(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.
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| “Exhortation of Joshua” by Marc Chagall, 1931-39 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Joshua 24:14-29
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.
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R. (see 5a) 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.”
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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
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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
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