Are you going to serve God or not? We hear this question from Joshua in the first reading today. It should go right to our own hearts. It is a question that is part of our lives: serve God or not? The readings today put this question to us and we are asked to answer it.
John’s Gospel reports that many of those who had been Jesus’ disciples ceased to follow him at this point. The number of people following Jesus dwindled from a crowd of more than 5,000 to only 12 people. And it is to these 12 that Jesus now turns his attention and he asks them: Do you also want to leave?” Peter speaks up for the 12 responding, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
We have to remember that this statement, although it sounds so very clear, is not very clear. For instance, Peter betrayed Jesus. Thomas refused to believe. The Apostles are good examples to us because they are not people who just believed without having any failures or faults. They made a lot of mistakes and were not faithful always–but in the end, they decided to walk with the Lord.
We must seek to respond to the invitation of our Lord. Even if we have gone away from the Lord Jesus, He still invites us to return. Let us not be afraid of turning back to the Lord if we have left Him. If we have remained faithful, let us strive to love Him even more. And so we need to ask ourselves ‘Are we going to serve God or not’?
Here’s just a verse and a chorus of the Gospel song sung by Bob Dylan – “Gotta Serve Somebody” – it has many more verses to it.
You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.
I hope you will be able to join us for the Parish Picnic on Sunday!
Blessings,
Fr. Socorro
Stewardship Thoughts
In today’s First Reading from the Book of Joshua, he gives the ancient Israelites a choice to either serve their God, the God of Israel, or the pagan gods: Amorite gods or gods beyond the River. Joshua then boldly professes, As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. In St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, he raises marriage to a sacrament and likens the marital bond in love between husband and wife to Christ’s relationship with the Church. In St. John’s Gospel, many of the disciples find Christ’s truth on the everlasting gift of His Body and Blood hard to accept and leave His company. Jesus questions His Apostles to see if they, too, will leave Him and go back to their former way of life. Discipleship in the Lord is challenging, but Simon-Peter proclaims to Jesus, Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Being Christ’s disciple has a definite cost, but He assures us of His strength to accept that cost. Jesus’ strength, peace, and joy can be attained through Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction in your parish, or at an Awaken Eucharistic Adoration in your area.
Labor Day Holiday –Office Hours
The Parish Office will be closed Friday, August 31 thru Monday, September 3rd for the Labor Day Holiday. We will reopen Tuesday, September 4th at 8:30 a.m.