Every person who studies the history of world or religions is familiar with edicts and covenants. Even in our personal lives, we look back often to promises we made and contracts we signed. For the Old Testament scholar, Joshua 24 is highly important in the history of Israelite traditions. It preserves remnants of an ancient liturgy for the renewal of the covenant at Shechem. Joshua reminds the people of what God has done for them in rescuing them from slavery in Egypt, providing for their survival in the desert and giving them victory over their enemies. God has been their Deliverer, Provider and Protector. This is the God that Joshua calls Lord and with Whom he wants to be covenanted. Joshua’s challenge to the Israelites is to decide, then and there, whom they will serve, the gods of their fathers, the gods of the Amorites among whom they now live, or this God Who has done so much for them. They must decide for the God of Israel or to reject Him in favor of the idols of their fathers and neighbors. Their decision for God should be reflected in their fidelity to the terms of the Covenant, i.e. the Law. Then Joshua sets the example for the rest of Israelites: “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua’s challenge prefigures the choice the apostles must make in today’s Gospel taken from John 6. The challenge “Choose this day whom you will serve” parallels “Will you also go away?”; and the response “We will serve the Lord, for he is our God” parallels Peter’s response, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Jesus challenges us also to remain faithful to the one God. There are many in the world who worship other gods: power, money, pleasure, comfort, security, self-interest. We want to say with Joshua and his people: “We will serve the Lord.” In his letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, in 1987 Pope John Paul warns us about the forms of modern ‘imperialism’ hidden behind certain decisions that formed a ‘moral criterion’, apparently inspired only by economics or politics, that ‘promoted’ idolatry: of money, ideology, class, technology. We the Church must always be ready to give ‘offense’ — to speak out for Christ and against the destructive beliefs and behaviors that the world finds so attractive. The total assimilation of Jesus’ spirit and outlook into our lives is very challenging. And it was a challenge that some of Jesus’ disciples were not prepared to face. The reason? “There are among you some who do not believe, do not trust Me.” Faith is not simply a set of ideas to be held on to. It is a living relationship with a Person, Jesus, and Jesus’ vision of life. It is a relationship that needs to grow and be deepened with the years. It is a relationship that has constantly to be re-appraised in a constantly changing world. Our children so competent in the use of social media, are very vulnerable as they are quite incompetent to decode the message they are exposed to. They must be helped to develop a personal relationship with Christ, the only one who can give them fullness of life. We must hear in our own heart and soul Peter’s words to Jesus which have resounded through the centuries: “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”