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Reading 1
Jos 24:14-29
Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,
and addressed them, saying:
"Fear the Lord and serve him completely and sincerely.
Cast out the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt,
and serve the Lord.
If it does not please you to serve the Lord,
decide today whom you will serve,
the gods your fathers served beyond the River
or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling.
As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
But the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the Lord
for the service of other gods.
For it was the Lord, our God,
who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt,
out of a state of slavery.
He performed those great miracles before our very eyes
and protected us along our entire journey and among all the peoples
through whom we passed.
At our approach the Lord drove out all the peoples,
including the Amorites who dwelt in the land.
Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God."
Joshua in turn said to the people,
"You may not be able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God;
he is a jealous God who will not forgive
your transgressions or your sins.
If, after the good he has done for you,
you forsake the Lord and serve strange gods,
he will do evil to you and destroy you."
But the people answered Joshua, "We will still serve the Lord."
Joshua therefore said to the people,
"You are your own witnesses that you have chosen to serve the Lord."
They replied, "We are, indeed!"
Joshua continued:
"Now, therefore, put away the strange gods that are among you
and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel."
Then the people promised Joshua,
"We will serve the Lord, our God, and obey his voice."
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day
and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem,
which he recorded in the book of the law of God.
Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak
that was in the sanctuary of the Lord.
And Joshua said to all the people, "This stone shall be our witness,
for it has heard all the words which the Lord spoke to us.
It shall be a witness against you, should you wish to deny your God."
Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his own heritage.
After these events, Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the Lord,
died at the age of a hundred and ten.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 11
R. (see 5a) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the Lord, "My Lord are you."
O Lord, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the Lord who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the Lord ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Gospel
Mt 19:13-15
Children were brought to Jesus
that he might lay his hands on them and pray.
The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said,
"Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them;
for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
After he placed his hands on them, he went away.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Joshua 24:14 - 29
Joshua said to the people, ‘So now, fear the Lord and serve him perfectly and sincerely; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if you will not serve the Lord, choose today whom you wish to serve, whether the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living. As for me and my House, we will serve the Lord.’
The people answered, ‘We have no intention of deserting the Lord and serving other gods! Was it not the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery, who worked those great wonders before our eyes and preserved us all along the way we travelled and among all the peoples through whom we journeyed? What is more, the Lord drove all those peoples out before us, as well as the Amorites who used to live in this country. We too will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’
Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You cannot serve the Lord, because he is a holy God, he is a jealous God who will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you desert the Lord to follow alien gods he in turn will afflict and destroy you after the goodness he has shown you.’ The people answered Joshua, ‘No; it is the Lord we wish to serve’. Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him’. They answered, ‘We are witnesses’. ‘Then cast away the alien gods among you and give your hearts to the Lord the God of Israel!’ The people answered Joshua, ‘It is the Lord our God we choose to serve; it is his voice that we will obey’.
That day, Joshua made a covenant for the people; he laid down a statute and ordinance for them at Shechem. Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a great stone and set it up there, under the oak in the sanctuary of the Lord, and Joshua said to all the people, ‘See! This stone shall be a witness against us because it has heard all the words that the Lord has spoken to us: it shall be a witness against you in case you deny your God.’ Then Joshua sent the people away, and each returned to his own inheritance.
After these things Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died; he was a hundred and ten years old.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-8,11
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.’
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
it is you yourself who are my prize.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord ever in my sight:
since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand happiness for ever.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Gospel Matthew 19:13 - 15
People brought little children to him, for him to lay his hands on them and say a prayer. The disciples turned them away, but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs’. Then he laid his hands on them and went on his way.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Saturday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Joshua 24:14-29
Joshua and the renewal of the Covenant (continued)
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[14] "Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. [15] If it you be unwilling to serve the LORD, this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
[16] Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; [17] for it was the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; [18] and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land; therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."
[19] But Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve the LORD; for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. [20] If, you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good." [21] And the people said to Joshua, "Nay; but we will serve the LORD." Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses." [23] He said, "Then put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel." [24] And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey." [25] So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem. [26] And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak in the sanctuary of the LORD. [27] And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God." [28] So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.
Death and burial of Joshua
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[29] After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old.
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Commentary:
24:1-28 The book of Joshua is not so much a report about a military campaign as a vivid lesson in theology about how faithfully God keeps his promises, and a call to respond to that faithfulness. This is borne out by the fact that the book ends with a ratification of the Covenant: the nation that has taken possession of the promised land renews the undertakings given by their fathers at Sinai. This ceremony takes place at Shechem. After an historical introduction recalling what God has done for the Israelites (vv. 2-13), Joshua asks the people about their determination to stay faithful to the Lord (vv. 14-24). Once they have all made a commitment to serve the Lord and obey him in everything, the Covenant is ceremonially ratified (vv. 25-27). Elements of this rite are to be found in Hittite rites of vassalage of the second millennium BC. So, the Covenant is not only a religious act; it also has the force of secular law.
The Covenant lies at the basis of Christian morality, because it implies the conviction that God directs the course of history and he chooses people who are to make a specific commitment of fidelity: "There is no doubt that Christian moral teaching, even in its Biblical roots, acknowledges the specific importance of a fundamental choice which qualifies the moral life and engages freedom on a radical level before God. It is a question of the decision of faith, of the obedience of faith (cf. Rom 16:26) 'by which man makes a total and free self-commitment to God, offering "the full submission of intellect and will to God as he reveals" (Dei Verbum, 5). […] In the Decalogue one finds, as an introduction to the various commandments, the basic clause: 'I am the Lord your God . . . ' (Ex 20:2), which, by impressing upon the numerous and varied particular prescriptions their primordial meaning, gives the morality of the Covenant its aspect of completeness, unity and profundity. Israel's fundamental decision, then, is about the fundamental commandment (cf. Jos 24:14-25; Ex 19:3-8; Mic 6:8)" (Bl. John Paul II, Veritatis splendor, 66).
24:29-31 In this short account of his death Joshua is called "the servant of the Lord" (v. 29), a title not previously applied to him: only Moses has been described in this way (cf. 1:1, 13, 15; 8:31, 33; etc.). Now, at the end of a life dedicated to the Lord, he deserves this recognition, which is similar to the accolade used in the Gospel parable: "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master" (Mt 25:21).
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From: Matthew 19:13-15
Jesus Blesses the Children
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[13] Then the children were brought to Him (Jesus) that He might lay His hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; [14] but Jesus said, "Let the children come to Me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven." [15] And He laid His hands on them and went away.
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Commentary:
13-14. Once again (see Matthew 18:1-6) Jesus shows His special love for children, by drawing them close and blessing them. The Church, also, shows special concern for children by urging the need for Baptism:"That this law extends not only to adults but also to infants and children, and that the Church has received this from Apostolic tradition, is confirmed by the unanimous teaching and authority of the Fathers.
"Besides, it is not to be supposed that Christ the Lord would have withheld the Sacrament of grace of Baptism from children, of whom He said: 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven', whom also He embraced, upon whom He imposed hands, to whom He gave His blessing" ("St. Pius V Catechism", II, 2, 32).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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