TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY OF THE YEAR - B

TWENTIFIRST SUNDAY OF THE YEAR – B (Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b; Eph 5:21-32; John 6:60-69) Theme: We are invited to choose today whom to serve Reflection: An invitation to make a decision - Today Jesus is inviting us to make a firm decision in our Christian vocation. Today Jesus is calling us to make a valuable and right choice for the life. Today Jesus is exhorting us to fix our mind, heart and soul only on him for attaining the eternal life. We are here to make that once-and-for-all decision. We should not haste. We should not hesitate. We should not turn back. We should not fall aback. We should not doubt. Everything is clearly demonstrated to us. Every mystery is clearly revealed to us. Every event of love is manifested to us. We have received the enough testimony for making a positive and ultimate choice to serve only Jesus. The readings of today present to us this situation where we find ourselves to answer Jesus by following him. - We are still in the discourse of the bread. From almost five weeks we are meditating on this aspect of the bread. We are now at the end of the discourse. All these day we have been trying to comprehend completely the entire sixth chapter of St. John’s Gospel: which mostly deals with the theme of the bread that gives eternal life. If we just introspect what we have been reflecting we may understand it clearly. The whole discourse has its starting point in the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish feeding the five thousand people. Having seen the wonder of Jesus the people followed him wherever he was going. Observing this Jesus asks the people to search not for the bread that perishes but for the bread that remains forever. Taking this occasion and opportunity Jesus prolongs the discourse and reveals the actual mystery behind the bread. In this revelation that Jesus unveils himself and affirms himself as the true bread that came down from heaven saying, “I am the living bread descended from heaven”. He goes little further and intensifies the discourse stating that the bread that he gives is his own flesh and the drink he gives is his blood. Although the people did not understand all well until that time they were still listening because his teaching seems to be authentic and new. But when he said that it is “his flesh and his blood” that they have to eat and drinking for having eternal life within them, then the actual problem started. They started murmuring and they started leaving one by one. - Thus, the discourse has started with the miracle of multiplication and it is developed slowly and profoundly manifesting Jesus as the True Manna which God has sent for the redemptive hunger of the humanity. We have seen that Jesus is the living bread of God for us; he is the bread that gives strength in our journey towards the heavenly Jerusalem; he is the bread that gives the wisdom to our path so that we do not falter in our way. Finally, today Jesus is inviting us “to be with him and to follow him” which is the only way for the life of true joy and true glory. The time has come and the discussion is in the final stage. The final stage of anything needs a decision: decision to accept and to act. Jesus has completed his miraculous manifestation through the multiplication. Jesus has ended also his long discourse of the bread. Almost all who were listening to him went away because the teaching which seemed to be good and new in beginning is now turning to be the hard to digest. All have gone away and now there remained only the twelve disciples. Now before bringing it to the ultimate conclusion, he wants whether his chosen apostles have comprehended what has been said until now; Jesus throws at them the moment to make a choice. We will choose and serve the Lord alone: The heart of the readings of today - “We will serve the Lord” (Joshua – first reading): The first reading and the gospel present to us the heart of the today’s reflection. In the first reading Joshua gathers all the tribes of Israel, the leaders and all the people and admonishes them to make a decision. The journey of the desert is over. The life of the Manna is completed. There is no more food from heaven. They have crossed the river of Jordan and now entered into the Promised Land. God has brought them into the land he has promised them at the beginning of their escape from the slavery of Egypt. Though his people have been unfaithful at times blaming him and talking against him, God has been faithful and guided them for forty years and finally made them settled in the land of milk and honey. The journey is over. The manna is over. The salvation is offered to them. Now they have to make the decisive moment in their life in the matter of choosing whom to serve. God always respects the freedom to say either yes or no to the salvation he kept open for them. - In this context, Joshua affirms his being with the Lord always. He says: “as for me and for my family, we will serve the Lord alone” (Joshua 24:15). He recalls all that God has done in their lives for these forty years. He acknowledges the wonderful deeds that God has fulfilled in their lives by providing the water and the food and above all, of the covenant that He has made with them