Do You Also Want to Leave?

21^st Sunday in the Ordinary Time

August 23, 2015

John 6:60-69

“Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (John 6:68).”

 

      Our faith is something handed down to us from our parents and family. For many of us, we were baptized just after our birth. Through various catechetical activities, like Sunday schools, religion subjects and Sunday masses, we are instructed to the basic teachings of Christianity. I have fond memories of how my mother taught me praying the rosary, as well as my father brought the entire family to attend the Eucharist every Sunday. Like myself, many of us owe our faith from our parents and the Church, and we accept things of faith as they are, without bothering to question.

          Yet, the time will come when our well-established faith is challenged. As we grow up, we become more critical and noticing that a lot of things in our faith are actually going beyond our understanding. How is it possible to have three persons in only one God? How come Jesus is both God and man? To aggravate the matter, some people may throw critical arguments on the validity of our Church’s teachings. The confusion then is added with various moral and social issues involving the members of the Church herself. Is it cruel not to allow divorce as the solution of unhappy marriages? Why did religion seem to breed violence and terrorism? How about the homosexual couples who love each other, why can’t they get married in the Church?

         However, if we go back and read carefully our Gospel, the disciples were not simply questioning trivial matters. They did not grumble because they did not have something to eat, they were tired walking with Jesus, nor they were chickened by the Jesus’ opponents. They were now questioning the very words and authority of Jesus. Other evangelists wrote also the disputes among disciples, but the reasons sometimes are trifling, like issue of position (cf. Mrk 10:35ff), but only John who mentioned the decisive threshold event within the disciples’ circle: whether to believe in Jesus or to leave Him.

            When we are entering this crossroad in our faith, we are one with the disciples in saying, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” But, what interesting is that Jesus does not babysit them, by saying, “Please, stay! I need you!” or “Don’t go, we can compromise.” No! Jesus’ response to them is firm, even almost provoking, “Do you also want to leave?” I guess the same treatment will be given also to us. In the midst of challenges, He will neither pamper nor coddle us. He, in fact, dares us to depart from Him.

            Yet, Jesus’ way is the best way. We need to plunge ourselves into this whirlwind of confusion, and struggle to find the true light. We were no longer babies that receive, take and swallow anything including our faith. We are mature Christians who seek, struggle with and own our faith.  As Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP would say that we need to be lost, in order that we may be found again, alive and fresh.

              Indeed, Jesus’ tough challenge has given birth to brave yet humble Christians throughout the ages. The early Fathers of the Church came out with their finest writings when they were confronted by the toughest heresies. St. Justin (ca.165 AD) defended fiercely his faith against the best philosophical minds of his time, not only through his writings but also sheading his own blood. Yet, the purest souls do not only belong to the ancient time. Mo. Teresa of Calcutta, had to endure darkness of soul for 10 years, yet instead giving her ministry up, she served the poor more fervently.

As Jesus dares us, “Do you also want to leave?” may we, with renewed and rediscovered faith, join voice with St. Peter, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP