathers
served beyond the River” (“beyond the river” is most likely east of the
Euphrates). The fact that their fathers in that land were polytheistic is
hinted at in Genesis
28:20-21 and Genesis 35:2-4).
In response to Joshua’s challenge,
the people recall the exodus from Egypt, and other signs performed on their
behalf. They then make the pledge, as Joshua did, to follow the Lord. (“As
for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”) [5]
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3,
16-17, 18-19, 20-21
R. (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.
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Commentary on Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21
Psalm 34 is a song of thanksgiving
and a favorite for celebrating the heroic virtue of the saints. The psalmist,
fresh from the experience of being rescued (Psalm 34:5, 7), can
teach the "poor," those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone.
This psalm, in the words of one being unjustly persecuted, echoes hope for
deliverance and freedom.
The final strophe contains a
reference which may be derived from the ordinance on sacrifices of atonement
(see Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12) ("he watches over all his bones; not one of
them shall be broken"). It can also be seen as predictive of the fact
that the Christ’s bones were not broken after his death on the cross.
CCC: Ps 34:3 716
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Reading II
First Option
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 wife
just 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.
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the
church
and 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
flesh
but 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 mother
and 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.
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Commentary on Eph 5:21-32
St. Paul uses the relationship of
Christ to the Church to exhort married couples to mutual love and respect. He
defines that relationship as sacred, with reciprocal responsibilities, wives
respecting their husbands and being obedient as was fitting in this highly
patriarchal society. He emphasizes the model of the Church’s obedience to
Christ. He then enjoins the husband to love his wife the way Christ loves
his Church, having laid down his life so that she might be saved from any harm.
St. Paul concludes by describing the mystery of the sacramental relationship of
marriage, meaning in this case beyond human understanding.
Recent western social norms have
caused this passage to become controversial since the use of the word
“subordinate” is considered by some to imply complete subservience, i.e.
slavish unquestioning servitude. Placed in the full context of this reading,
the language describes the unique love expressed by Christ and the Church which
seeks of its own will to follow him in all things. St. Paul describes
beautifully the mutual love and respect expressed by Christ for his people and
the Church for our Bridegroom, Jesus.
CCC: Eph 5:21-26 2204; Eph 5:21 1269, 1642; Eph 5:25-27 772; Eph 5:25-26 757, 1616; Eph 5:25 616, 1659; Eph 5:26-27 757, 1617; Eph 5:26 628, 796, 1228; Eph 5:27 773, 796, 1426; Eph 5:29 757, 796; Eph 5:31-32 796, 1602, 1616; Eph 5:31 1627; Eph 5:32 772, 1624, 1659
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Or:
Second Option
Brothers and sisters:
Live in love, as Christ loved
us.
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the
church
and 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
flesh
but 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 mother
and 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.
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Commentary on Eph 5:2a, 25-32
This alternate reading omits the
language describing the role of the wife in the marriage relationship, removing
the implied hierarchy and the offense that may be taken by those who feel St.
Paul’s analogy and description of the wife’s role may be demeaning. This
omission changes the focus from the mutual love expressed by Christ and the
Church to the love expressed by Christ for his bride the Church.
CCC: Eph 5:21-26 2204; Eph 5:25-27 772; Eph 5:25-26 757, 1616; Eph 5:25 616, 1659; Eph 5:26-27 757, 1617; Eph 5:26 628, 796, 1228; Eph 5:27 773, 796, 1426; Eph 5:29 757, 796; Eph 5:31-32 796, 1602, 1616; Eph 5:31 1627; Eph 5:32 772, 1624, 1659
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Gospel: John 6:60-69
Many of Jesus’ disciples who
were listening said,
“This saying is hard; who can
accept it?”
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 ascending
to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives
life,
while the flesh is of no
avail.
The words I have spoken to
you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who
do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning
the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray
him.
And he said,
“For this reason I have told
you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by
my Father.”
As a result of this,
many of his disciples
returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied
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 believe
and are convinced that you
are the Holy One of God.”
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Commentary on Jn 6:60-69
St. John describes the ebb and flow
of the Lord’s followers. He is concluding his discourse on the “Bread of Life”
and has just told the disciples once more: “For my flesh is true food, and
my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me
and I in him.” This was cannibalism; they did not understand the
transformative event that was to take place, and they did not like what they
did understand. As a result, many who had seen him perform the sign of the
"multiplication of the loaves" and followed him now were repulsed and
went home.
The Twelve stayed with him and in
response to Jesus' question: “Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter
answers with his profession of faith: “Master, to whom shall we go? You have
the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you
are the Holy One of God."
CCC: Jn 6:60 1336; Jn 6:61 473; Jn 6:62-63 728; Jn 6:62 440; Jn 6:63 2766; Jn 6:67 1336; Jn 6:68 1336; Jn 6:69 438
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Reflection:
The scripture
today is just big, that’s the best word for it. There is a connection between
the three readings but at the 1,000 foot level. We can actually use the flow of
today’s scripture as sort of a courtship analogy. The first reading is like a
proposal of marriage.
Joshua asks the
leaders of the people if they want to serve the Lord our God or some other
religion. We can assume Christ’s soon-to-be fiancé was being a bit wayward so
the “will you marry me” question was asked in a way that seemed to give the
people options. Then we have the famous scripture passage from Joshua and the
quote; “As for me and my household, we
will serve the Lord." The passage ends with the rest of the people he
gathered also swearing allegiance to the Father, recounting that it was he who
brought them out of Egypt and protected them on their journey. In and of itself
this passage is a profession of faith and a reminder of God’s love for his
people. To the question “will you marry me?” the answer is "I will."
Next we come to
the psalm where again we hear echoes of the Bead of Life discourse from the
last two Sundays. In the context of the flow of scripture today, we can be
reminded that this is our engagement dinner. “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord” is our refrain. It is a
life-giving meal.
In Matthew 19:3-12 we hear Jesus talking about divorce. The sacramental nature of
the bond between husband and wife and how that differs from the civil contract
formed during the ceremony is described.
Because it is so hard to explain in terms of current social norms, that
passage is frequently de-emphasized.
Today, in what will be in our analogy of courtship, the wedding vows, we
are given another very difficult passage. It is one that is commonly pushed to
the rear because it is difficult to reconcile with the push toward less
polarizing language and can be interpreted literally as male domination.
Fortunately, it is given in its entirety so we can focus on the very first
line.
“Brothers and sisters: Be subordinate to
one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Be subordinate to one another! That means mutual respect. Granted, St. Paul
Finally we come
to the Gospel. The situation we see from St.
John
Then we hear
today, “Many of Jesus’
disciples who were listening said, ‘This saying is hard; who can accept it?’”
Does that sound familiar? Who else do we know that cannot accept that Jesus is
really present in the Eucharist? Because it is “hard,” they have turned and
gone back to their old way of belief.
Participating
in the marriage between Christ and His Church is difficult. We are asked, as
part of our renewed commitment, to accept that Christ is head of the Church and
for us to remain faithful we must eat his flesh and drink his blood so that we
might have life within us. We were adopted in baptism, we have had our coming-out
party in confirmation, we celebrate our marriage to Christ in Eucharist and mark
our anniversary each time we eat of the flesh of the Son of God. Today, let us
renew our vows. Once more accept the bridegroom, who is Christ, and vow to be faithful
to him
Pax
My response to
the most recent scandals: Sorry is not enough!
[1]
Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation
for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2]
The picture is “The Institution of the Eucharist “ (detail) by Federico Fiori
Barocci,1608,
[4]
The readings are taken from the New American
Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by
the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication
is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5]
The use of all capital letters for the words LORD and GOD in these scriptural
references indicate instances where the actual word for God was used.
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