“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
Karen and I have been married now for 16 years. It was evident when we were dating that we shared a lot of the same values. Those values were instilled in us by our parents. We have begun instilling in our daughter, Angela these values as well. It takes work to instill these values. They do not come naturally, We guide one another on the right course even if that course is not always the popular thing to do and goes against the norm. We are grateful for the blessings that are showered upon us by the grace of God and are grateful to serve our God, our family members, our neighbors, our coworkers, our parish family, our community, our country, our world and each other by giving of our time, talent and treasure, indeed our very selves for the accomplishment of the divine will of God. Maybe you feel this same sense of gratitude and purpose. The refrain and verse 6 of Michael Joncas’ hymn “Take and Eat” speaks of the presence of God as the “glue” that binds husband and wife together in an unseparated bound. Like husband and wife offer themselves to one another in an intimate relationship, so does Jesus offer himself in the Eucharist. Jesus is the bridegroom and his bride is the Church. We are the church, his members who come to the marriage feast. Let us be mindful of this reality each time we share in this great mystery of our faith. Here are the hymns to be sung at the majority of Masses this weekend. Ricky Manalo’s “God of Mercy” calls us to action as we constantly seek the fruits of the mysteries we celebrate. https://bit.ly/2XcCPdd August 21 and 22 Hymns