_*AUGUST 25TH 2024.*__*TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.*__*FIRST READING*__“We will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”__*JOSHUA 24: 1 – 2a, 15 – 17, 18b*_In those days: Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, “If you be unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house,  we will  serve the Lord.” Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”_*The Word of the Lord.*__*RESPONSORIAL PSALM*__Psalm 34: 1 – 2, 15 – 16, 17 – 18, 19 – 20, 21 – 22 (R.) 8a__*R/. Taste and see that the Lord is good!*_I will bless the Lord at all times,praise of him is always in my mouth.In the Lord my soul shall make its boast;the humble shall hear and be glad. *R/.*The Lord turns his eyes to the just,and his ears are open to their cry.The Lord turns his face against the wickedto destroy their remembrance from the earth. *R/.*When the just cry out, the Lord hears,and rescues them in all their distress.The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;those whose spirit is crushed he will save. *R.*Many are the trials of the just man,but from them all the Lord will rescue him.He will keep guard over all his bones;not one of his bones shall be broken. *R/.*Evil brings death to the wicked;those who hate the just man are doomed.The Lord ransoms the souls of  his servants.All who trust in him shall not be condemned. *R/.*_*SECOND READING*__“This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church.”__*EPHESIANS 5: 21 – 32*_Brethren: Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church, his body, and is himself its Saviour. As the Church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the Church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the Church, because we are members of his body. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church._*The Word of the Lord.*__*GOSPEL ACCLAMATION*_ John 6: 63c, 68cAlleluia. _Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of eternal life._Alleluia._*GOSPEL*_        _“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”__*JOHN 6: 60 – 69*_At that time: Many of the disciples of Jesus said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, “Do you take offence at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you that do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer walked with him. Jesus said to the Twelve, “Will you also go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”_*The Gospel of the Lord.*

*25 Nyamavhuvhu – August; Svondo yemakumi maviri neimwechete yegore – B* *Chiverengo chokutanga: Joshuwa 24,1-2a.15-17.18b* _Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku raJoshuwa_ Joshuwa akaunganidza madzinza ose avaIsiraeri kuShikemu. Akadaidzawo vakuru vakuru vavo, navatungamiriri vavo navatongi namachinda eIsiraeri. Vakauya pana Mwari. Joshuwa akataurira vanhu vose ivava achiti, “Zvanzi naTenzi Mwari wavaIsiraeri: ‘Kana imi musingadi kunamata Tenzi, chisarudzai nhasi unowamunoda kunamata pana vamwari vainamatwa namadzibaba enyu kumhiri kweRwizi kana vamwari vavaAmori vomunyika ino yamugere.’ Asi ini nemhuri yangu tichanamata Tenzi.” Vanhu ndokuti, “Hatimbofa takafuratira Tenzi tichindonamata vamwe vamwari nokuti Tenzi, Mwari wedu ndiye akatiburitsa isu namadzibaba edu munyika yeIjipiti muuranda, akaita zviratidzo zvikuru zviya tichiona nameso edu. Akatichengeta murwendo rwedu rwose nomukati memarudzi mataipfuura namo. Naizvozvo kana nesuwo tichanamata Tenzi nokuti ndiye Mwari wedu.” *Shoko raTenzi.* *Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:* Nziyo 34,1-2.15-16.17-18.19-20.21-22 (D – 8) (D) – Ravirai munzwe kunaka kwaTENZI 1Ndicharumbidza TENZI nguva dzose, kumurumbidza hakuchabvi pamuromo pangu. 2 Ini ndinodada naTENZI. Dai varombo vakazvinzwawo vafare. (D) – Ravirai munzwe kunaka kwaTENZI 15Maziso aTENZI ari pavarurami, nzeve dzake dzakarerekera kuchichemo chavo. 16Uso hwaTENZI hwakanangana navakaipa, kuti vakanganwike panyika.(D) – Ravirai munzwe kunaka kwaTENZI 17Kana vakarurama vakachemera rubatsiro, TENZI anovanzwa achivanunura munhamo dzavo dzose. 18TENZI ari pedyo navakasuruvara, anoponesa vanenge varasa mwoyo. (D) – Ravirai munzwe kunaka kwaTENZI 19Nhamo dzawakarurama dzakawanda, asi TENZI anomuponesa madziri dzose. 20Anochengetedza mapfupa ake ose, hapana kana rimwe rawo rinotyorwa. (D) – Ravirai munzwe kunaka kwaTENZI 21Uipi huchauraya vakaipa, vanovenga varurami, vachapihwa mhosva. 22TENZI anonunura upenyu hwavaranda vake. Hapana anopotera kwaari, anopiwa mhosva. (D) – Ravirai munzwe kunaka kwaTENZI *Chiverengo chechipiri: VaEfeso 5,21-32* _Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mutsamba yaPauro kuvaEfeso_ Hama, zviisei pasi pomumwe nomumwe wenyu pamusana pokuremekedza Kristu. Imi vadzimai zviisei pasi pavarume venyu sokuna Tenzi, nokuti murume ndiye musoro womudzimai sezvakangoita Kristu ari musoro weSangano, iroriri muviri wake, uye iye ari Mununuri waro. Sangano sezvariri pasi paKristu, vadzimaiwo ngavave pasi pavarume vavo muna zvose. Imi varume idai vadzimai venyu sokuda kwakaita Kristu Sangano, akazvipira iye pamusana paro kuti ariite dzvene, mushure mokunge ari shambidza mumvura neshoko, kuti aritsvitse kwaari rakanaka kwazvo, risina kana kavara, kana pakaunyana, kana chimwe chakadaro kuti rive dzvene risina chinoshoreka. Saizvozvo, varume vanofanira kuda vadzimai vavo sokuda kwavanoita miviri yavo. Munhu anoda mudzimai wake ari kutozvida iye pachake, nokuti hapana munhu anovenga muviri wake. Asi anoto- upa chokudya nokunyatsouchengetedza sezvinoita Kristu kuSangano. 