常年期第二十一主日 玫瑰經: 榮福五端( The Mysteries of the Rosary: Glorious Mysteries)
讀經一（我們必要事奉上主，因為他是我們的天主。）
恭讀若蘇厄書 24:1-2, 15-17, 18
那時候，若蘇厄聚集以色列眾支派，來到舍根，也召集了以色列的長老、首領、判官和官長，叫他們站在天主面前。若蘇厄對全民眾說：「如果你們不樂意事奉上主，那麼，今天就選擇你們所願意事奉的神吧！或是你們祖先，在大河那邊，所事奉的神，或是你們現在居住的地方，阿摩黎人的神。至於我和我的家族，我們一定要事奉上主。」
百姓回答說：「我們絕對不願背棄上主，去事奉其他的神！因為上主是我們的天主，是他領我們和我們的祖先，離開了埃及地，為奴之家；是他在我們眼前，行了那些絕大的神蹟；是他在我們所走的一切路上，在我們所經過的一切民族中，始終保護了我們。為此，我們必要事奉上主，因為他是我們的天主。」——上主的話。
答唱詠 詠34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21
【答】：請你們體驗，請你們觀看：上主是何等和藹慈祥！（詠34:9）
領：我要時時讚美上主；我的口舌不斷讚頌上主。願我的心靈，因上主而自豪；願謙卑的人聽到，也都歡喜雀躍。【答】
領：上主的雙目，垂顧正義的人；上主的兩耳，俯聽他們的呼聲。上主的威容，敵視作惡的人民，把他們的紀念，從人間抹去。【答】
領：義人一呼號，上主立即俯允，拯救他們，脫離一切艱辛。上主親近心靈破碎的人，他必救助精神痛苦的人。【答】
領：義人的災難雖多，上主卻救他免禍，並保全他的一切骨骸，連一根也不容許折斷。【答】
讀經二（基督對教會的愛，是偉大的奧秘。）
恭讀聖保祿宗徒致厄弗所人書 5:21-32
弟兄姊妹們：
你們要懷著敬畏基督的心，互相順從。你們作妻子的，應當服從自己的丈夫，如同服從主一樣，因為丈夫是妻子的頭，如同基督是教會的頭，他又是這身體的救主。教會怎樣服從基督，作妻子的，也應怎樣事事服從丈夫。
你們作丈夫的，應該愛妻子，如同基督愛了教會，並為她捨棄了自己，以水洗，藉言語，來潔淨她，聖化她，好使她在自己面前，呈現為一個光耀的教會，沒有瑕疵，沒有皺紋，或其他類似的缺陷；而使她成為聖潔和沒有污點的。作丈夫的，也應當如此愛自己的妻子，如同愛自己的身體一樣；那愛自己妻子的，就是愛自己，因為從來沒有人恨過自己的肉身，反而培養撫育它，一如基督之對教會；因為我們都是他身上的肢體。
「為此，人應離開自己的父母，依附自己的妻子，兩人成為一體。」 這奧秘真是偉大！但我是指基督和教會說的。——上主的話。
福音前歡呼
領：亞肋路亞。
眾：亞肋路亞。
領：主，你的話，就是神，就是生命，唯你有永生的話。（參閱若6:63,68）
眾：亞肋路亞。
福音（主！唯你有永生的話，我們去投奔誰呢？）
恭讀聖若望福音 6:60-69
那時候，耶穌的門徒中，有許多人聽了耶穌的講話，便說：「這話生硬，誰能聽得下去呢？」
耶穌自知他的門徒，對他這番話，竊竊私議，便對他們說：「這話使你們起反感嗎？那麼，如果你們看到人子，升到他先前所在的地方，又將怎樣呢？使人生活的是神，肉一無所用；我對你們所講的話，就是神，就是生命。但你們中有些人，卻不相信。」原來，耶穌從開始，就知道那些人不信，和誰要出賣他。
所以他又說：「為此，我對你們說過：除非蒙父恩賜的，誰也不能到我這裡來。」
從此，他的門徒中，有許多人離開了他，不再同他往來。
於是，耶穌對那十二人說：「難道你們也要走嗎？」
西滿伯多祿回答說：「主！唯你有永生的話，我們去投奔誰呢？我們相信，而且知道：你是天主的聖者。」——上主的話。
反省
若蘇厄一生侍奉天主，帶領以色列人進入福地，在即將離世時，他回顧天主在埃及、曠野、福地為以色列百姓所作奇妙的事，提醒他們一切都是天主的恩寵，並希望他們弄清楚與天主的關係。
以色列人結束漂泊的日子後，終於進入福地，然而人心軟弱，自滿和驕傲，會使人慢慢遠離天主，認為憑自己的能力，也能做得很好。若蘇厄把順從天主與背棄天主兩個選擇，擺在他們面前，然後宣告：「至於我和我的家族，我們一定要事奉上主。」這不是一時興起的宣告，而是他認識天主、經歷過天主之後的回應。
天主已經照祂所許諾的，祝福亞巴郎的子孫；現在，輪到他們自己和天主重新立約的時候了。若蘇厄用激將法的方式，挑戰以色列人：「如果你們不樂意事奉上主，那麼，今天就選擇你們所願意事奉的神吧！」他們必須慎重面對這攸關他們未來的命運是蒙福或遭禍的選擇。
每一天我們也要問自己，到底要侍奉誰呢？是侍奉天主，抑或侍奉自己、這個世界？
實踐
耶穌不要人糊裡糊塗跟隨祂，不要跟隨祂的人只為今生肉體的益處，為衣食住行、為名譽地位、為健康長壽，祂要我們只為「永生之道」而跟隨祂。天主的恩寵是我們繼續跟隨主的動力，讓我們一再體會祂的美善，因為祂是值得我們依靠信賴的那一位。
2021 Catholic Mass Daily Bible Reading https://youtu.be/9sgNuRxuwZI
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday 22 August 2021
First reading Joshua 24:1-2,15-18
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem; then he called the elders, leaders, judges and scribes of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. Then Joshua said to all the people, ‘If you will not serve the Lord, choose today whom you wish to serve, whether the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living. As for me and my House, we will serve the Lord.’ The people answered, ‘We have no intention of deserting the Lord and serving other gods! Was it not the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery, who worked those great wonders before our eyes and preserved us all along the way we travelled and among all the peoples through whom we journeyed? What is more, the Lord drove all those peoples out before us, as well as the Amorites who used to live in this country. We too will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 33(34):2-3,16-23
Taste and see that the Lord is good. I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips; in the Lord my soul shall make its boast. The humble shall hear and be glad.
