Word to the Wise
Sunday, August 25, 2024 - 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time - B
[Josh 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b; Eph 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32; John 6:60-69]"Far be it from us to forsake the Lord for the service of other gods. For it was the Lord, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery..." [Joshua] Many of Jesus' disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?"....As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." [John]
We who live in the state of Texas in the USA are familiar with the story that is part of the Alamo saga in which the leader of the defenders, at a moment of decision as to whether or not to stay or retreat, drew a line in the sand and challenged those who would stay to cross the line and join him or else flee. Joshua and Jesus each draw a line in the sand. Joshua has led the contentious tribes of Israel to conquer the Promised Land. He is trying to unify the tribes around the worship of the God of Israel so that different tribes don't create their own. Jesus draws a line in the sand in regard to his teaching about what would come to be called later on "the Eucharist." Bread and wine are transformed in the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist (the Mass) into the Body and Blood of Christ.
It is clear from the account in the Gospel According to John that the teaching about the Eucharist was a "line in the sand" because some found it too difficult to accept. When Jesus turned to his closest disciples to ask if they would accept or reject his teaching, Simon Peter gave a profession of faith on their behalf and they joined Jesus on his side of the line. This line remains in the sand today. As one young woman whom I instructed for entrance into the church said, when I asked her what was the most difficult part of Catholic faith for her, "The Eucharist. If you can accept that, the rest is easy!"
The recent "Eucharistic revival" initiated by the bishops of our country is a reaction to a survey that suggested that many Catholics are at least smudging that line if not staying on the far side of it. If we take Jesus at his word, whether it be from the accounts of the Last Supper, or the teaching in the synagogue or even St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians [10:15-16; 11:23-30], we must reply with Simon Peter that Jesus' words are the words of eternal life and we believe that it is the true Body and Blood of Christ that we receive when we "go to communion." AMEN
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