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Contemplating today's Gospel

Today's Gospel + homily (in 300 words)

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
View 1st Reading and Psalm
1st Reading (Josh 24:1-2.15-17.18): Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leaders, their judges, and their officers. When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people: «If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord». But the people answered, «Far be it from us to forsake the Lord for the service of other gods.

For it was the Lord, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among the peoples through whom we passed. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God».
Responsorial Psalm: 33
R/. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the Lord; the lowly will hear me and be glad.

The Lord has eyes for the just, and ears for their cry. The Lord confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

When the just cry out, the Lord hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

Many are the troubles of the just one, but out of them all, the Lord delivers him; he watches over all his bones; not one of them shall be broken.
2nd Reading (Eph 5:21-32): Brothers and sisters: Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives,even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.
Versicle before the Gospel (Cf. Jn 6:63.68): Alleluia. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life. Alleluia.
Gospel text (Jn 6:60-69): Many of Jesus' disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father."

As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. 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."

"Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”

Fr. Miquel VENQUE i To (Solsona, Lleida, Spain)

Today the Gospel places us in Capernaum, where Jesus is followed by many after witnessing his miracles, especially the spectacular multiplication of the loaves. Socially, Jesus runs the risk of dying of success there, as is often said; they even want to name him king. This is a key moment in the catechesis of Jesus. It is the moment in which he begins to clearly explain the supernatural dimension of his message. And, as Jesus is such a good catechist, a perfect priest, the best bishop and pope, he lets them go, He feels sorrow, but He is faithful to his message; popular success does not blind him.

A great priest used to say that, throughout the history of the Church, people who seemed to be indispensable pillars have fallen: they “returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him” (Jn 6:66). You and I can fall, “disregard,” leave, criticize, “do our own thing.” With humility and confidence, let us tell good Jesus that we want to be faithful to Him today, tomorrow and every day; may He show us how little evangelical sense it makes to debate the teachings of God or the Church because “I do not understand them”: “Master, to whom shall we go?” (Jn 6:68). Let us ask for more supernatural sense. Only in Jesus and within his Church do we find the Word of eternal life: “You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68).

Like Peter, we know that Jesus speaks to us in a supernatural language, a language that we must tune correctly to understand fully; otherwise, we only hear incoherent and unpleasant noises; it must be fine-tuned. Like Peter, in our life as Christians we also have moments in which we must renew and show that we are in Jesus and that we want to remain in Him. Peter loved Jesus Christ, that is why he stayed; the others wanted him for the bread, for the “candy”, for political reasons... and they left him. The secret of faithfulness is to love, to trust. Let us ask Virgo fidelis, the faithful Virgin, to help us today and now to be faithful to the Church that we have.

Thoughts on Today's Gospel

  • “For, in giving us, as He did, His Son, which is His Word — and He has no other — He spoke to us all together, once and for all, in this single Word, and He has no occasion to speak further.” (Saint John of the Cross)

  • “‘Lord, to whom shall we go?’ We too can and want to repeat Peter's answer, aware of course of our human frailty.” (Benedict XVI)

  • “(...) Jesus not only gives us the words of our filial prayer; at the same time he gives us the Spirit by whom these words become in us ‘spirit and life’ (Jn 6:63). Even more, the proof and possibility of our filial prayer is that the Father ‘sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father!’ (Gal 4;6) (...)” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2766)