John 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?”
In voicing those plaintive words, St. Peter spoke for all of us.
In our harrowing times full of bad and ever worse news, those words have special resonance.
For, truly, “to whom shall we go?” but to Jesus the Christ who loves us so much He willingly suffered horribly and died for us, so that we would have the chance for salvation and eternal life with Him — if we so choose.
So, as Joshua said in 24:15:
“decide today whom you will serve…
As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
And may the peace and love of Jesus Christ, our Lord be with you,
~E
