Daily Reading for Saturday, August 17th, 2013

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Reading 1, Joshua 24:14-29

¹⁴ 'So now, fear Yahweh and serve him truly and sincerely; banish the gods whom your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh.

¹⁵ But if serving Yahweh seems a bad thing to you, today you must make up your minds whom you do mean to serve, whether the gods whom your ancestors served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now living. As regards my family and me, we shall serve Yahweh.'

¹⁶ The people replied, 'Far be it from us to desert Yahweh and to serve other gods!

¹⁷ Yahweh our God was the one who brought us and our ancestors here from Egypt, from the place of slave-labour, who worked those great wonders before our eyes and who kept us safe all along the way we travelled and among all the peoples through whom we passed.

¹⁸ And Yahweh has driven all the nations out for us, including the Amorites who used to live in the country. We too shall serve Yahweh, for he is our God.'

¹⁹ Joshua then said to the people, 'You will not be able to serve Yahweh, since he is a holy God, he is a jealous God who will not tolerate either your misdeeds or your sins.

²⁰ If you desert Yahweh and serve the foreigners' gods, he will turn and maltreat you anew and, in spite of having been good to you in the past, will destroy you.'

²¹ The people replied to Joshua, 'No! Yahweh is the one we mean to serve.'

²² Joshua then said to the people, 'You are witnesses to yourselves that you have chosen Yahweh, to serve him.' They replied, 'Witnesses we are!'

²³ 'Then banish the foreign gods which you have with you and give your allegiance to Yahweh, God of Israel!'

²⁴ The people replied to Joshua, 'Yahweh our God is the one whom we shall serve; his voice we shall obey!'

²⁵ That day Joshua made a covenant for the people; he laid down a statute and ordinance for them at Shechem.

²⁶ Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there, under the oak tree in Yahweh's sanctuary.

²⁷ Joshua then said to all the people, 'Look, this stone will be a witness to us, since it has heard all the words that Yahweh has spoken to us: it will be a witness against you, in case you should deny your God.'

²⁸ Joshua then dismissed the people, every one to his own heritage.

²⁹ After this, Joshua son of Nun, servant of Yahweh, died; he was a hundred and ten years old.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 11

¹ [In a quiet voice Of David] Protect me, O God, in you is my refuge.

² To Yahweh I say, 'You are my Lord, my happiness is in none

⁵ My birthright, my cup is Yahweh; you, you alone, hold my lot secure.

⁷ I bless Yahweh who is my counsellor, even at night my heart instructs me.

⁸ I keep Yahweh before me always, for with him at my right hand, nothing can shake me.

¹¹ You will teach me the path of life, unbounded joy in your presence, at your right hand delight for ever.

Gospel, Matthew 19:13-15

¹³ Then people brought little children to him, for him to lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples scolded them,

¹⁴ but Jesus said, 'Let the little children alone, and do not stop them from coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of Heaven belongs.'

¹⁵ Then he laid his hands on them and went on his way.