It is 26th August 2018. We celebrate the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. The readings are from Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18; the second reading is from Ephesians 5:21-32; and the Gospel from John 6:60-69. As His Holiness Pope Francis concludes the World Meeting of Families in Dublin 2018, he invites all of us to reflect and regenerate love of God in the following lines, “God wants every family to be a beacon of the joy of his love in our world. By your witness to the Gospel, you can help God’s dream to come true. You can help to draw all God’s children closer together, so that they can grow in unity and learn what it is for the entire world to live in peace as one great family.” We all make so many decisions at every micro minute knowingly or unknowingly including or excluding God. Every decision we have made with God has a profound impact in our lives and around. Every other decision we made unknowingly excluding God has the repercussions on us and others too. God will not force us to love and serve God. In no way, loving God is not a form of slavery betraying our freewill and choice. On the contrary, loving God is the joy of our existence and freedom to be a loving human person. It is nearly impossible to be a loving person without the all sources of love that is God. The consequences of deserting and dumping God has more serious damage to our core existence. We all have the freedom to choose anyone other than God to live a so-called happy and prosperous life. Commitment wrapped in love is the basis for a successful living. Bonding is a very special attachment that gushes from deep inside of the parents without any outside force or initiatives to connect with the child in need. In the first reading, Joshua wanted a clarity in loving God from people Israel. As the people of Israel, so are we today to make a statement on our faith in God. We cannot forsake, ignore and undermine God while we wish serving so many gods of our choices. Indeed, we are all worshiping more than One God. It is up to us to make that unwavering decision to be faithful to God for the rest of our lives. The responsorial Psalm invites us, “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” (Ps.34:9). St. Paul clarifies that love between Christ and the Church is the mystery. A mutual respect and love between the married couples are so inevitable for the bonding that looks forward and searches beyond physical intimacy. When life becomes so challenging from every corner, when faithfulness is under attack in every encounter with the other, when the direction in life is confused and misled, when love becomes so meagre, when everything that is upheld and loved fall apart, when trust becomes an issue, when so many options are left open, when God becomes the least person one could bother, our faithfulness to Christ alone put everything in its perspective and offer meaning. The Gospel affirms that following Christ is impossible without the mercy and love of God. Teachings are difficult yet it is not impossible. Jesus never forces anyone accept His teachings yet He continues to pave the way to the Father through that very teachings. It is in this faithfulness to Christ and the Church, we are blessed in abundance. May we make sure that this week to articulate our statement of faith clearly and on whom are we trusting and entrusting our lives with. May you have a good day. God bless you.

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