22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B (Joshua 24:1-2a.15-17.18b Ephesians 5: 21-32 John 6: 60-69)
Theme: Obedience to God
In the first reading for this Sunday, we see Moses admonishing the Israelites about the need for them to keep the statutes of the Lord. The commands he has given them, to guide and to direct them and their actions as it concerns their relationship with God and their relationship with each other. As he admonishes them, he is equally saying the same thing to you and I as children of God. We are encouraged to keep the statutes and laws of God in our daily lives.
We are encouraged in a very special way today in the first reading to put into practice the statues of the Lord in our daily lives. The law of the Lord which Jesus came and summed up as love of God and love of neighbour. How well are we living it out in our daily lives? If we live it according to the admonition of Moses today in the first reading, it will be more meaningful to us taking it in to consideration what we see in the second reading of today. It encourages us to ensure that we live out the word of God that we hear and also preach to others. As we do that, we attract the blessings of God to ourselves and our loved ones. Today’s liturgy challenge and encourage us as people of God to live a life that is pleasing to God at all times. By so doing, we will be sowing seeds that will stand the test of time. Seeds that will impact on those who encounter us. Let the love of God and neighbours guide all our actions and God will richly bless everything that concerns us.
Today’s liturgy encourages us to live a life that is in harmony with the word of God that we preach and hear. As children of God, we are not just hearers of the word of God, we are also encouraged to practice the word of God that we hear. With this harmony in our lives, it is easier to impact positively in the life of all those who encounter us in our daily lives.
In the gospel reading, Jesus admonishes us to guide against hypocrisy, because it is evil and misleading. It does not present the true situation of things and can be very misleading. As children of God, we are all encouraged to do all within our power to guide ourselves against living a hypocritical life. It is a way of life that is not pleasing to God and can easily take us away from attaining salvation at the end of our earthly pilgrimage.
Jesus is challenging us today as his followers, what is the quality of your discipleship? How do you handle the word of God that you hear and preach? Are you sincere with it? What makes a great difference in our lives is what we have inside of us, and not the externals. We can present something that is very attractive externally for people to see, while internally what we have will discourage anyone who knows about it. That is why we have to take the admonition of Jesus very serious in our liturgy today. Try to guide against living a hypocritical life. Let there be harmony between the external that people see and the internal that is known to only you and God.
May God grant us the grace to put the word of God into practice in our lives. Peace be with you.