Reflection for August 25, 2024

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b | Psalm 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21 | Ephesians 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32 | John 6:60-69

​The readings for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time encourage us to make a clear commitment to God, respect each other because of our faith in Christ, and fully accept and believe Jesus' teachings.

​A Buddhist, a Hindu and a Christian quarrels over whose god is the one true God. They eventually decided to have a competition by showing that their god can save them from a grave danger. So they all went to the edge of a cliff. The buddhist said "I will jump off this cliff as I call on the name of Buddha and I will not be harmed." So the Buddhist jumps off the cliff and calls to Buddha. "Buddha Buddha Buddha Buddha" he yells. When he was near the ground his fall started to slow down until eventually he levitated. The Hindu, unimpressed by the Buddhist said that Brahma can grant him the power of flight. So he jumped off. As he falls he calls upon the name of Brahma. "Hare Krishna Hare Rama." As he nears the ground his calls became desperate. "Hare Krishna! Hare Rama!" He hits the ground with a loud whack and is killed on impact. The Buddhist, while still levitating, nods to the Christian to tell him it's his turn. Surely the Lord will save me from any harm he says to himself. So he jumps off the cliff and calls upon the name of Jesus. "Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus save me save me" he said as he was falling. Midway to the ground he calls for the blessed mary and the saints for help. "Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Mama Mary please save me please save me." As he was getting dangerously close to the ground he said; "Oh Lord Jesus, Lord Je...BUDDHA BUDDHA BUDDHA BUDDHA BUDDHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" 

Our first reading from the Book of Joshua is about making a choice. In ancient times, people believed that gods controlled specific areas. To do well in a place, they thought they had to honor the local gods. In the reading, Joshua, who took over from Moses, gathers the people at Shechem and asks them to choose who they will follow. Are they still serving the Lord and following His teachings, or are they blending in with the locals? The Israelites chose to serve the Lord because He brought them out of Egypt, performed miracles, and protected them. What is your reason for choosing God in your life? Our decision is based on what we know and have experienced of God's actions in our lives.

Reginald and Grace, married for 5 years, had a quarrel and ended up giving each other the silent treatment. Two days into their mute argument, Reginald realized he needed Grace's help. In order to catch a flight to Cebu for a business meeting, he had to get up at 5 a.m. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence, he wrote on a piece of paper, "Grace, please wake me at 5 a.m." The next morning Reginald woke up only to discover Grace was already out of bed, it was 11 a.m., and his flight had long since left. He was about to find his wife and demand an answer for her failings when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. It reads, "It's 5 a.m. Wake up!"

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul compares the relationship between husband and wife to that of Christ and the Church. His point is that just as Christ is the head of the Church, husbands are the head of their wives. Wives should respect their husbands, but husbands have the greater responsibility of loving their wives as Christ loved the Church. Christ gave Himself up and died for the Church, so husbands should put their wives' needs first, even if it costs them greatly. Husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies, taking care of them as Christ cares for the Church. This mutual love and respect show the world the deep love Christ has for the Church.

Father and son explorers Richard and Raymond, were on a jungle safari when suddenly a ferocious lion jumped in front of them. "Do not be afraid" Richard whispered. "Remember what we read in that book on wild cats" If you stand perfectly still and look the lion in the eye, it will turn and run." "Sure, Dad" replied Raymond. “You’ve read the book, and I've read the book. But has the lion read the book?"

In the earlier part of this Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood to have life. He uses a very graphic Greek word, τρώγω (trogo), which means to gnaw or munch, to stress the reality of this "eating." This statement was hard for many to accept. This isn't a regular meal or invitation, and many disciples were confused and upset by Jesus' words. As a result, many of them stopped following Him. They found it too difficult to believe. Jesus said, "The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life." Some disciples found reassurance in this and chose to trust Him, even if they didn't fully understand. We face the same choice today. Will you continue to trust Jesus, even when you don't completely understand? What will you do with your doubt? Will you stay or will you leave?

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