Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Title

There Are Some of Your Who Do Not Believe

Outline

We see many people around us in various churches

Some of them understand their faith and are fully committed to it (the “core”)

The majority have faith as a compartment of their lives and the penny has yet to drop on its core meaning (the “cloud”)

To the extent they go to church, they go to the church they inherited or they enjoy, not whose core values and teachings they are committed to

The result is a lack of commitment to core doctrine, a precipitous loss of under-30’s, and less than 50’s of Americans claiming membership in a church

That is reflected in 3 readings we have for today

Joshua calls a victorious people to commitment

They have just settled in the land

They are following the faith of Yahweh

But Joshua knows that he will soon die

He calls for a recommitment to the covenant, making himself the leader in this regard

The people follow him in this, probably sincerely thinking that this was their commitment

Yet Judges will show that their commitment was to the traditional and the comfortable, not a core conviction

Paul calls for committed following of Christ in all relationships

He picks three key areas of daily household life

But they require an understanding of “Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.” - how does one revere Christ in these relationships?

How is the husband “head of his wife” by being “the saviour of the body”? What does it mean to “love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her 26 to sanctify her . . .”

If one does not get the theology and see oneself as living out the new covenant, as living the mystery of Christ’s relationship with the world, one ends up with structural rigidity and power relationships - typical family systems - that one either subverts or perhaps even abandons

And of course the same can invade religious groups, which are quasi-extended families

Finally, we have Jesus’ discussion of the Eucharist - and of himself

Like 70% of Catholics Jesus’ followers do not get his real presence in the eucharistic elements

But rather than drawing them to seek further, to desire deeper insight (for which they have to grasp that he “came down from heaven”), they fail to grasp “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.”

Most leave. The Twelve stay, not because they understand the Eucharist, but because they grasp at least dimly what Peter says, “You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” Therefore, they understand who they follow and that there is good reason that they might not grasp his teaching yet.

Sisters, that is the world out there

There are a lot of “believers” who do not deeply believe because they have not gotten the core truths

Without the “core,” which is a deep commitment to Jesus as he is, the rest becomes rules and, when the wind blows contrary, they slip away, often in droves.

We are calling people back to the core, to Jesus as the Holy One of God who humbled himself and served us so that we might become one with him, living under his rule.

In many cases like Joshua and even like Jesus we will not be successful, and people will fall away, but if we keep our focus on Jesus and our lives flowing from our contemplation of the Eucharist, then, as in the case with Joshua, Paul, and Jesus, there will always be those who will commit to the right person and therefore to following his teaching.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 8-22-2021: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Joshua 24:1–2a, 15–17, 18b

1 Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel. When they stood in ranks before God, 2 Joshua addressed all the people: “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: In times past your ancestors, down to Terah, father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and served other gods.

15 If it is displeasing to you to serve the LORD, choose today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors 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.”

16 But the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods. 17 For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our ancestors up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. He performed those great signs before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among all the peoples through whom we passed.

18 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.”

RESPONSE

Catholic Daily Readings 8-22-2021: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Psalm 34:9a

9 Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the stalwart one who takes refuge in him.

PSALM

Psalm 34:2–3, 16–21

2 I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall be always in my mouth.

3 My soul will glory in the LORD;

let the poor hear and be glad.

16 The eyes of the LORD are directed toward the righteous

and his ears toward their cry.

17 The LORD’s face is against evildoers

to wipe out their memory from the earth.

18 The righteous cry out, the LORD hears

and he rescues them from all their afflictions.

19 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted,

saves those whose spirit is crushed.

20 Many are the troubles of the righteous,

but the LORD delivers him from them all.

21 He watches over all his bones;

not one of them shall be broken.

Catholic Daily Readings 8-22-2021: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

SECOND READING

Option A

Ephesians 5:21–32

21 Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. 24 As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her 26 to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, 27 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. 28 So [also] husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body.

31 “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.”

32 This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

Catholic Daily Readings 8-22-2021: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

John 6:63c, 68c

63 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.

68 Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

GOSPEL

John 6:60–69

60 Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” 61 Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? 62 What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 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. 64 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. 65 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.”

66 As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. 67 Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 8-22-2021: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2021 | ORDINARY TIME

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR B | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Joshua 24:1–2a, 15–17, 18b

Response Psalm 34:9a

Psalm Psalm 34:2–3, 16–21

Second Reading Ephesians 5:21–32 or Ephesians 5:2a, 25–32

Gospel Acclamation John 6:63c, 68c

Gospel John 6:60–69

GREEN