“Because they cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between your people and the Egyptians, upon whom he brought the sea so that it engulfed them.” – Joshua 24:7

       When the animated movie Inside Out became a hit, a friend would usually ask me, “Who are you in the movie? Are you Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger or Disgust?”

       If a close friend answers for me, he would probably say Joy. But I disagree. I’m not a positive person most of the time. In fact, deep inside, I’m the opposite!

       I tend to plan way ahead of situations because I fear that it might not work out. I stress out on things that are not yet happening because I fear that it won’t come out right. It takes me a long time to make major decisions because I fear that when I decide, I will mess up.

    Then I’m reminded that the God I worship is the same God who delivered Israel from slavery and the same God who also brought them to the Promised Land — even at seemingly impossible costs.

       So who am I to worry about tomorrow? If God can divide an ocean to let me pass through, I have nothing to fear. Tintin Mutuc (kristinemutuc@shepherdsvoice.com.ph)

Reflection: There are three things essential in your faith: trust, trust and trust.

Jesus, I trust and love You.

St. Louis of Toulouse, pray for us.

Joshua lists a litany of the marvelous things that God has done for the people. If God has been this good to us, what is our response to His love? If we look back on the things God has done for us, we can find a long list of blessings. We might be tempted to recall hardships as well, but that would not be fair to God. The difficulties in life are a result of sin, not God’s doing.

1 Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leaders, their judges and their officers. When they stood in ranks before God, 2 Joshua addressed all the people: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: In times past your fathers, down to Terah, father of Abraham and Nahor, dwelt beyond the River and served other gods. 3 But I brought your father Abraham from the region beyond the River and led him through the entire land of Canaan. I made his descendants numerous, and gave him Isaac. 4 To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned the mountain region of Seir in which to settle, while Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5 “Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and smote Egypt with the prodigies which I wrought in her midst. 6 Afterward I led you out of Egypt, and when you reached the sea, the Egyptians pursued your fathers to the Red Sea with chariots and horsemen. 7 Because they cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between your people and the Egyptians, upon whom he brought the sea so that it engulfed them. After you witnessed what I did to Egypt, and dwelt a long time in the desert, 8 I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I delivered them into your power. You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them the two kings of the Amorites before you. 9 Then Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, prepared to war against Israel. He summoned Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you; 10 but I would not listen to Balaam. On the contrary, he had to bless you, and I saved you from him. 11 Once you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, but I delivered them also into your power. 12 And I sent the hornets ahead of you that drove them (the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusite) out of your way; it was not your sword or your bow. 13 “I gave you a land which you had not tilled and cities which you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.”

R: His mercy endures forever.

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever; 2 give thanks to the God of gods, for his mercy endures forever; 3 give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his mercy endures forever. (R) 16 Who led his people through the wilderness, for his mercy endures forever; 17 who smote great kings, for his mercy endures forever; 18 and slew powerful kings, for his mercy endures forever. (R) 21 And made their land a heritage, for his mercy endures forever; 22 the heritage of Israel his servant, for his mercy endures forever; 24 and freed us from our foes, for his mercy endures forever. (R)

Marriage is between a man and a woman. It is very clear from the Scriptures, and indeed from the wealth of cultural history from around the globe, that marriage — the union directed towards love and procreation — has always been between a man and a woman. Yes, there are examples of polygamous societies, but they are relatively rare and have mostly given over to monogamy in the end.

Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but, as it truly is, the word of God.

3 Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” 4 He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female 5 and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.” 7 They said to him, “Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?” 8 He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.” 10 His disciples said to him, “If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 He answered, “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted. 12 Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”

think: Honor the sanctity of marriage as God designed it.

Read the Bible in one year Job 14-17

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

ACCEPTING GOD’S TEACHING

“Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.” Succinct and straight to the point, Jesus closes the door on a heated discussion about divorce and remarriage in our Gospel today. It was even punctuated by a statement from Jesus’ disciples: “If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” It was like giving up entirely on marriage, just because of the inherent difficulties with Jesus’ radical teaching.

       Jesus’ answer gives room to various levels of acceptance of the teaching, according to different circumstances. “Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.” And then came finally the challenge: “Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”

        Indeed God’s teaching, as faithfully echoed and relayed by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church today, is there for the taking. Using coercion or force is certainly not God’s way. And yet, we must never underestimate our own capacity to accept His teaching. The Lord doesn’t only deliver the lecture; He will also empower us with His grace for us to be able to accept and welcome His words in our minds and hearts. The element of free will is still there.

      So, therefore, shall we take it, or leave it? In the First Reading, Joshua gathered the leaders at Shechem and reminds them of God’s goodness to them. It’s not as if God is bribing the Israelites, and us, for that matter. It is simply to remind us that God is not at all a cruel, heartless taskmaster who leaves us to our decisions and choices. If it does seem like that, then perhaps our perspectives have been clouded with pessimism or cynicism.

     May we never forget God’s blessings and graces to us. And may we courageously heed His teaching, faithfully apply it in our lives, and affirm our allegiance to Him. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB

---------- REFLECTION QUESTIONS ----------

Are you loyal to our Lord and Master, Jesus, when it comes to His teachings? Have you accepted it in your life?

Strengthen us, Lord Jesus. Keep us ever faithful to You. We entrust ourselves to You, full of confidence and faith. Amen.