Pastor’s Pen
Sunday, August 22, 2021
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Church Family,
Let us not forget as Children of God, we are also Servants of God. In the first reading, Joshua reminds the Israelite people (and us) just how great our God was and is and all the good things He continues to do for us. He, therefore, proclaims: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord”. Let us continue to not only think of ways, but consider how can we actually serve the Lord, through adoration, our attitudes, and our actions.
St. Paul tells us in the second reading that Christ loved each one of us so much. He gives us specific instructions as to how we can show that love for one another by giving the example of love of husbands for their wives and wives for their husbands. This is not a physical, sexual display but a deep, abiding spiritual experience in reference to Christ and the church. He uses very specific words like: be subordinate to one another; sanctify and cleanse each other; love each other as you love yourselves; “because we are members of the Body of Christ.” Let us not forget that the body works as a unit for the good of all its members.
Finally, we see in the gospel a recommitment of Peter, speaking for all the apostles, when he hears and understands how intimate Jesus wanted to be with us. so deeply intimate that He would share His very self with us in a miraculous, physical way when the Bread becomes His Body and the Wine becomes His Blood. We totally believe this is Jesus amongst us as a praying, universal, catholic church family, believing and reliving this truth in the millions of Masses offered all day, every day. While some people are ignorant of this fact, or just don’t care, we hold to Jesus’ great message, “The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and Life”. Peter reaffirms his commitment and ours to Christ when he says, “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.” Amen.
No comments yet.