Kaukauna Catholic Parishes

Me or Us” is the focus of our readings this week, and it couldn’t be more timely. Too often today it seems that decisions are driven by our self-interest rather than our collective common good. Special interest groups seem to control our politicians. Health concerns over how to address the pandemic have caused us to choose sides. 

Our readings this week encourage us to think differently than popular culture. In the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we hear words of scripture taken out of context perhaps more than any other verses: “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands." While those are the words of St. Paul, we need to make sure we know the rest of the story. St. Paul goes on to say: “Husbands love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her."

In other words, we need to be willing to die for our wives, just like Christ was willing to die for us. Husbands, if we did that, our wives would know that we would only do what is best for them and our families. I sense that if our wives truly believed we loved them like Christ loved the church, subordination would disappear. The focus would not be on what is best for me but on what is best for us.

The same message can be found in the first reading. Joshua asks the Israelites whether they will serve the worldly gods or the God who freed them from slavery, protected them on their journey, and brought them to the promised land. Joshua says, “Decide today whom you will serve" and tells them, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua could be saying that to us: Decide today whom you will serve”. Will we serve the gods of the popular culture that tell us to focus on what we want, our special interests, our rights, or are we willing to serve others, to make sacrifices from what we want to serve our common good?

That is not easy. Jesus understood that. In the Gospel today, the disciples are struggling to accept the notion that Jesus’ flesh is the “bread of life” come down from heaven. The disciples are murmuring, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” It became so hard to accept that many disciples left Jesus and returned to their former way of life.

Often the message we hear from the world is to focus on me, my needs, my special interests and my desires. However, that is not why Jesus came into our world. His message was exactly the opposite – to hand Himself over to sanctify us, the church; we are members of His body. Each of us needs to decide: if we are willing to do as Joshua and serve the Lord.

Blessings,
Deacon Randy