{"content":[{"text":"21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B","bbox":{"left":0.058824,"top":0.090742,"width":0.351148,"height":0.019105999999999998}},{"text":"Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b \n Joshua was the successor of Moses. He led the Israelites into the Promised Land and conquered the land of \n Canaan.2 Just before he died, Joshua parceled out the Promised Land among the twelve tribes and fearing that \n they would soon stray from the Lord, he held a spectacular covenant renewal ceremony at a central location about \n 40 miles north of Jerusalem. Shechem, had a natural amphitheater ﬂanked by two small mountains. Half the \n people stood on Mount Gerizim shouting the blessings for keeping the covenant, alternating with the other half who \n stood on Mount Ebal shouting the curses for breaking the covenant.1","bbox":{"left":0.058824,"top":0.128621,"width":0.878031,"height":0.13300599999999999}},{"text":"1Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leaders, \n their judges, and their ofﬁcers. The Israelites were a group of tribes without any political unity \n except that of common tribal feeling and the worship of Yahweh. Joshua’s summons included all \n those who had positions of leadership or inﬂuence over the people. When they stood in ranks \n before God, Their ranks during war are now carried over into their liturgy for this gathering is a \n ceremony and not just a speech. \n 2Joshua addressed all the people: Joshua gives a stirring speech, exhorting the nation to choose \n whom it would serve: the pagan gods or Yahweh.1 \n 15“If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your \n fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites These were related to the Canaanites \n who were descendents of the incestuous relationship of Ham and his mother. They practiced a \n number of sexual perversions including maternal and other forms of incest as part of their ritual \n worship.3 The drinking and whoring of Canaanite worship was attractive so some of the Israelites \n were intermarrying and placating Canaan’s fertility gods WHILE STILL WORSHIPING \n YAHWEH.1 in whose country you are now dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve \n the Lord.” This is the most important passage in the whole book. Joshua calls upon all Israel to \n make THE great choice, the single greatest choice every individual and society must make in his, \n her, or their life, because this choice determines the meaning and purpose and point of life itself, and \n even determines life or death for eternity.5 This reading is chosen to connect with the gospel \n account of the choice Jesus gives his followers of either staying with him or walking away from him. \n The primary time that we recommit our choice is at Easter when we renew our baptismal promises.4 \n 16But the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord for the service of other gods. The \n people swore to remain faithful to Yahweh and agreed that if they rebelled they deserved the \n curses.1 The phrase “other gods” might sound foreign to us, but think about the many things that \n are prized so highly by some believers that they compete with their dedication to the faith. In that \n way, the goals of the culture of acquisition and narcissism in which we live are like the “other gods” \n in the text from Joshua.16 \n 17For it was the Lord, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a \n state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our \n entire journey and among the peoples through whom we passed. \n 18bTherefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.” Yahweh had given Moses explicit \n instructions for the people: “When you go across the Jordan into the land of Canaan, drive out all \n the inhabitants of the land before you; destroy all their stone ﬁgures and molten images, and \n demolish all their high places. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, \n those whom you allow to remain will become as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and","bbox":{"left":0.058824,"top":0.280941,"width":0.880282,"height":0.6627660000000001}}],"images_bbox":[],"images_bbox_not_text_overlap":[]}