Today's Gospel Reading - Sunday, August 26, 2012 with Reflection

1^ST READING - Joshua 24:1-2, 15-17, 18

P S A L M - Psalm 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21

R: Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

1 [2] I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. 2 [3] Let my soul glory in the Lord; the lowly will hear me and be glad. (R) 15 [16] The Lord has eyes for the just, and ears for their cry. 16 [17] The Lord confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. (R) 17 [18] When the just cry out, the Lord hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. 18 [19] The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. (R) 19 [20] Many are the troubles of the just one, but out of them all the Lord delivers him; 20 [21] He watches over all his bones; not one of them shall be broken. (R)

2^nd READING - Ephesians 5:21-32 (or Ephesians 5:2, 25-32)

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life.

John 6:60-69

60 Many of Jesus’ 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.”

SABBATH

A HAPPY ENDING — DEPENDING ON US Compared to the standard happy ending of fairy tales, that of our Gospel episode today surely isn’t one. But this one is specifically on the part of Jesus’ disciples only, as distinguished from the Twelve Apostles. In fact, there’s the saving grace with Peter’s solemn declaration of loyalty and commitment to Jesus on behalf of the Twelve. Jesus wouldn’t really care much if dissent and defection were indeed to occur among His disciples. His is not a dictatorship, after all. What He clearly does is simply give His teachings and challenges, and then to poke us time and again by asking us a question or two. That much, and that alone. The ball is in our hands — with the answer that we will give or the stand we will take. There are no two ways about it. It’s an either-or situation. Will it be that of the disillusioned and cynical disciples? Or that of the determined and confident Peter? According to some Gospel commentators, Peter’s declaration of loyalty here is the equivalent (in the Gospel of John) of his profession in Matthew 16:16. But reading further in the Gospel, we know that eventually Peter would also deny his Master (John 18:15-18, 25-27). Does that make him like those who fell out in their following of Jesus? Perhaps not. In fact, it is an entirely different case. No solemn pronouncements of loyalty and fidelity (think of religious professions, for example) are ever intended to be instant guarantees anyway. At least Simon Peter was truthful and honest, and eventually remorseful and repentant when he failed. And so in our case, the proverbial happy ending really depends on God — and on nobody else but us, of course. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB REFLECTION QUESTION: How confident are you that your relationship with God has a happy ending? Lord God, help me to be always faithful to You. May this faithfulness lead to my eventual union with You in heaven. St. Joseph Calasanz, pray for us. Do you want to receive this in your email?  To get Bo Sanchez to send it to you personally, log-on to http://kerygmafamily.com. Lots of surprises await.