30 Izvi pamusana pokuti tiri nhengo dzomuviri wake. Nokuda kwaizvozvi, murume anosiya baba vake naamai vake achibatanidzwa nomudzimai wake. Vose vari vaviri vachiva nyama imwechete. Ichi chinhu chikuru chakavandika. Ndiri kureva nezvaKristu neSangano. *Shoko raTenzi.* *Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka: Johani 6,63c+68c* Areruya, Areruya. Mazwi enyu Tenzi, mweya noupenyu. Imi ndimi muna mazwi oupenyu husingaperi. Areruya.*Shoko Rakanaka: Johani 6,60-69* _Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naJohani_ Vamwe vadzidzi vaJesu vakati, “Zviri kutaurwa izvi zvakaoma, ndiani angateerera zvakadai?” Asi Jesu paakazviziva nechomumwoyo kuti vadzidzi vake vari kunyunyuta nazvo, akati kwavari, “Zvakugumburai here izvi? Ko, maiita sei dai kuri kuti munotoona Mwanakomana womunhu achikwira kwaaiva kare? Mweya ndiwo anopa upenyu; nyama haina maturo. Mazwi andataura kwamuri, mweya noupenyu. Asi pane vamwe venyu vasingadaviri.” Chaimupa kudaro ndechokuti, Jesu aiziva kubvira pokutanga kuti ndavanani vakanga vasingatendi, uye kuti ndiani aizomupandukira. Akatizve, “Ndokusaka ndakutaurirai kuti, hapana angauye kwandiri kana asina kuzvipiwa naBaba.” Mushure maizvozvo vazhinji vavadzidzi vake vakamusiya vakasazofambazve naye. Jesu akati kune vanegumi navaviri vaya, “Kana imi mava kudawo kuenda here?” Simoni Pita akamupindura achiti, “Tenzi tingaende kuna aniko? Imi ndimi muna mazwi oupenyu husingaperi. Takadavira uye tinoziva kuti imi ndimi Mutsvene waMwari.”*Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi.

*GOSPEL REFLECTION: Unwavering Fidelity Always*_August 25, 2024__Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:67–69)_These words of Saint Peter present us with the conviction we must have when fidelity to the will of God becomes difficult. God is demanding. He wants everything from us. We will only obtain Heaven once we surrender everything over to the will of the Father and believe all that He has revealed. If we fail to do so before we die, we will need to be purified in Purgatory. There is no way around this. God is a demanding God to the greatest extent possible.The truth is that this is all good. It is good that God demands complete submission to His perfect will and teaching because these are exactly what is best for us. From time to time, because of our weak and fallen human nature, we can perceive God’s will as too demanding and His teaching as too difficult. Do I really have to forgive everyone completely? Do I really have to lay my life down without reserve? Do I really have to keep the Commandments to perfection? Do I really have to be perfect as the Father in Heaven is perfect? Yes. But as we try to do so, we will experience many temptations to give up, thinking that God’s will is too hard.Today’s Gospel comes at the end of the beautiful Bread of Life Discourse in which our Lord taught clearly, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” At the beginning of today’s Gospel, upon listening to Jesus’ new teaching, many of His disciples murmured among themselves saying, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” This teaching of Jesus is “hard” in the sense that it requires a profound faith to understand completely. But just because something is hard to accept does not mean that we should not accept it.Peter’s statement quoted above gives us the words we should say whenever we find God’s will or His teaching difficult to accept. When that happens, we must hear Jesus ask us the same question He asked the Twelve: “Do you also want to leave?” Jesus will not try to manipulate us. He will not back down when He sees we are struggling. He will not lessen the requirement of being His faithful follower. Instead, He will give us the freedom to either believe or leave. And when we feel like leaving, we should always remember Peter’s words, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”https://youtu.be/MBzfbwjzwFI?si=qcRQC5tY2OrckqcEPeter’s statement says all we need to know in the face of any interior conflict of faith. Sure, we could leave our Lord and do our own thing. But where would we go? To embrace the passing pleasures of the world? To what end? If we believe and are convinced that Jesus is the Holy One of God, then no matter how hard, no matter how demanding, no matter how difficult, we must embrace fidelity to God in all things. That act of fidelity, especially when we struggle with some interior conflict, is the key to unlocking the transforming power of God in our lives.*Reflect,* today, upon any ways that you have felt God’s will or any of His revealed truths to be difficult and demanding. When you face such an interior challenge, what do you do? If your response is to turn from God and become lax in your fidelity to Him, then reflect upon Peter’s words to Jesus. Make those words your prayer, and let that prayer strengthen your conviction to become an unwavering and faithful follower of God.*PRAYER:*_My demanding Lord, in Your great love and mercy You require everything of me. You ask me to give You my life in total surrender and service of Your perfect will. When I am weak, give me strength. When I doubt, give me faith. Help me, Lord, to always deepen my resolve and to follow You with complete fidelity. Jesus, I trust in You._