on the Mount Sinai where he promised his eternal presence with them. Finally, he reminds his people to observe and realize well the word and action of the Lord in their lives. The ones who sincerely acknowledge the hand and power of God in their lives, they do not hesitate to serve him till the end of their lives. Joshua is the first one among the people present in that gathering to acknowledge God’s faithfulness and affirms his consent to be with him. In this context, he declares openly before the people what he and his family is and will be for the Lord: I and my family, we serve the Lord always. - “Where shall we go, Lord, you have the words of eternal life” (Peter – Gospel): Now it is the turn of the twelve disciples to answer and to decide. As we have already meditated, all the listeners turned back telling that this teaching of Jesus is hard to understand (John 6: 60 – “this word is hard! Who can listen to it” and then, 6:66 – “from that moment many of his disciples turned back and did not go with him”). Jesus’ only hope is his twelve chosen disciples. They have been with him for quite some time. This is not the miracle and first teaching for them. They have been seeing him from the beginning of his ministry. They have already seen many miracles. They have already listened to many discourses. May be this one is deeper and profound in the revelation of the mysteries of God. But they are not in any way new to his teaching. Therefore, Jesus is not preoccupied when all went away. He wanted at least his disciples to understand this. That’s why immediately he asks them: “Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:67). He must have been very happy and content with the response that Peter has given. For Peter immediately said: “where shall we go Lord, you have the words of eternal life and we have believed and have known that you are the Holy of God” (John 6:69). Jesus is much satisfied with the answer. Whom he has chosen for himself remained with him. Whether they have completely understood what he meant about his flesh and blood is not that important. He wanted that they make a decision in their freedom. He does not want to force them. That’s why he did not even stop those who were going away. And he did not even drag his disciples into faith in his words. Their choice has to be liberal and free. Their decision has to be out of personal conviction. That is what happened finally and Jesus is happy. He is happy because, his twelve whom he called and confirmed in his mission, in whom he has put all his trust, have decided to stay with him. They have fixed their minds on him. They have followed him and his teaching. - For the surprise of everyone, the chapter and the discourse on the bread end here with this final and affirmative statement from Peter and the disciples. The miracle is the starting point. The discourse is the continuation and prolongation of the unveiling of the mysteries. The end is the right decision. First, he offers to them the material bread with the miracle. Then, he provides its ultimate significance with the revelation of the mystery. Finally, he waits and seeks for their decision either to accept or to reject. First, he starts with the simple bread; and slowly enters into the mystery of Eucharist, the offering of his body and blood; and finally he invites the listeners to participate in this banquet of eternal life. The result is quite satisfactory because at least the important ones have taken the Word seriously. They accept and decide “to eat his flesh and drink his blood”. Jesus has arrived to the conclusion he wanted and he terminated the discussion. The preaching is over but its accomplishment in the Last Supper and on the Cross is remaining. Everyone who listens to this discourse is invited to say yes or no. everyone who digests the word is invited to digest also the Eucharist. Everyone who takes part in the work of Jesus is called to make a decision, in freedom and in liberty, whether to serve the Lord or to the Devil. What about Us: Our Yes is the only possible way to attain eternal life - We are nourished by the word: though we are in the liturgical year B and we have to meditate upon the gospel of Mark, the Church has provided this long discourse of John after the miracle of multiplication. We have been reading, listening, meditating, and discussing about this for past five weeks. Now we are terminating the chapter and thus, the entire discourse on the bread. We know that Jesus is the bread that has come down from heaven. We know that he is the force and energy in our way and in our journey towards our salvation. We are nourished by the word for almost a month. Now what is our choice? Jesus is asking us today to take part in the final stage of the discourse: a decision and an action. We are invited to decide for ourselves whether to be with him or to go away from him. We are called here, around this table of banquet, to make a choice of whom we want to serve. What is our response today and at this very moment? Do we agree with Peter and consent to his words? We have to hurry up. Jesus is waiting for our answer. Jesus is seeking for our decision. He only throws the offer of salvation by hearing his word and participating in his banquet. But the decision he leaves to our freedom and to our liberty. Are we ready to embrace the offer of salvation? Or are we to turn back because this teaching is hard to understand and demands more from us? - We have already decided to stay with him: the truth is that this decision is not today’s. We have made this choice and decided to follow Jesus already in the moment of Baptism. Even there it was a free decision that the Church asked from us. That is the reason why, at the beginning of the rite of Baptism itself, the priest asks the parents of the child: “what do you want from the Church?” and they answer: “Baptism”. This is the free decision of the parents. Jesus and thus the Church do not force anyone to accept faith. The possibility of faith and salvation is offered to all. Receiving it or rejecting it depends on the personal choice of each individual. Once the nod of the parents is positive and once they themselves ask for baptism, the procedure initiates. The procedure has two important decisions to make: to renounce what is evil and to take up what is redemptive. That’s why priest asks the parents: “Do you renounce Satan and its seductions?” and they answer: “yes, we do renounce”. And now another important choice to make and the priest continues to ask: “Do you believe in the Father, in the Son, in the Holy Spirit, in the Catholic Church…?” and the response of the parents is: “Yes, we do believe”. This is the first moment of our decision. This each one of us, sitting here around this alter, has already made. From that time we have believed and known that Jesus is the Holy One of God. That is the decision we made at the time of Baptism. - Our renewal of the decision take place in every Eucharistic celebration: Not over with the Baptism. Every time when we come for the Mass – the Eucharistic celebration – we renew our decision. There is a important moment in the Mass: the reception of the communion. The priest says: “Body of Christ” before giving the communion. What does it mean? It means many a thing. Are you prepared well? Are you really ready to receive him? Is your soul purified? And is your heart beat for him? Do you want to receive him with love? All these questions are implied in the two small words: “body of Christ”. What follows is our response. We immediately say “Amen”. What does it means? It means that “yes, I am ready and prepared”, “yes, I want him in my life”, and “yes, I love him with my heart, with my mind, with the strength and above everything else”. Are we really aware of the words we are uttering? Are we really conscious of what we are responding? Do we really and sincerely make this choice of receiving him? This moment of renewal of the decision is made available for us in every liturgical celebration of the Eucharist. Do we make a firm decision? Do we really live up to what Jesus is asking? By saying “Amen” we are declaring our profession of faith and our readiness to take up the task of testimony. - Now is the moment of ultimate decision: today and right at this moment of our life, Jesus is inviting us to take the decision, the decision firm and fixed. Like Joshua and his family, we have to declare that we are ready to serve the Lord alone. Like Peter and the disciples we have to profess that the only Word that gives Eternal Life is Jesus himself and thus, we follow him until the last breath. This choice is to out of our personal conviction and out of our freedom. Once we decide there should not be turning back. There may be many doubts. There may be many teachings against it. Sometimes the demands of Jesus and of the Church may seem hard to understand and still hard to follow. There may be many insults and blames for the faith we profess. There may be various distractions and disturbances from the desires and pleasures of the world. There may be numerous moments of difficulty and pain. But once we have put our hand on the plough of the God’s kingdom we should not turn back. Such a real and radical decision is needed now. And Jesus is asking for that response. Are we ready now? What is our reaction to this question of Jesus right now? Jesus is waiting for an answer. We cannot pretend and drag the Christian life and dignity. We have an assurance from the Lord: “Who eats my body and drinks my blood has in him the life and he will attain eternal life”. We have an affirmation of the Church (Peter): “Lord, to whom do we go! You have the Word of Eternal life”. The human words may sometimes give us encouragement and they boost us up. The same human words also have the tendency to pull us down with desperation. The human words flatter and fumble. But the Word of God is Spirit and Life (John 6:63). It stands for always for us and by us. It enters into our heart and cuts down what is bad and implants what is life-giving. The Scriptures affirm this: “The word of God is a double-edged sword”. Let us decide now. Let us not hesitate. Let us not postpone it. Let us not neglect it. Let us make a choice now. The only possible way for our salvation is “our sincere and authentic yes” to God’s invitation of life. Therefore, before receiving the communion and before leaving the Church, let us decide whom do we want to serve and let us renew our decision and make ours the words of Scriptures: “Lord, where shall we go! You are the way, the truth and the life for us” and help us to be with you always.