Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR B TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY OF THE YEAR Joshua 24,1-2. 15-18; Eph 5,21-32; Jn 6,60-69 Putting the “hard word” Jesus’
“hard word” to us. Today’s
reading, closes the ‘Eucharistic’ Chapter 6 of John. It closes in a sober, humble mood: Jesus stands in command: yes, he
sadly acknowledges that large crowds have stopped following him, and indeed they
have gone away in total disappointment. Yet Jesus still turns to his disciples
& puts to them the ‘hard word’: Do you want to go away too?. To which, only Peter responds for all
disciples & all of us: Lord, to whom
shall we go? You are the only one who has words of eternal life! we believe! we
know you are the Holy One of God. These words have given energy to the
faith-response of millions of believers across the 2000 years of Christianity.
In them, we also find the humble response of Peter, holding a role of leadership
among the disciples, a role that the Popes as successors of St Peter, have
continued to hold & still do, among all Church leaders. In this text, not
just the disciples at Jesus’ time, but each of us as we are confronted by
Jesus’ hard word, find ourselves to be at crossroads: with Peter & his
friends, we must make a choice to stay or to go. For us too, the teaching of
Jesus may seem difficult to grasp & follow. And indeed, it will always be
hard for us humans, to perceive ‘life in the spirit’, side by side with our
physical life in this earthly existence, engrossed & preoccupied as we are
with our day to day materialistic life-style, in all its busy-ness, politics,
conflicts & even racial wars... Today we are invited to examine in God’s
presence our decision making process: how actually we have made the significant
choices in our life. So, take time - stay prayerfully by yourself, weigh things
up carefully, examine the pros & cons, rely on your ancestral wisdom &
on your own gut feeling.... Being intensely Eucharistic people. The faith of our ancestors challenges us to believe that Jesus is truly: Son of God - God made flesh & blood - Passover Lamb & Bread from heaven - truly given for the life of the world & given to us sacramentally to eat & drink. This language will always demand abandonment & faith. For weeks this year, we’ve read about Jesus who reveals himself as the one sent by God, so we may draw life from him by eating his flesh & drinking his blood. We’ve realized all along, that it is not only ‘the Jews’ who find it difficult to accept the ‘hard words’ of Jesus. We all struggle with the mystery of Jesus’ presence. The Lord knows of our struggle, but will not be drawn into easy, symbolic explanations, even if we opt to be lost in disbelief. Indeed He knows those in our families who’ve gone the way of the ‘un-churched’. Still He turns to us & offers us the choice to go or to stay. May we respond with Peter & his successors John Paul II & Benedict XVI & pray with them: ‘Lord to whom shall we go? You alone have words of eternal life... The mystery of God will always defy understanding, but through faith, we share in God’s unbelievable intimacy, at Holy Communion, Blessed Sacrament, Real Presence, Eucharist. We in Australia have just started preparations to welcome the Pope & celebrate World Youth Day in 2008 in Sydney. Let us start now to grow into intensely eucharistic people, as all saints have been. I am mindful of the magic words that John Paul II gave at his last World Youth Day in year 2000: ‘Young people of every continent, do not be afraid to be the saints of today. Be contemplative, love prayer, be coherent with your faith, generous in serving your brothers & sisters, be active members of the church & builders of peace. Continue to listen to God’s word, draw strength from the sacraments especially Eucharist & Penance, be intrepid apostle of Christ’s Gospel’. AMEN, AMEN. ______________________________________ |
