Word to the Wise
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - 3rd Week of Easter - Wed
[Acts 8:1b-8 and John 6:35-40]"And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day." [John]
These words follow on Jesus' statement, "I AM the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." The emphasis here is on faith in Jesus. Then follows what amounts to a plea in case someone should be afraid. Jesus will not reject anyone who comes to him in faith. He promises eternal life in "this life" and in the afterlife. It is this promise that inspires some Christians to attempt to convert non-Christians lest they lose this opportunity! There we have to admit that God's providence can operate in many ways and explicit faith in Jesus may not be possible for a non-Christian. For those who do profess faith in Jesus, we have the promise he has made.
However, there is more to come after this promise which tests the faith of Christian and non-Christian alike! The emphasis will shift to the way in which Jesus "puts skin on" his promise. He will speak of his flesh as food and his blood as drink! When that happens, as we will see soon, many who already believed in him will fall away. It will be a dramatic moment in the gospel! We Catholics who take "going to communion" for granted need to pay attention to this aspect of our faith because we are called to proclaim it. Do we accept what Jesus says about himself? AMEN