For the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time…
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?”
John 6:66-67
After weeks of being immersed in Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse at Sunday Mass (John 6:22-71), we, the hearers of the Gospel, are faced with the same decision that Jesus’ first followers had to make.
Do we believe what Jesus says is true?
Throughout salvation history, as God has revealed his faithfulness to his people, it has always been within the context of their human freedom. Each person has choice to make within that personal freedom—a great gifts that images our Creator—to choose to be for or against God, to walk with God or walk away. In the First Reading from this Sunday’s Mass, we see Joshua inviting the tribes of Israel to such a decision point. And he shares his own faithful choice: “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).
Centuries later, as Jesus is readying to pour out his own life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, he reveals that his very Body and Blood will become precious food and drink to nourish believers. Many are scandalized by his revelation and choose to leave his company. So Jesus turns to his closest followers and invites a decision: Do you also want to leave?
We can read the rest of the text to see how his Apostles answer. But it more important that we provide our own.
Jesus, I trust in you.
