Saint Conrad of Parzham
Jesus Alone Has Words of Eternal Life
Brethren, for the last few days, we have been hearing from Jesus presenting himself as the true bread from heaven, and the bread of life. This bread of life constitutes his body/flesh and his blood. However, this was not good news to the people as we see in today's Gospel. People could not imagine eating his body and drinking his blood. This is why we see after his discourse on this true bread (Eucharist) many disciples who had followed him started going away and no longer followed him, saying to themselves, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?”. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter, always quick to speak, answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:66–68.
There are some few aspects we can reflect on from this Gospel. Firstly, why did the disciples leave? Jesus explicitly gives the reason why they left. They left because the Father had not drawn them to Him, for Jesus had said nobody comes to him unless the father draws him. We cannot say the Father did not want to draw them to Jesus, but they didn't allow themselves to be drawn to Jesus and would not heed to God's voice calling them to believe in His Son. Remember most of them came to Jesus because of physical bread. Additionally, they never understood who Jesus was and with this they had to leave.
Secondly, Jesus asking the twelve, do you also want to leave? means that Jesus gives them absolute freedom to choose for themselves whichever way they want to take. Jesus never forced his teachings on anyone. In fact, all his teachings and parables are open ended, requiring the audience to decide whether to follow them or not. We too have absolute freedom, to believe in Jesus or not and our decisions mark our destiny. Deciding to believe in Jesus is gaining eternal life, for his words are spirit that gives life and therefore they are life. Deciding not to follow him, we lose that eternal life. Brethren, since we have that freedom let us use it wisely and choose Jesus so that we won't regret at the end.
Thirdly, the response of Peter, "Lord who shall we go to? You have the words of eternal life" is a very fundamental statement for us as Christians, there is no where we shall go and find joy, happiness, comfort, rest, tranquility and a happy life apart from Jesus. St Augustine says, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you God" and it's indeed very true. It's only God who can quench our always longing hearts. We have seen how those who have gone around seeking their own ways of survival ignoring Jesus, have ended up in ruin. Brethren, in whatever situation we are in, let us not lose hope and trust in Jesus, because when we turn from him things will become worse.
The twelve had to stay because they had at least come to some knowledge of who Jesus was, "The Holy One of God" as Peter confesses, not through their own making but through the power of the Holy Spirit. To believe requires understanding. St Augustine says, "I believe in order to understand, and I understand the better to believe." We need to understand who really Jesus is and what he does in our lives in order to build stronger faith in him. Otherwise, we shall also leave him as the crowd did in today's Gospel.
The last aspect we can reflect on is that: faith is a personal response to God's revelation. Brethren, each and every one of us has to save his/her soul before he/she saves others. This requires a personal conviction and belief like the one of the twelve. If they did not have that conviction, they would have obviously followed the crowd and left Jesus alone. Do we follow the crowd in the matters of faith? Faith is a personal gift from God. It can be nurtured by the community but also can be destroyed by the community if you don't take care of it. Let us be convinced of Jesus so that we may not be led astray by non-believers or the devil.
Reflect today on your personal conviction about Jesus, who is Jesus for you? Does Peter's response talk to you today? Do you follow the crowd, or you have a deeper faith within you? Jesus is also asking you today: Do you also want to go? Spend some time in prayer and reflect on this question, see how you have turned away from Jesus and then ask God's grace to return. Today, we also ask the intercession of St Athanasius who worked devotedly in defending the divinity of Christ that we may truly believe that Jesus is God and that it is through him that we have eternal life.
Let us Pray.
My Lord, grant that I may always love you and find rest in you for I know it is you who have the message of eternal life. May my love for you always increase as each day passes and never permit me to separate from you so that at last, I may be with you in eternity. Amen
Be blessed and happy Easter season.
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