On this 21^st Sunday of Ordinary Time, we share this message, “Choose today whom you will serve: the God of Jesus Christ or the gods of worldly politics, culture and ideology.”  Beloved, the Word of God tells us to serve God with all we are and have (cf. Deut 6:5; Luke 10:27) and never to be misled by “philosophy [politics, culture, ideology] and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ” (Col 2:8; Rom 12:2; 1Pet 5:8).  So, we are enjoined to always choose the Lord (cf. Phil 3:8; Gal 2:20). Everyone is to follow God’s will as contained in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition and as taught with divine authority by the Magisterium of the Holy Catholic Church from the beginning (cf. Luke 1:2; John 15:27; 1John 2:24): No room for cafeteria Christianity; “The truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

In our First Reading (Josh 24:1-2A, 15-17, 18B), Joshua convoked a sacred constitutional convention of all the tribes of Israel at Shechem and challenged them to choose whom they would serve: God or Baal?  “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”  In all, the people responded, “We too will serve the Lord for He is our God.”  This was not the first time they had been challenged to choose (cf. Exod 32:21-26); and unfortunately, it would not be the last time (cf. 1Kings 18:17-21).  Please, though we respect and love everyone, irrespective of whatever religion they misguidedly follow, not every religion leads to God.  So, there is no room for Religious Pluralism: God declared, “The LORD is God; there is no other besides him” (Deut 4:35); “You shall have no other gods before me” (Deut 6:5).  At the time Joshua, the ONLY PROPER WAY was through JUDAISM, the covenant worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, following His appointed instruments.  All other ancient religions, the worship of the gods of the Babylonians, the Philistines, Egyptians, Romans or Greeks, were baloney (cf. 1Cor 8:5-7). 

In like manner, Christ founded Christianity as the only valid way to God in Christ Jesus alone (cf. John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1Tim 2:5), through His Church (cf. Matt 16:16-19), fully expressed as Catholic Christianity.  To this end, in our Second Reading (Eph 5:21-32), St. Paul addresses Christ’s Covenant Terms regarding Christian Marriage and Family.  It is not Marriage of Convenience, not contractual but covenant relationship and intimacy where the couple make sacrifices for love.  Surely, the husband is the head of his wife; but St. Paul did not say, “Wife obey,” as often erroneously cited.  Rather, “Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  While the wife should respect her husband, the husband should lay down his life for his wife.  Wow!  That is Christocentric relationship where the head does not dominate the body (cf. Matt 20:25-28; Eph 5:25) and there is no divorce (cf. Mal 2:14, 16): for “The two shall become one flesh” (cf. Matt 19:6; 1Cor 7:39).  This is not about politics or culture; but “a great mystery… in reference to Christ and the church.”  Consequently, marriage between one man and one woman is God’s plan from the beginning (cf. Matt 19:4-5). Hence, the Church does not endorse same-sex marriage, polygamy, bigamy, polyandry, etc. When people say, “My right to choose any kind of marriage, or divorce, or to choose abortion, etc., are such rights from God or from man? (cf. Acts 5:27-29).

Finally, in the Gospel Passage (John 6:60-69), Christ challenged the crowd to embrace His teaching on the Eucharist as His True Body and Blood (cf. John 6:53-58).  Many became upset and murmured, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?”  Notice, IF JESUS MEANT SYMBOL, as Protestants and Evangelicals erroneously claim, this was the time to clarify.  Jesus risked losing many of His disciples if He did not clarify in favor of symbols as they were used to in the Old Testament (Exod 24:5-8).  But, for Jesus, There Is Nothing More To Clarify.  “As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.”  Jesus did not say, “Please, come back; I was kidding; can’t you take a joke?”  Rather, He doubled down, saying to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”  Simon Peter replied, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”  This is the Catholic Christian Faith in the Holy Eucharist! And the Eucharist is only available in the Catholic Church where we have validly ordained Priests with Apostolic Succession, who can celebrate Mass and effect Transubstantiation through the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1Cor 10:16; 1Cor 11:27).  So, are we going to follow the God of Jesus Christ through His Church OR do we want to follow modern day gods of politics, culture and ideology?  Please, choose Jesus through the teaching of the Holy Catholic Church! (cf. Matt 11:27; John 15:15; 1Pet 1:16-21) and be blessed; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.