Mass Reading & Meditation for August 17, 2013

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Joshua 24:14:29

Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

Any questions?

After gathering the people of Israel and reviewing the history of God’s mighty work among them, Joshua challenged the Israelites to choose whether they were going to serve the “gods” of the nations around them, or the Lord. There was no ambiguity about Joshua’s choice. He and his family were going to serve the Lord!

There is something beautifully refreshing about this declaration. It actually seemed to embolden the rest of the Israelites, encouraging them to declare their allegiance to the Lord as well.

Today’s reading gives us the perfect opportunity to review our own history with the Lord. Think back over all the marvels and wonders you have seen: the blessings, healings, and help in times of trouble. As you meditate on these, allow a sense of joy and thanksgiving to well up in you. Let that joy express itself in statements like this:

“Lord I declare right now that my family and I are going to love you and serve you. We’re going to be countercultural. We are going to receive your grace and manifest it to those around us. We’re going to surprise some people with your love! We will demonstrate love, compassion, and joy in our interactions among ourselves, and with our friends and neighbors. We’re going to prove that living the Christian life can be fun!

“Lord, we are going to be a family that prays together and forgives each other. We are going to look for opportunities to serve the less fortunate and to bring your light to them. We will rely on each other for support, for none of us can serve you on our own. We want to see each child in our family develop a relationship with you, and we will set an example for them of what it means to live a joyful, fulfilling, challenging Christian life.”

Statements of faith like these may sound overly optimistic, but they work! What’s more, they are contagious. They can ignite a fire within you, and they have the potential to move family members and friends to make similar proclamations. Keep stating your faith, and it won’t be long before you and your whole household will be serving the Lord!

“As for me and my house, Lord, count us in!”

Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 11; Matthew 19:13-15