FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK

Dear St. Mary’s Parishioners,

To be a follower of Jesus or not? That is the question. Whenever people meet Jesus in the Bible, he always compels a choice. Should we follow him or go about living our lives in our own way? Today in the Gospel passage this Sunday, we have a dramatic example of this dynamic playing out before our eyes. For the past few Sundays, Jesus is teaching the crowds about the Eucharist for the first time. He is the true bread from Heaven. Unlike their ancestors who ate the old bread and still died, Jesus has new miraculous bread that he wants to give to humanity, “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats from this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I will give for the life of the world also is My flesh.”

Those in the crowd listening to our Lord's words knew exactly what he meant. Jesus is offering his flesh and blood for their spiritual and eternal health. Shocked, the people start to “murmur” at this strange teaching. Here is the moment of choice. Each of them had to decide whether to accept it or not? Do they walk away from Jesus and go back to living their old lives like before or take the risk of following him?

Being a Christian today is no different. Just as it was for those in the crowd 2,000 years ago we have a choice to make. Do we accept the hard teachings of Jesus Christ and conform our moral lives to him or simply continue how we want to live according to our own desires and whims? For the crowd in the gospel passage, it was the Eucharist that was difficult to accept. Our issues with Jesus may be different. It could be the hard teachings of his Church about abortion and the dignity we uphold for each human life from conception to natural death? Could it be our unchanging stance on the immorality of contraception? Could it be our traditional position on marriage and the family? Marriage is between one man and one woman until death. Many of the hot button issues today still forces us to ask, will I accept his teachings or not?

As the crowds ponder their decision, notice the response of Jesus. He knows the people are tempted to leave and maybe even angry at his words but he does not change his teachings to adapt to their desires. Rather, he stands resolute and unmoved. He waits for their response. At this precise moment, we’re told, the people in the crowd make their decision:

“As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.” They abandoned the Lord. They weren’t willing to change for Him. Make no mistake, we all come to this crossroad sooner or later in our Christian lives. Jesus compels a choice. It’s a difficult one, I know. It forces us to trust him or not. It takes a leap of faith into the unknown. Do we love Jesus Christ enough to let go of the control of our lives and put it into his hands and let him lead? That is the heart of the choice. If we’re not ready to make that decision, look at St. Peter. Watch how he responds at the end of the Gospel reading: “Jesus then said to the Twelve, ‘Do you also want to leave?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Master, 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.’"

A Slave of Jesus Christ,

Fr. Brian J. Soliven