(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. (USCCB recommends: #39B Holy Mary, Queen and Mother of Mercy, II )
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| “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.
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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.
The covenant has a number of significant requirements. It requires first and foremost loyalty to God. "Put away the strange gods that are among you," Joshua tells them, reiterating Jacob's instructions in Genesis 35:2-4. In recounting the wonders God had performed, he also warns them that there would be consequences if they failed in their promise to serve the Lord faithfully (see Deuteronomy 4:26ff). [5]
The passage concludes with a covenant ritual, setting up a stone to mark the event after which Joshua passes away. He receives the title "servant of the Lord." A title reserved previously to Moses. We hear echos of that title in St. Matthew's parable (Matthew 25:21) "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy."
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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.
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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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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.
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Commentary on Mt 19:13-15
In this passage from St. Matthew’s Gospel we see Jesus inviting everyone to come to him, this time including the children. There are two important lessons here. First we remember that the Lord said earlier in the Gospel that the Kingdom of God belonged to those who possessed the faith of a child. The Lord continues to teach his disciples, in this case combining the reality and the metaphor of little children. Second, this account is understood by some as justification for the practice of infant baptism. That interpretation is based principally on the command not to prevent the children from coming, since that word sometimes has a baptismal connotation in the New Testament (see Acts 8:36ff). The children are claimed for Christ in that sacrament.
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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: “Outside Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, and Easter Time, on Saturdays which have no commemoration having the rank of Obligatory Memorial or higher, a Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated. This is indicated in the calendar by “BVM.” The readings and prayers may be selected from the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
[2] The picture is “Exhortation of Joshua” by Marc Chagall, 1931-39.
[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 Jewish Study Bible, © 2004 Oxford University Press, New York, NY, p.506
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