As for Me and My House...

08-22-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC

Beloved people of God.

After the people of Israel possessed the promised land, Joshua, an old man approaching his earthly end, gathered Israel together for one final address. Part of this address is what we have as our first reading today. In it, Joshua reminds the nation about the good deeds of the Lord towards them, encouraging them to always remember. He concludes his emotional speech by placing before them two options: choose to serve Yahweh and live, or choose to be like the surrounding nations by worshiping their gods and face the consequences. To set an example, Joshua went ahead to make a choice for himself and his family. “.......as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24: 15). The people naturally followed their leader and chose to serve only God in gratitude for his benevolence towards them. Like Israel, we are presented with options and expected to make a choice: choose to love and serve God who has loved us first, or create and acknowledge any god we want living by the standard of the world and in slavery to the desires of the flesh. The options are clear, the choice is completely ours to make but whatever choice we make comes with great responsibility and consequence.

This is what St. Paul intends to pass along to us in the second reading today. Paul explains to the Church in Ephesus about choosing Christ and the obligations and consequences of this choice. Thus, Paul asserts, married Ephesian believers are to live in mutual respect and love, just as Christ loves his Church and the Church is submissive to Christ’s will. His teaching is even more relevant in our time than it was in biblical times.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus presents similar options to his Disciples requiring them to make a choice immediately. He had just told the people that he would give them his body to eat and his blood to drink and anyone who eats his body and drinks of his blood shall have eternal life. This offer proved quite offensive to the Jews who made their displeasure known to Him. Jesus’ explanation did not water down his teaching but rather enhanced it. Infuriated by His utterances, the Jews left Him. Instead of worrying about His fast depleting followership, the Divine redeemer placed an option before his Apostles. He asked if they also wanted to leave.

God does not force his children to do His Divine will; He presents the options and allows us to make our choices. However, as soon as we make such choices, we become responsible for them and may bear the consequences. If we choose to love and receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we should know that we can no longer, in good conscience, live “as we want” but as God wants so we can be happy with Him here and hereafter. May the choices we make this week and beyond be godly and may they bear Holy fruits in Christ.

God bless you.

Fr. Manasseh

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