We touch upon several great moments of truth in the readings today. Joshua commands the Israelites: “Decide today whom you will serve,” and they chose the Lord.

We’re learning that it takes wisdom to understand God’s simple desire that we love one another. Jesus is telling the people that God is their food, their life, their only hope for everlasting joy, but they keep wanting more signs, explanations, and clarifications.

The readings today make it clear that God nourishes and sustains us, but the food God gives us is to strengthen us to do God’s work.

Manna from heaven is what we’re all waiting for. But we keep looking up to the sky to find it, instead of in the body of Christ, namely our sisters and brothers.

The message that comes across loud and clear in today’s readings is that God satisfies our hungers. Ask yourself: How does God feed me? Certainly he doesn’t actually provide the food that sits on our table?

Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture”—those are words that pastors dread to hear. Yet to ones who are part of the flock, they come as a welcomed warning.

Amos denies his critic’s claim that he is a professional prophet; he insists he was unexpectedly called by God, just as the Twelve were and just as each of us is, so that, in the words of Saint Paul, “we might exist for the praise of God’s glory.”

Prophets don’t have an easy job of it no matter where they’re trying to speak truth to power, but there’s no question that the homefront is their toughest audience, as Jesus found out when he returned to Nazareth.

Jesus goes beyond the customs and religious sensibilities of his people. He reacts favorably to a forbidden touch and challenges death to give back a life.

God in Jesus calms even what seems like the most unconquerable disturbances, like storms at sea.