Taste and see that the Lord is good. The Lord turns his face against the wicked to destroy their remembrance from the earth. The Lord turns his eyes to the just and his ears to their appeal.
Taste and see that the Lord is good. They call and 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.
Taste and see that the Lord is good. 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. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Evil brings death to the wicked; those who hate the good are doomed. The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants. Those who hide in him shall not be condemned.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Second reading Ephesians 5:21-32
Give way to one another in obedience to Christ. Wives should regard their husbands as they regard the Lord, since as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything. Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her in water with a form of words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless. In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because it is his body – and we are its living parts. For this reason, a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one body. This mystery has many implications; but I am saying it applies to Christ and the Church.
Gospel Acclamation cf.Jn6:63,68
Alleluia, alleluia! Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!
Gospel John 6:60-69
After hearing his doctrine many of the followers of Jesus said, ‘This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?’ Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, ‘Does this upset you? What if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before? ‘It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. ‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the outset those who did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. He went on, ‘This is why I told you that no one could come to me unless the Father allows him.’ After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him. Then Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.’
Gospel of the Lord
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08.22 (日) 祂的話 常年期第廿一主日 若望福音六60-69
聆聽聖言
那時候，耶穌的門徒中有許多聽了，便說：「這話生硬，有誰能聽得下去呢？」
耶穌自知祂的門徒對這話竊竊私議，便向他們說：「這話使你們起反感嗎？那麼，如果你們看到人子昇到祂先前所在的地方去，將怎樣呢？使生活的是神，肉一無所用；我給你們所講論的話，就是神，就生命。但你們中間有些人，卻不相信。」
原來，耶穌從起頭就知道那些人不信，和誰要出賣祂。
所以祂又說：「為此，我對你們說過：除非蒙父恩賜的，誰也不能到我這裏來。」
從此，祂的門徒中有許多人退去了，不再同祂往來。
於是耶穌向那十二人說：「難道你們也願走嗎？」
西滿伯多祿回答說：「主！惟祢有永生的話，我們去投奔誰呢？我們相信，而且已知道祢是天主的聖者。」
釋經小幫手
「你們若不吃人子的肉，不喝祂的血，在你們內，便沒有生命……我的肉，是真實的飲品；我的血，是真實的飲料。」這是門徒指出耶穌說的「生硬的話」。的確，耶穌的話在當時打破了一般人的想像，祂的話乍聽之下像是食人族，哪一個師傅要祂的門徒吃祂的肉、喝祂的血？難怪許多門徒聽完後不再與耶穌往來。然而，兩千多年後的我們，因在彌撒中實際領受聖體聖事，我們能夠了解耶穌上述話語的意義。然而，門徒的反應也反映出天主聖言的廣度及深度，是無法只看字面的意義來馬上解讀的。既然耶穌的話就是神、是生命、是永生、是天主的話，我們實在不能草率的對待聖言，而是在長時間的祈禱、默想中了解耶穌話語中要表達的。我們可以問問自己：我對聖言的態度是什麼？只是字、鼓勵的話、還是天主對我的心說話？我是否翻一翻聖言就放在一旁，還是在一天中繼續以聖言與耶穌往來呢？其實，如果我們每天有祈禱聖言的習慣，我們會發現它是生活的，它會對我們的心說話，並指引我們的思言行為，正如聖保祿說的：「天主的話確實是生活的，是有效力的，比各種雙刃的劍還銳利，直穿入靈魂和神魂」(希四12)。也因為聖言是神、是永生，耶穌才如此渴望我們藉由聽祂的話獲得生命。那麼，我們是否能像西滿一樣懷著信心回答說：「主！惟祢有永生的話，我們去投奔誰呢？」
品嚐聖言
「難道你們也願走嗎？」默想耶穌渴望我們留下，慢慢聽懂祂的話。
活出聖言
今天花時間祈禱聖言，找出一句聖言，在一天中不斷默想、咀嚼。
全心祈禱
耶穌，惟祢有永生的話，我願投奔祢，祈求祢賜我祈禱聖言的恩寵。
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讚美耶穌
凡是能夠學習天主的道理的人是有福的
嗡 斯巴雅 嗡 巴威
啊啦伊亞加布倫
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