Jos. 24: 1-2a, 15-17, 18b; Ps. 34; Eph. 5: 21-32; Jn. 6: 60-69

“Decide today whom will you serve”.  Today’s readings reflect the mystery of love between Jesus and his church.  Joshua’s statement is as true for the Israelites leaders, elders, judges, and officers as it was for Jesus disciples who decided to return to their former way of life though not all for those who remained with him had hope of the unseen power of God.  This also applies to our times within the church during a time of scandal and crisis. 

Our second reading addresses more than the sacrament of marriage it speaks in reference to Christ and the church.  The great mystery of Christ is his love for his bride the church.  As servants of the church we are called to sustain the church “without wrinkle or any such thing that she may be holy and without blemish”.  Today the stain of sin within the church is exposed to the faithful and the church is responding to the need for conversion and for some to decide “whom will you serve”. 

Seeing is not always believing but, believing is having hope in the unseen and seen by God who wishes to reveal to us the mystery of faith.  This week Dublin Ireland is the host of the World Meeting of Families by the Church.  One of the issues for the Church all are speaking of is the crisis of child molestation and homosexual behavior by priests going back for over 70 years coming to light.  The sins of the world have entered the church and it must be purified once again.  One of the hosts for EWTN broadcasting is Joan Benkovic who offered this acronym for HOPE.  She said, “H” is for holding onto the truths. In times of crisis and scandal we hold onto the truth of the gospel.  “O” is for own the challenge.  This is not only a challenge for the magisterium of the church but for all the faithful.  In times of crisis the church comes together with courage to face the challenge to overcome the darkness.  The light must shine and scatter the darkness and we must decide whom we serve.  “P” is for perseverance and penance.  We must persevere with prayer and a call for justice to be washed clean of sin.  “E” is for expectation to expect God to intervene in our world as a God of love, mercy, and justice.  What we do to the least of these we do unto Him and he is suffering the stains of his bride the Church, its people, and the innocent and he hears the cry of the poor.  

Bishop Daniel Flores is addressing the faithful with a letter of hope and call for “reparation”.  The emotions of disappointment, anger, discouragement are valid but as Peter points out, “Master, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Jesus loves his bride and has given us the command to be subordinate to each other in reverence to him as we are the church.  In subordination to each other we also remain subordinate to him by our obedience.  In these times of scandal some want to leave the church, others speak of stopping their donations as an act of punishing the church.  The Church and Jesus are one as a covenant of love.  Do we feel we can punish Jesus more than he has already suffered on the cross for us? 

Hope is needed but not the hope of wishful thinking but the hope of love in action.  It is the hope that addresses the needs of those who suffer from these sins.  The action expected is of prayer, penance, responding to the challenge and expecting from God to respond in his mercy.   Then we shall “taste and see the goodness of the Lord”. 

Bishop Daniel E. Flores, Diocese of Brownsville in his letter (dates August, 2018) to the faithful has ordered the priests to offer Masses of reparation every Friday for nine weeks.  He states, “Let us ask the Lord to show his kindness and not to sustain his just anger forever.  Reparation requires a great spirit of penance on the part of the whole Church to repair the damage caused by such evil acts.  By grace we are a body, and by grace we have to feel the pain of the members who suffer harm.”

Do we love Jesus?  Then we love his bride the church.  We will defend her for our hope is in the Lord and the evil one will not prevail against her.  We are the church militant against sin and God hears the cry of the poor.  Fear not, Jesus does not abandon his bride.  Hope with expectation and we see the goodness of the Lord in victory.