Understanding the Word

By Br. John R. Barker, OFM

The book of Joshua recounts the entry of Israel into the promised  land. Here at the end of the book, after the people have gained the  land, Joshua—like Moses before him—admonishes the people to be  faithful to the God who has given them the land. And like Moses,  Joshua sets a choice before the people (see Deuteronomy 30:19–20).  The people insist, as the previous generation had done, that they will  serve the God who brought them out of Egypt, and no other gods.  The passage goes on the describe a renewal of the covenant between  God and Israel, presided over by Joshua, who then sends them to  their new homes (24:25–28). 

Paul continues to develop for the Ephesians the idea of the church  as a reflection of the character of God. Husband and wife also reflect  God’s sacrificial love by showing “mutual subordination,” that is, a  willingness to serve the other. The church loves Christ, its head, by  being obedient to him, and Paul (perhaps drawing on Ordinary Time  figures of Israel as God’s spouse), sees in wives a figure of the church.  Conversely, husbands—in imitation of Christ—must be willing to  sacrifice whatever is necessary for their wives. Together, husband  and wife reflect the mutual love of the church and Christ.

The Gospel reading picks up from the passage replaced last week  by the Assumption, in which Jesus tells the people that unless they  eat his flesh and drink his blood, they do not have life in them (John  6:51–58). Understandably, the response is one of confusion and even  distress, as Jesus does not qualify his statement as metaphorical or  symbolic. He clearly means exactly what he says. Again we have  “murmuring,” an expression of disbelief. Jesus responds by calling  once again for belief in what he says and who he is, which itself is a  mysterious gift from the Father. This all proves too much for some,  who leave. But the rest stay, for they recognize, despite (or because  of?) what Jesus has claimed, that he is indeed the Holy One of God. 

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