21^st SUNDAY, YEAR B: FR. JUSTIN ADIELE

THEME: “CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY THE BREAD OF LIFE”

INTRODUCTION:

For the past four weeks, Jesus has been teaching and offering us the gift of the Eucharist, the bread of life and the sacrament of his own body and blood for the life of the world. Now is the time for us to make our decision or choice; to accept His offer or just walk away as many did during the time of Jesus. Peter and the other apostles made their choice known today, they accepted and stood by Jesus’ offer of the bread of life, believing and trusting in his words and promises. The logic is simple; choose Jesus and choose the Eucharist he offers; walk away from the Eucharist and walk away from Jesus! The choice is yours!

 

THE FIRST READING (JOSHUA 24: 1 – 2. 15 – 18)

In the first reading, Joshua called the assembly of the people of Israel to come open and clean with their own choices: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” Choose whom you will follow; choose whom you will accept his offers, his food and his drink. Joshua and the assembly of Israel openly chose God because they knew with Him comes deliverance from their bondage, protection and preservation on their journeys. When we choose to serve, follow and commune with God in the Eucharist, our deliverance from bondage and from mortal, moral, and spiritual dangers is also ensured.

 

THE SECOND READING (EPH. 5: 21 – 32)

In the second reading, St. Paul also presented us with another moment of choice and decision making between husband and wife. Husbands must make the tough choice of really loving their wives; and wives must make the hard choice of total submission to their husbands. These choices must be open, sincere, and practically never in doubt. Joshua had to clear his doubts about the choice of the people of Israel between God and idols. St. Paul also wanted the same clarity in the love and respect between every husband and wife. Couples’ mutual love and respect must never be in doubt or hard to tell before the people, just as the love of Christ for his Church was never in doubt.

 

THE GOSPEL READING (JN. 6: 60 – 69)

In the gospel reading, while many drew back and walked away from Jesus’ offer of the Eucharist, Jesus like Joshua also wanted his disciples to come out straight about their own choice/decision. He asked them; “will you also go away?” Will you also walk away from my Eucharistic offer? Will you also walk away from my Holy Communion? Peter stood up and cleared every doubt; “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed..,”

 

CONCLUSION:

Every Catholic has a daily choice and decision to make about the Holy Eucharist. Choose the Eucharist, and you choose Jesus. Choose the Eucharist, and you choose eternal life. Choose the Eucharist, and you choose true family (husband and wife) communion. Choose the Eucharist, and you choose to serve God. Your choice today must be very clear before God and man and never in doubt. Therefore, we must make our choices clear by preparing daily, weekly and monthly to participate and partake in the Eucharistic celebration and Holy Communion with all the faithful.

 

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Justin

 21^st Sunday, Year B: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: Choosing to follow Christ: Our Fundamental Option

Readings: Jos 24:1-2a,15-17,18b; Eph. 5:21-32; Jn. 6:60-69

Dear friends in the Lord, on this twenty-first Sunday, the Church challenges and encourages us to choose serving God both in good times and in bad times. She instructs us to stand with Christ even when doing so becomes the most difficult option to be taken. Most times, when we come to the crossroads of our life, confusion sets in as to which way to go. Each day and each life situation present us with opportunities to make a fundamental decision/option – the type of decision or option that will change or shape the entire course of our life and our future.

In today’s first reading, the Israelites were no longer a nomadic people, they had settled in the Promised Land; they had become a nation.  So, Joshua took them to the land of Shechem, the place where God made a covenant with Abram (Gen. 12:6). And there, he challenged them to make a fundamental choice or option for themselves and their generations, either to worship God or the gods of the other nations.

Let us remember the Israelites already chose to serve God while they were wondering in the desert. However, in this first reading, Joshua took that choice for granted, because it appeared to be a choice which the people made when they needed God’s help to survive in the desert. Actually, Joshua wanted to know if their choice to serve God would remain same when they had received all they needed for survival as a nation.

Most times, some people stay close to God only when they need His intervention in their lives, when they need healing and other helps from Him. But often, in the midst of riches, good health and other answered prayers, these people tend to forget God. Many of them tend to think only of parties, works and engagements; they put God aside in toto. In today’s first reading, the people of Israel chose to serve the living God both in their riches and in their poverty. The church experts us to make the same choice in our relationship with God. Let us choose God in all situations of life.

As a leader, Joshua led by example. He was the first to make the choice for God in this first reading. Thus, leaders among us (in the church, our families and our societies) should make choices that will influence other people positively. It is their responsibility to show their people the way to God. It is good to understand that Joshua led the people to make a choice to serve God in order to ensure that the people of Israel, handed over to Him by Moses, remained united under one God. This is another challenge to all leaders and parents. We must ensure that the people placed under our care (our families and friends) are always led to the best choices in life, especially in choosing to serve God.

In the Gospel reading of today, after Jesus had told the crowd that He is the bread of life, many of His followers were disappointed. What they heard from Him was not what they expected. That teaching was too difficult for them to accept; in fact, it was complicating what they already believed about life. It was entirely unacceptable for them. For this reason, they chose to abandon Him.

Jesus, then, turned to his disciples and put to them a question: “what about you, do you want to go away too?” His question was like telling them: if you are not convinced with my teaching, you can go away too. It is almost the same question that Joshua posed to the people of Israel in the first reading.

