21st Sunday – 22nd August2009
If not once, I have said it ten times this week, “It is hard.” I am tired, I feel over worked, and I feel out of touch with friends; I have forgotten birthdays of people I would otherwise never forget and when I pray I am thinking of the day ahead. Between meetings, faith formation, baptisms, weddings, funerals, hospital visits and spiritual direction I feel that I am getting out of touch with myself. In one sense, I am happy that all this is happening because the parish is growing. The staff feels the same way I do. And how many of you feel the same way? With school reopening there is strong chance that your feelings are not very different - life is hard.
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?” (Jn 6:60). This is the reaction of some of Jesus’ disciples at the end of the “Bread of Life” discourse. Let me quickly refresh our mind about where we are in the story of Jesus. Three weeks back we read about the multiplication of loaves. The crowds then followed Jesus for more signs and Jesus began to teach them about the bread of life. When Jesus began to identify himself as being the true bread the people began question Jesus further. That was two weeks back. Last week we heard Jesus saying that the bread of life was his flesh and blood. He went on to say that his flesh and blood was true food and true drink and without eating the flesh of Jesus and drinking his blood people have no life in them. This leads some disciples to walk away. They murmured, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” At this, Jesus came to the disciples and asked them, “Do you also want to leave?” (Jn 6:67)
Now what happens next is one of the most emotional yet powerful expressions of faith. Peter’s response has been preserved for people like us. Peter says to Jesus, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn 6:68). This response is precious. There were people around him leaving the company of Jesus. It is hard to stay when everyone else is quitting. Moreover, Jesus was saying hard and difficult to believe things. But some people do not quit when times get hard. Peter and the apostles did not quit. I am not going to quit because I am tired. The staff will not quit because they are tired. And I hope you will not quit when times are hard. The best thing to say when times are hard is exactly what Peter said, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn 6:68).
Today, I want to take Peter’s response and make it our own. However, I also want to ask the question – “What does it mean for me to make the same profession of faith? What does it mean for me to say. “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn 6:68). Taking our clue from the first reading, the second reading, and the gospel, I am suggesting that it means three things. My profession of faith must have an implication for the church, an implications for my family and an implication as an individual disciple of Christ.
1) Implication for the Church. Today’s first reading offers another poignant story. Joshua gathers all the tribes of the people of Israel and offers them a choice. “If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve… As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Josh 24:15). The people, together as a community, as a people, as a nation make their choice. They say, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods…. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God." (Josh 24:17-18). Would it not be great if this parish together said what the people of Israel said and what Peter said. That is why, I want to point your attention to our parish retreat on Sept 12. All people in ministry have already received letters about it. I urge every Eucharistic minister, every lector, every teacher in school and parish, every RCIA member, every festival worker, every server and their family, education, finance, PTO commission members, all organizations and group members, youth and choir members to be part of this day. I am asking every parishioner to be part of this day if you can. Together we are going to discover what it means to be a radical disciple of Jesus. Together we are going to discover what it means to say to Jesus, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn 6:68).
2) The second implication comes from our second reading and the implication is for our families. Hear what Paul has to say to the Ephesians: “Live in love, as Christ loved us. Husbands and wives love each other, even as Christ loved the church.” (Eph 5:25). I am not going to spend too much time on this but husbands and wives and those preparing for marriage - if both of you together could often challenge each other to say, “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD,” (Josh 24:15), if you can love each other as Christ loved the church, then even when times get hard your family will never quit. God needs holy families. God needs faith filled families. God needs loving families – because holy, faithful, and loving families bear witness to Christ himself.
3) The third implication is on the individual Christian level. When people around Jesus were moving away, Peter moved closer to Jesus. He called Jesus Master – not because he saw himself as a servant, but rather he saw himself as a disciple. This is the exact place in the gospel of John that Peter’s discipleship will begin. He will try and fail, try and fail but never doubting that his master, Jesus, has the words of eternal life. There is not better person in scripture that I can identify with than Peter. I see myself on a journey. I try and fall, try and fall but each time knowing even more the God who puts me on the journey to eternity. Even as I preach, each of us will find ourselves at different places on the discipleship journey. Some of us are deeply conscious as disciples, others are trying to live as radical disciples, and still others are yet to think of themselves as disciples. I hope we can be at least where Peter was on that day. “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn 6:68).
So at the end of the Bread of Life discourse two things happened. Some left following the Jesus, the Bread of Life while others made an even firmer committment. Each day we are presented with the option of being disciples or not. Today, we stand once again in the presence of Jesus, our Master. Like Peter, we too say, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Amen.
