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Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18
Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,
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."
Ps 34:2-3,16-17,18-19,20-21
R./ 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 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.
Ephesians 5:21-32
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.
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."
Christ loved his Church;
he gave himself up for her
to make her holy and immaculate;
he nourishes us and cares for us.
May his love and peace be always with you. R/ And also with you.
A. Are You on My Side?
After Vatican II many were affected by the deeper insights in the gospel and our faith which the Spirit had given to his Church: most were the result of deeper study or simply rediscoveries of neglected truths. To most people the renewal after the Council was like a deep breath of fresh air; but some went away sadly from the Church. They could not take it; there was no room for growth in their faith. Today Jesus asks us too: Can you grow in your faith? Do you choose me and my Church or do you stick to your own ideas? He invites us: choose me, grow in my life and my love.
A. Are You on My Side?
We have to acknowledge with shame
that we have often preferred ourselves,
our interests, ideas and comforts
to those of God and of our neighbor.
We ask now for forgiveness.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you put before us
good and evil, your gospel and our own ways,
and you tell us to choose:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you put before us
yourself and your message of life
and you ask us: Do you too want to go away?
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you put before us
the bread of life, and you tell us:
"Take this, all of you, and eat it."
Lord, have mercy R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord:
we know that you accept us and forgive us.
Make us accept you with all our heart
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Let us pray to God for the courage
to be faithful to him always
(PAUSE)
Faithful God of the covenant,
in the daily choices we have to make
give us the courage to opt always
for your Son and his ways
and to remain close to him.
Bless the difficult road we sometimes have to take
without seeing where it will lead us.
Keep us from making half-hearted decisions
where we have not enough faith, and
to accept all the consequences of our choice.
Keep us always faithful
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
First Reading Introduction: God's People Choose The Lord
God's people is conscious that it owes its freedom and its country to God's liberating love. The Hebrews choose to link their destiny to that of God and to serve him loyally.
Second Reading Introduction: The Covenant of Marriage
In marriage the partners choose one another for lifelong love and fidelity and give themselves to one another as Christ gave himself for the Church.
Gospel Introduction: Do You Choose Me?
The upsetting words of Jesus place a choice before the disciples. Many leave. Peter, apparently speaking in the name of all the apostles, expresses his firm faith in the Lord.
Let us pray to God, our Father in heaven, who is the source and meaning of our lives, and let us say:
R/ Lord, your kingdom come.
– That the Gospel of the Lord may keep striking the ministers of the Church as an ever-new message, and that they may proclaim it with conviction and warmth, let us pray:
R/ Lord, your kingdom come.
– That those who have been chosen to serve the Lord in the priesthood or the religious life may continue to give themselves to others in joy and faithfulness to God and people, let us pray:
R/ Lord, your kingdom come.
– That those who promised faithfulness to each other in marriage may continue growing in love and reflecting God’s love for his Church, let us pray:
R/ Lord, your kingdom come.
– That none of us may run after false gods out of cowardice, indifference or shallowness; that we may not be self-serving but learn to live for others, let us pray:
R/ Lord, your kingdom come.
– That those who find no purpose in life may discover a God to love and adore through the life of faith, hope and love they see in our Christian communities, let us pray:
R/ Lord, your kingdom come.
Lord God, you have chosen us as your people. Keep us faithful to your love in freedom and trust, that you may be our God now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Lord our God,
the death of Jesus, your Son, was the price
you paid for our freedom.
In these signs of bread and wine
he gives himself again to us
as our food and drink of life.
In his strength, let us go his way
to you and to people
as flesh and blood for others,
in faith and hope in your kingdom
that will stand for ever and ever. Amen.
We praise God for having chosen us in Christ to be his holy people, and to praise God in the name of all that is.
God has chosen us
to be his sons and daughters.
With Jesus, we recognize his love
and call upon him as our Father:
R/ Our Father...
Deliver us, Lord, from every servitude
of sin and evil
and forgive us our infidelities.
Make us free to serve you and one another
in love and justice,
as we wait in joyful hope
for the growth of your kingdom among us
and for the coming in glory
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
R/ For the kingdom...
We break the bread of Jesus Christ.
He himself was broken – by people like us.
Much happiness and hope
are still being broken by people.
We share the bread of Jesus Christ,
for he has shared his life with us
and much is being healed
when each of us
breaks our bread and life with others.
This is our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lamb of God, who said:
‘‘Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood
have eternal life in them.”
Happy are we if we can say to him:
‘‘Lord, to whom else should we go?
You have the message of eternal life.”
R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Lord our God,
in response to your love,
we have chosen you at baptism
as the God of our lives.
In the strength of this Eucharist
help us to renew day after day
this commitment to you and your kingdom.
Let your Son build up with us
a community of peace and service,
and when it is slow in coming
reassure us that in your own good time
the seed will bear fruit
that lasts for ever and ever. R/ Amen.
We experience in life
that we have to make a lot of choices.
When it is an important matter
our first consideration should always be
what does God want me to do?
In the light of the gospel,
what decision should I take?
The choice is not always easy or clear.
May God give you light and courage,
and may he love and bless you:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go and make every act of life a choice for the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.
