INTRODUCTION
Today’s liturgy of the word brings us to the threshold of our Christian faith where we are expected to make fundamental choice in our discipleship. It brings us to the consciousness of the fact that to follow God entails a convincing and courageous life-changing ‘yes’. By saying yes to him, we renew the covenant we have already sealed with him at the dawn of our baptism. This decision will never be easy. It is a ‘sacrificial decision’ because at the very moment we will pronounce the yes, we will be slaughtered at the altar of total abandonment to his will as against the principles of the world. Joshua challenged the Israelites today for a decision; Jesus challenged his disciples for a decision; Paul challenged the Ephesians for a decision, and we are equally challenged today. What will be our response?
FIRST READING: Joshua 24: 1-2a.15-17.18b
On reaching the tail end of his life, Joshua a charismatic servant of God and immediate successor of Moses wanted to be sure whether his mission of leading the people to their God had been successful or not. He placed before the people the challenge of making a fundamental choice for God. At this point, the people had already made contact with pagan nations, and there was the likelihood that they might suffer influence and abandon their God. However, what we see in the first reading is a renewal of covenant; the people saying ‘yes’ to their God. This solemn event took place at Sheckem, a fitting place for this encounter. Shechem is where God had first appeared to Abraham and made him a promise of becoming a great nation through his descendants (Gen. 12:6ff; 33:18ff). It was not difficult for the people to understand the importance of this place. It was here that Joshua aroused their conscience by reminding them of the God who displayed his faithfulness to them by: 1. delivering them from slavery in Egypt; 2. providing for them in the desert, and, 3. protecting them against their enemies. In the language of Joshua, this is the only God that merits the name ‘LORD’ and to whom he and his household have vowed to follow. He challenged the assembly to make a choice of the ‘Here and now’. Therefore, from this encounter, we learn that; 1. The option for God is comparatively greater than any other option in life; 2. To enter into covenant with God and to live this covenant is all about taking a decision, and 3. The decision to follow God must be a ‘here and now’ and not to be postponed. It is not a business of ‘after’ but ‘now’. And this decision must necessarily be born out love for him and appreciation of the innumerable favors he accomplishes in our lives. That is why Joshua had to remind the people about who this God truly is, ‘a loving and caring father’.
SECOND READING: Ephesians 5:21-32
St. Paul speaks comparatively of a humano-divine love. He expands on the aspects of mutual relational submissiveness by appealing to the bonds of holy matrimony (v. 22-24). He describes here the degree of submission required of a wife to her husband and equally pointed out who has legitimate authority in marriage based on the issue of headship (v. 23). More importantly, St. Paul sees the relationship that should exist between husband and wife in the light the relationship between Christ his bride, the Church. It entails a selfless love which offers itself in the service of communion. In subscribing to the use of the image of marriage relationship, Paul intends primarily to express the bond that should exist among believers. However, those who enter into the ‘covenant of marriage’ must be ready to love and submit themselves to one another through mutual respect and care in the manner of Christ for his Church. (Fr. Anthony Kadavil).
GOSPEL: John 6:60-69
The gospel of today features the tail part of the long discourse of Jesus in the Synagogue about the gift of his flesh and blood as a pledge of eternal life. John ended up telling his audience that the difficulty of believing the good news is not only limited to those who are outside the fold of Christ (like the Pharisees and scribes who were his open enemies), but there exists equally dilemma and incredulity even among those pronounced to be his disciples. The evangelist recorded that many of his disciples deserted him and unregistered themselves from his list of discipleship. They felt offended by Jesus’ language. But little did they realize that to obtain the badge of discipleship, one must be ready to accept him unreservedly. By decamping from Jesus, these disciples demonstrated to us that being an authentic disciple of Christ is not for everyone. There are those who must reject it. But to those who are ready for it, there is a faith that must be professed; “Lord to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life…” It is a faith-filled, free and whole hearted declaration of Peter and other disciples to follow Jesus. Let us observe that Peter did not say “to where shall we go” rather “to whom shall we go”. Such a response points to the fundamental truth of the faith. Faith is not necessarily “where” it is expressed but in “whom” it is expressed. Peter’s question “to whom” might seem to open possibilities of choices but in reality it was an affirmation that excludes the quest for other ways that do not lead to life and at the same time a profession of faith in the One, Unique Person-Jesus Christ, the only reliable path to the Father.
LIFE MESSAGE:
We learn that the experience of the disciples who decamped from Jesus is the experience of many believers today. Every day, a lot of people keep losing faith and growing more and more ungodly because most probably they have come to discover that their initial understanding of Christianity and christian faith is different from what they are experiencing at present. They have come to discover that the true Christian message does not fit into their logic and every effort to bend it to suit their desires seemed abortive. This is exactly because they failed to understand that the only logic of the gospel is to adapt ourselves to the teachings of Christ and not to adapt the teachings of Christ to suit our lifestyle. The “To whom shall we go” of Peter simply reminds us of our call to make a fundamental choice for Christ. He is not an option among many options. He is rather the end of every single choice we make. When He becomes the end of our choices then our choices will always shape our Christian life. Peter’s “Lord to whom shall we go…” helps us to understand that the fundamental choice of Christ is a total given of oneself to him. Peter’s statement can be conjugated in the following:
1. Lord there is no other person to follow except you;
2. There is no other road that leads to life apart from the one you have traced;
3. There is no authentic message worth relying on than what we have heard from you; 4. We have been through this path for a long time, and we will remain on it till we reach the eternity it promises.
From Peter’s faith and that of those who remained with Jesus, we are challenged today to say YES to Christ.
However, we must be conscious that the way of the world does not blend with our choice of Christ. Thus, our discipleship will place us in a position of contradiction and friction with the world. It is a decision that will surely put us into troubles and will sometimes pin us down especially when things are not going well with us. When it strikes this way, let us know that the decision we took to follow him was made not in view of this passing life and its empty promises, but for eternal life where he alone leads us to. When we take cognizance of this, then we will remain faithful to him come what may. Our faith will always speak to our favour with such a tender voice; “No matter what happens do not leave Him because He has the words of eternal life”. Jesus himself who knows how hard this teaching is and still expects our loyalty to it will always supply us with the grace we need to live it.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus how deeply do I desire this challenging but transforming message and relationship which you offer me? It is your desire to raise me to the level of spirit and life beyond my canal expectations that pull me aback. I know that sometimes I understand little of where you are leading me to. I am a little half-way to the best which you desire for me. Therefore I submissively plead you here and now to work on me so that I may become more like you than the image I inherited from the world. Please take me by the hand, hold me tight and bring me along with you, so that I can see nothing more precious and promising than you and be able to proclaim with an unwavering faith, “Lord to whom shall I go, you have the words of eternal life. I believe and I have come to know that you are the Holy One of God. Amen.
PAX VOBIS!
