Lord, You have the Words of Eternal Life

21 Sunday in Ordinary Time: 22 August 2021

Readings: Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 34:2-3, 16-23; Ephesians 5:21-32; John 6:60-69

To listen to my audio reflections, please click here

Often when things become difficult, the easiest remedy that we look for to get out of the situation is quitting. We quit a particular relationship or situation because of its heaviness or lack of true knowledge of it. It is easy to quit but difficult to endure. The liturgical readings of this Sunday invite us not to flee from God's love and embrace. We live with choices and chances. Many of them come and go. Choosing the right things at the right time is very essential to make a progress in our spiritual life.

1. Quitting is not a solution to reach heaven

"It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and life" (John 6:63). These words of Jesus come after his disciples found it hard to digest. Jesus challenged but also put forward very important aspects of his life, which could bring them salvation and make them children of God. Somehow or the other, many found in Jesus a lot of goodness and mercy but also courage and faith. However, all those things slowly dry up including their initial enthusiasm. Steadily a number of people following him very closely abandon him. From their fleeing, they also abandon the truth for which Jesus came to testify.

The life of Jesus was open, public as well as challenging. He provoked them in many ways and forms including preaching, teaching, healing and confrontation. Jesus did what he thought was right. He had nothing to lose but to win. He was certain of the mission that he was called for. There was no hesitation in his dealings or wait-and-see approach. He knew that everyone is not called to live such a demanding lifestyle and was courageous to understand things that are not of this world.  

2. Let prejudices and biases be overcome by truth and justice

Jesus preached with courage and authority. He had a tremendous ability to perform miracles including bringing back to life those who had died. He had a great and attractive personality to welcome the tax collectors and other sinners into his fold. His words pointed not only to an internal reform of the person but also a society in which a person lives. As a physician or healer, he gave a new vision of life to people and brought them back to the mainstream of society. He challenged not only the bigwigs of civil society but also showed compassion and mercy towards the downtrodden. In other words, Jesus had an extraordinary capacity and ability to be different and make a mark in society. 

Jesus was a man with a difference. His distinct but demanding talk made many people his enemies. They not only left him but also hated him. His popularity among the masses was so vast so far known Pharisees and seducees found it hard to swallow his message or his lifestyle. Many of those who followed him in the beginning later grew distasteful of his life, work and words. Thus they quit him quickly and quietly. 

In our reflections, in the recent weeks, we have dealt extensively with how Jesus' own village folk disowned him because of his background as the son of a carpenter. "Isn't this the carpenter's son" (Mark 6:3). Others felt low about him that Jesus came from Galilee and not from Jerusalem. Probably Galileans were basically fishermen, therefore, had a low opinion about them. Moreover, a good number amongst his chosen had misunderstood, thus later Jesus would be denied, betrayed and abandoned by those closest to him. In fact, Jesus was a misfit in the eyes of the world. But in the seemingly failure mission, Jesus showed the way how to fulfil the call of God, the Father.

3. Allegiance to Jesus and to the values of the kingdom

Jesus offers us today a great lesson from his life. Whatever the conditions of our life, including difficulties, trials and temptations, anxieties and fears, in God we find Spirit and life. It is He who builds us up and helps us to swim even in tough and rough tides of life. All the more in a world when justice and truth are denied and taken away, Jesus gives us the strength to move forward with his Spirit - the spirit of courage and righteousness, the spirit of forbearance and fortitude. 

Perhaps the words of St Peter the Apostle to the question of Jesus is apt for us today: "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.” (John 6:67-69). Being part of this task of following Jesus is complex and difficult, it is meant only for those who are convinced of their faith in Jesus and the salvation that he brings. Probably it might be difficult to hold on to the values of Jesus and his Kingdom but with his grace everything is possible. Even though people might shift their allegiance and make you feel unwanted, unvalued, under-appreciated and squarely talk ill about you, yet with the help of Jesus we can build and reshape a culture and rebuild mutual trust which would have a cumulative and lasting impact on society.  

Questions for reflections

1. Are there things you’ve heard Jesus say – perhaps even this week – that you find difficult to accept?  How have you dealt with that?
2. “It is the spirit that gives life,” Jesus says.  Where and when, in the past week, have you felt really alive?  When have you felt the Spirit giving life to you?

3. “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”  What spirit and what life can you hear in them?

4. Speak to Jesus now about how you have come to believe in him? Who he is for you? What lesson does he teach you?

Prayer: Life-giving Spirit,  instruct us and be our guide,  so that we may give witness to Jesus in the way we live our lives. Dear Lord, place in our heart a desire to please you and fill our mind with thoughts of your Love, so that we may grow in your wisdom and enjoy your peace. 

Oh Heavenly Father, in whom we live and move and have our being, we humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the joys, occupations, and cares of this day we may never forget you, but remember that we are ever walking in your sight. In Christ’s name, we pray, Amen. 

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

20 August 2021