＊＊＊1st Reading＊＊＊

 Joshua 24: 14-29

So fear Yahweh, and be sincere and faithful in serving him. Set aside those gods your ancestors worshiped in Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Serve only Yahweh.  But if you do not want to serve Yahweh, make known this very day whom you shall serve – whether they be the gods your ancestors served in Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites who formerly occupied the land in which you now live. As for me, I and my household will serve Yahweh.”

The people answered: “May God not permit that we ever abandon Yahweh to serve other gods! For it was he who brought us and our ancestors out of Egypt, the house of slavery. It was he who did those great wonders that we have seen; he protected us on the way and through all the land where we passed, driving away before us all the nations especially the Amorites who lived in this land. So we shall also serve Yahweh: he is our God!”

 Joshua asked the people: “Will you be able to serve Yahweh? He is a Holy God, a Jealous God who does not tolerate wickedness or faults.  If you abandon Yahweh to serve other gods, he will turn against you and just as he has done you so much good, so shall he punish you and destroy you.”  The people replied: “No, may it not be as you say. We will serve Yahweh.”  Joshua said: “You yourselves are witnesses that you have chosen Yahweh to serve him.” They answered: “We are witnesses.”

 Joshua then said, “Remove now from your midst any other gods and serve Yahweh, the God of Israel, with all your heart.”  The people answered: “We will serve Yahweh, our God, and obey his commands.”

 On that day at Shechem, Joshua made a covenant with the people and fixed laws and ordinances. He also wrote down everything expressed in the book of the Law of God; he chose a great stone and put it under the oak tree in the sacred place of Yahweh.  Then Joshua said to the people: “This stone shall be a witness to all that Yahweh said to us, for it heard all these words. It shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with Yahweh.”

Joshua immediately sent the people away and everyone returned to his land. After all these deeds, Joshua, son of Nun and servant of Yahweh, died at the age of a hundred and ten.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 19: 13-15

Then little children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded those who brought them.   Jesus then said, “Let the children be!

Don’t hinder them from coming to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are humble, like these children.”Jesus laid his hands on them and went way.

 

Reflection gospel：

“THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN BELONGS…TO THESE CHILDREN.”

A number of things might be learned from children:(1)Children are experts in living in the present moment, in the “now”. The cares of the world do not distract them; they are not caught up in them; they are able to capture and enjoy, without difficulty, the beauty and goodness a moment brings before them. They are simply there. In contrast, we adults have the tendency to be overwhelmed by the daily conduct of human affairs.

We are held back in/by worries, disappointments, frustrations, and fear. As a result we miss out the joy and “life” that each day carries. We forget that the “now”, the present, is a gift; and, it offers us a world of many (sometimes endless) possibilities. (2)In children, humility is always at work. They are humble in the sense that they do not have to arm themselves with pretentions. “I am/have more….,” “I am greater….,” and “You are less….,” are not in their consciousness.

He is simply her/he to herself /himself, and you are simply you to her/him. It does not worry them about our impression of them. (3) It is easy for children to let go. To us adults, worries, disappointments, frustrations and fear are strongest.