21st Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B - A Choice to Make & “Tantum Ergo”

This Sunday’s Mass readings conclude a four-week meditation on the Eucharist. The Twelve Apostles in the Gospel (Jn. 6:63-68) are asked to make a choice—either to believe and accept the New Covenant Jesus offers in his Body and Blood, or return to their former ways of life.

Their choice is prefigured by the decision Joshua asks the Twelve Tribes to make in the First Reading (Jos. 24:1-18). Joshua gathers the people at Shechem—where God first appeared to their father Abraham promising to make his descendants a great nation in a new land, and issues a blunt challenge: either renew their covenant with God or serve the alien gods of the surrounding nations. Joshua then proclaims, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

We too are being asked today to decide whom we will serve. We have been presented in the liturgy with the mystery of the Eucharist—a daily miracle far greater than those performed by God in bringing the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. He has promised us a new homeland and eternal life, offering us bread from heaven to strengthen us on our journey. He has given us the words of eternal life.

We must believe that Jesus is the Holy One of God, who handed himself over for us, who gave his flesh for the life of the world. As we hear in today’s Second reading from Paul (Eph. 5:1-32), Jesus did this that we might be sanctified, made holy, through the water and word of Baptism by which we enter into his new covenant. Let us renew our covenant today, approaching the altar with confidence that the Lord will redeem the lives of His servants.

In honor of the this weekend’s readings, we present our latest video "Tantum Ergo”, a Medieval Latin hymn composed by St Thomas Aquinas that is normally sung at Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Video can be watched by clicking here or on the picture below: