Aug-22 Liturgical Study Twenty-first Sunday
Aug-22 Twenty-first Sunday 1st Reading Joshua 24 Joshua goes beyond the traditional Jewish forefathers of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - to a time in the land of Ur, Mesapotemia beyond the river Euphrates when Abraham's father Terah, Abraham and his brothers Nabor and Haran, worshiped the pagan Gods. Against this background he exhorts the people to choose/worship/serve their God wisely. Having been liberated by Yahweh from Egypt where they served the Pharaoh as slaves, Joshua was the one to bring them to the promised land of the Canaan - bringing to fruition the promise Yahweh made to Abraham. Delivering to his descendants the very land Yahweh had promised to Abraham (Genesis 12:1; 15:17-21; 17:8), Isaac (Genesis 26:2-5), Jacob (Genesis 28:1-4, 13-15), Joseph (Genesis 48:3-4, 21), and Moses (Exodus 3:7-8). So before he dies, Joshua assembles the crowd at Shechem and asks them if they see it fitting to serve Yahweh as faithful servants. Reverence and obedience to Yah...