AUGUST 26, TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME- JOSHUA 24:1-2, 15-17, 18, PSALM 34, EPHESIANS 5:21-32, JOHN 6:63, 68, JOHN 6:60-69...... Today, God’s Word examines our decision, loyalty, sincerity, commitment and faithfulness to God. These questions must continue to ring in our hearts: Whom are we actually serving? Why are we serving God? When everything scatters, to whom do we go? In the first reading, Joshua gathered the peo ple of Israel to confess their loyalty and fundamental option for God. It was a great convention for an extraordinary decision. In the story of the Israelites, God always did the choosing but now the table was turned around. Israel (God is asking us today) was asked to choose its loyalties, something the pagan nations did not have to do because they could embrace all the gods. The Israelites were being asked to do what Rahab had done, namely, to embrace this one God and, by doing so, to reject all others (see on 2:9–11). Joshua led by example when he m