Make a decision, things are hard, so what?! isn’t this the point! 21 Yr B

Intro

Going on vacation. You pack a week early, everything is set. And then you start living out of your suitcase while still at home. YOU ARE SABOTAGING your adventure. Christ also speaks about this when He talks about a King going to war. This life is about making a plan with God and sticking to it. Lest we be seen as foolish. Yet how often do we sabotage God’s journey and start wandering off. We get upset if even one of our plans go awry, imagine how often God has to change plans because we have our own ideas. Its not so strange that Joshua would say, “ok, enough! choose now who you are going to serve! No more diddle dallying!”

I just read this morning out of Zephaniah, because you know what?!?! The Jews weren’t totally all bought in as they said they were as they were about to live in the Promised Land! (1245 BC he died)

Zephaniah 1:17 (NABRE) Josiah, the king of Judah from 640 to 609 BC

I will hem the people in till they walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord; And their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their brains like dung.

St. John Chrysostom to Tertullian (II-3) Nothing is more miserable than those people who never failed to attack their own salvation. When there was need to observe the Law, they trampled it under foot. Now that the Law has ceased to bind, they obstinately strive to observe it. What could be more pitiable that those who provoke God not only by transgressing the Law but also by keeping it? On this account Stephen said: "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart, you always resist the Holy Spirit", not only by transgressing the Law but also by wishing to observe it at the wrong time.

(https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/chrysostom_adversus_judaeos_01_homily1.htm)

The Flesh vs My Flesh

It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. Jn 6:63

JPII Theology of the Body

Theology of the Body Explained (Prologue: The Human Body, Catholicism, and John Paul II) - Christopher West

The temptation to “spiritualize” Christ and Christianity is constant and fierce. The enemy incessantly denies Christ come in the flesh (see 1 Jn 4:2–3). Thus, it shouldn’t surprise us that theological reflection on the human body has a checkered past. On the one hand, throughout history Christian thinkers have contributed extensively to an integral understanding of the goodness of the body and have valiantly fought heresies to the contrary. On the other hand, we can find what seem to be unflattering and even contemptuous treatments of the body and sexuality in the writings of various churchmen. John Paul II’s TOB builds on the positive foundations of the past, especially of the mystical tradition, and definitively corrects the “suspicion toward the body” that has plagued many sons and daughters of the Church.

Feast of the Assumption

“If you want to stay in the covenant, decide now!” - Joshua

“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.” - The People

What does Christ say?

Luke 22:20 (NABRE)

And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.

Don’t we say the same thing? - Lord, I would never forsake you, or doubt your presence in the Precious Body and Precious Blood!

Don’t we say the same thing on wedding day?!?! “I would never even think of getting a divorce!!!” A couple years into it… Oh I had it pretty good before?! Oh look over there!”

These are hard sayings, and what does Christ say? “he said to them, "Does this shock you?” Jn 6:61

Teaching on Marriage

Imagine what St. Joseph and Mary, our Mother, would say about this teaching by the Church through St Paul?!

Who is in charge? who is the head? who makes the decisions? Who loves who?

I had this image today of a Necklace. If you have a jewel necklace, which part of the necklace do people gaze at? The emerald, the ruby, the sapphire. There’s a chain, but people don’t gaze at the chain, even though it might be real nice looking. But the chain bears the burden of carrying the family. The children are like diamonds along the chain and surrounding the jewel. The wife is like the jewel. What man wants to draw the attention to all of his efforts and wants to be the main attraction of his family? Father’s serve the needs of the family and this is where we get our satisfaction! “Look at my son! Look at my daughter! Look at my wife, if only you knew her as I do… ‘And I thought I loved her then!’”

Maybe the men need to be reminded, Men, love your wives, Women, respect your husbands!

You women and men, if you didn’t trust your spouse 100% don’t get married. “I promise to be faithful to you!”

You actually get to choose your spouse, if you are willing to serve them and submit to them, don’t get married. Mary submitted to Joseph’s charge. But how many of us would rather just be employees. Sure I have to do what Fr. Greg tells me to do, but I don’t envy his position as pastor, I’ll take the trade for now!

Marriage as pointing to the Eucharist

St. John Chrysostom - “The Eucharist is a fire that inflames us, that, like lions breathing fire, we may reture from the altar being made terrible to the devil.” - Homily 46 on John

Ilk of Judas or Peter

“I don’t understand, this is repulsive to me, I’ll stay anyway, I’m curious to see where this goes.”

“I don’t understand, this is odd to me, I trust you.”

Its not bad to wrestle with the faith, its bad to give up on it, or worse, to be half hearted. If you seek the truth, and your actions agree with what you believe, don’t lie, not even with your body! You’ll get to where God wants you. But if you lie, and sin with your body/actions, your beliefs will go further and further away from God.

For this reason, its not just you as part of the story, “NO ONE CAN COME TO ME UNLESS IT IS GRANTED HIM BY MY FATHER” Pray for this faith!