Dear friends, sometimes, many people come to Christ with fixed expectations and just to hear what they wish to hear. Some others come to seek for a safe haven for the type of life they have chosen to live. Some others also come to ask the Church to change the teachings of Christ, so that the style of life they have chosen to live will find approval in the church. These are some of the greatest challenges of the Church in our own time.

But today’s gospel reading is telling us that the teachings of Christ must not agree with the way we have chosen to live our lives or what the society has chosen as a standard of morality. Often, the teachings of Christ challenge us to make a change in our lives. Sometimes, Christ’s words challenge the moral standard of the society. Some other times, the gospel truth comes in contrast with the decisions we have made or the ones our families and friends have made for us. At such times, what do you do? When the teaching of Christ contradicts your choices or decisions, do you put Christ away and maintain your own choices? Or do you choose to follow Christ’s? How many times have we abandoned God and his Church, especially at difficult moments in life? How many times have we chosen to say no to Christ in those His teachings that contradict what our society has accepted as expressions of human right?

In today’s Gospel reading, the disciples chose to follow Christ even when they knew that such a choice would bring them persecution and death. Dear friends, there are inevitable moments in life when the authenticity of our faith and fidelity to God must be tested by the fire of afflictions (1 Pt 1:7). That time, only the true disciples will stand with Christ to say: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the word of eternal life. You are the Holy One of God.” Let us pray to be among those who will stand for Christ in good times and in bad times.

Peace be with you. Happy Sunday

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

PUSC, Roma

 21^ST SUNDAY, YEAR B: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: WILL YOU ALSO GO AWAY?

(John 6:60-69)

God created us in freedom and allows us to freely decide whether to follow Him or not. The same freedom He gave to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is the freedom He gives to the disciples in the wilderness today. He continues to give us this freedom now and again to choose Him above all things. But most of the time, like Adam and Eve, we choose to follow the wrong voice because of greed, hunger for mundane glories, and selfish aggrandizements.

Human beings can be selfish. They come to get satisfied. They usually think of their immediate gain. Most of the time, they don't think of what the other sacrifices are, what the giver feels, and how to satisfy the one who offers. They are ready to take a leave when the going seem tough.

Jesus, after feeding the five thousand, started teaching about Himself as the bread of life. He took away their attention from the material to the spiritual. They changed their mind and stopped following. Only a few remained. These few are the only ones left with Jesus. He inquires to know how determined they are to stay on with Him.

 

HAS JESUS FAILED?

Imagine Jesus watching the great multitude who hailed Him move away from Him. They were singing and shouting after the multiplication of loaves like we do today to our politicians: ' Jesus ka anyi ga eso ma o na eje eje ma o na ala ala Jesus ka anyi ga eso'. Indeed, they wanted to make Jesus a political Messiah, but He refused. He is the Christ. Time must come when we should watch what does not give glory to God in our lives and allow them to go away, when we must let go of some persons, powers, influences and forces that are ungodly. At this time, we may feel that we have failed. We might feel that we have wasted our time. We might think that we have lost our popularity and glory. But from Jesus, we must learn to allow such moments to take their course. The scribes and Pharisees might have thought that Jesus had failed like other historical persons that came claiming to be the Messiah.

Jesus saw Himself alone with just a few. It was indeed a decisive moment. It was a time to know those with Him and those against Him. It was a time to really know those upon whom the Eucharistic faith would be instituted. It was not a failed venture. He has known the real faithful.

Jesus watches those who go away, and He addresses you personally . He needs nothing but a sincere answer born out of deep conviction.

The Church of today must not allow those who are not serious with the teachings of Christ to dictate what happens in the Church. Let their whys not make us compromise on what we believe, on the tradition that has been handed down to us from ages past by the Lord and His real followers. Let us not allow them to deceive us.

 

WOULD YOU WANT TO GO?

What is really holding you? If you are given the opportunity, will you go or stay? Do you have any personal reasons that will make you stay on with Christ? Have you had any personal Eucharistic experience? When you walk away, where do you move to?

Many have moved away from confession, many have moved away from communion, and others have stopped receiving it in the state of grace. Many have given up on prayers. Some persons have stopped going to Church. They prefer clubs, parties, the socials, etc. They make other things priority in their lives. Jesus watches in silence. He watches in surprise. He looks in wonder. Where do they think they are going to? Can they really live without me?

Jesus asks us the question because He trusts us. Even if others should go, He expects us not to go. He wants to know what is drawing us away from Him. He wants us to see Him and feel His longing to be with us. Will you also leave me?

Will you, priests also leave? Will you, Christian father, equally leave? Christian mother, are you leaving too? Young man, are you leaving me? Beautiful girl, where are you heading to? Will your life be better or bitter without me? It will certainly not be better.

Hear the voice of Christ asking you these questions in your various attempts to leave His Holy Side. Let's remain at His side to draw the life that flows therefrom.

 

TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?

In response to the question of our Lord today, the remaining disciples standing with Him professed: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

This is what the Lord expects from us. This is the solution to our problem of faith and confusion in the world. Till we stop going away from God, until we hold unto the Lord as the Only Director, Teacher, Inspirer and Leader we will keep wallowing in mistakes and wandering without purpose. Let us all go to the Lord, to taste and see how good He is even after being failed by the world.

LET US PRAY

We come to You Lord, we have no one to run to, save us from despair. Deliver us from the tempting forces drawing us away from you. We wish to remain faithful to You, adoring You, especially in the Holy Eucharist. Bring us back by Your word when we derail through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday (21st Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr B)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh