The Words of Eternal Life ~ A Reflection on the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b

Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21 (9a)

Eph 5:21-32

Jn 6:60-69

In John's Gospel this week, we hear Jesus ask a critical question of his disciples:  "Do you also want to leave?"  They are watching as many of Jesus' followers leave their company to return to their former lives.  These people can no longer walk with Jesus because they are not able to accept his words and believe the truth he speaks.

We don't know what happened to the people who left that afternoon.  Perhaps at some later time in their lives, many of them came to believe in Jesus as the Son of God.  Notice that Jesus does not condemn those who left.  

How and when we come to faith is a journey that is different for each of us.  We pray that we will respond to the graces that God gives us for this journey; for we believe the words that Jesus spoke:  "...no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father."  We have become adopted children of the Father and brothers and sisters to Jesus... thus we can share in his inheritance.

When Peter heard Jesus ask the question, "Do you also want to leave?", he responded immediately... speaking not only for himself, but for the rest of Jesus' friends also.  "Master, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life."  Peter had made a very simple but powerful profession of faith through those words.  In fact, they even resonate as truth down through the millennia to us today.

In the first reading from the book of Joshua, we see that the Israelites were faced with a similar situation.  Who would they worship?  Who would be their God?  They were now in territory surrounded by peoples who worshiped other gods.  Should they give up their faith in the God who had delivered them out of Egypt and assimilate with the surrounding peoples?

Joshua, their leader, had made his decision already and he did not hesitate to tell the people that he and his family would continue to serve the Lord.  But Joshua allowed the others to come to their own decision.  The people recalled the miracles that their God had performed for them and they knew that their God had protected them throughout their journey.  No way would they abandon him now.  Their gratitude, love and faith in his continued guidance gave them no other choice but to acclaim him as the God they would serve.

The psalmist surely echoes the joy and faith of those Israelites, as well as all of us, with these words from today's 34th Psalm:

I will bless the Lord at all times:
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the Lord...  


 ~ Image:  Father Humberto's Blog 

September Birthdays at St. E's ~ provided by Ethel Cooley

09/01 ~ Kariin Timmons

09/02 ~ Gloria Johnson

09/04 ~ Thelma Neal

09/05 ~ Stanley Glover, III

09/06 ~ George Strother

09/08 ~ Shelton Jones

09/09 ~ Terrance Holland Smith

09/10 ~ Erica Miller

09/11 ~ Arteria Moore

09/18 ~ Veronica Archer, Isaiah Goodwin & Michael Moore

09/21 ~ Duane Brannon, Jr. & Maxine Harvey

09/23 ~ Maria Barrow

09/24 ~ Marla Strother

09/30 ~ Valerie Smith

A foretaste of Heaven ~ A reflection on the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) ~ m.a.allen

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Prv 9:1-6

Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

Eph 5:15-20

Jn 6:51-58

This week Jesus speaks to us again in John's gospel about who he is and what he has done for us.  He calls himself the living bread come down from heaven.  He promises to give us his flesh for the life of the world!

These words sounded incredible to the Jews listening to him and they began quarreling among themselves as to their meaning.  How could Jesus give them his flesh to eat?  How could he be serious?  Well, a statement like that would be impossible to understand if it were interpreted only in human terms.  But Jesus was serious and he did not back down.  Because of his great love for us, Jesus continued to speak the beautiful words that would bring hope to all who believe.

Today, we understand the words of Jesus as pertaining to the Eucharist.  Our priest used the words of theologian, Karl Rahner in describing the Eucharist as the "in-breaking of the Kingdom."  At the words of Consecration, the elements of bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ... Heaven and Earth connected... and our foretaste of Heaven.  We will have life because of this bread from heaven that Jesus is.

We contemplate the invitation of Jesus and his promise that whoever eats this bread will live forever.  We are reminded that such an invitation was already given long before when we read the words of Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs.  Wisdom, who was present with God at the creation, is calling us:  "Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed; forsake foolishness that you may live..."



 ~ Image:  Bread of Life by Corbert Gauthier 

   

The Bread that I will give ~ A Reflection on the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

1 Kgs 19:4-8

Ps 34:2-9

Eph 4:30-5:2

Jn 6:41-51

Again this week, John continues his discourse about Jesus as the Bread of Life.  Jesus claims to be "the bread that came down from heaven." (6:41)  But now the people are beginning to murmur.  They have become confused and don't understand.  They know Jesus only as the son of Joseph.  They have grown up with him and his family.  They can't believe he is more that a carpenter's son.  How could this be?  Jesus is offering them eternal life if they believe in him!

From our perspective today, we can understand the confusion and murmuring of the people of Jesus' day.  However, we as Catholic Christians have come a long way in understanding what Jesus was talking about and we treasure the gift of himself that he has given to us.  We are believers in the bread of life and the eternal life that Jesus promised.

Every time we gather together as a community to celebrate Mass, we affirm our belief that the Eucharist is Christ's gift of himself to us... Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.  This is who we encounter as we open our hands to receive him.  His presence in us is what we long for.  We also recognize him in the people we meet every day.  If we believe this, how can we not treat each person with care and respect.

Though this is our faith... our belief... we also realize that we are sinners.  We know how many times we fail to recognize Jesus in our neighbor.  We find ourselves murmuring against others; acting in ways that destroys the peace and love in our own souls and in the souls of others.  These sins and the residue that sin leaves needs to be reconciled and forgiven so that we can go forth again and witness to the Good News of God's everlasting Love for us.

Paul explains to the Ephesians how we are to live:  "All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice.  ...be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ."

The psalmist expresses his joy for God's love for us; and we can follow his example:

"I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise will ever be in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the Lord;
the lowly will hear me and be glad."



 ~ Image from the website, In Jesus   

New St. Elizabeth Parish Blog and Wedsite!

Take a look at the new parish website and its blog!  George Strother is doing a fine job placing our St. Elizabeth parish family in a more professional setting and adding lots of photos of parish events and information.  Let George know if you have articles or photos that you would like to have published on the new blog.  You can reach George at the following address:  gstrother@strotherweinberg.com


The new St. E's website address is  http://www.stelizcc.org/

The new blog address is  http://www.stelizcc.org/blog/


The old blog will continue at this location for awhile at least, since we own the domain name until next year sometime.  However, I will concentrate on Sunday reflections for the most part and let the new blog fill in the rest.  I hope we will be able to save the blog archives for the several years this blog has been active.  It would be a pity to lose all the old photographs of parish events. 

Food for Body and Soul ~ A Reflection on the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Ex 16:2-4, 12-15

Ps 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54

Eph 4:17, 20-24

Jn 6:24-35

Again this week, we are brought to the realization of the importance of food for body and soul.

In the first reading from Exodus, we find the Israelite community hungry; complaining that they should have stayed in Egypt and died there as slaves, for at least they had food there.  The Israelites had lost their trust in God's life-giving care for them during their wandering in the desert.  Hunger can do that to people.

But God had not forgotten them and in a most unusual and creative way, their Heavenly Father provided them with "bread from heaven."

In John's Gospel, we learn what "bread from heaven" truly meant; for the people who had been miraculously fed in last week's Gospel again searched for Jesus and his disciples.  They wished to understand who this Jesus was and how Jesus fit into God's plan for them.  It was a spiritual hunger that now needed to be addressed.

Jesus answered their questions by explaining that the true bread from heaven is the Bread of God that gives life to the world.  Recognizing their spiritual hunger, the people begged Jesus to give them this bread.

We know about this spiritual hunger also.  It is more than the need for food and drink.  It is a yearning that draws us ever toward our God.  How do we satisfy this yearning, this desire for the spiritual bread that gives us life?  Jesus give us the answer in his final words of today's Gospel:

"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."

How beautiful this passage; how tenderly Our Lord loves us... to give himself as food in both Word and Eucharist.

We trust his words every time we receive him in Communion, even though we realize we are not worthy for him to enter under our roof.  Jesus desires us to believe in him...He welcomes us with the promise that when we receive him, we will hunger and thirst no longer.


 ~ Image:  MaryOsborn_photos

 

August Birthdays at St. E's ~ Provided by Ethel Cooley

08/03/12 ~ Ashanti Williams

08/04/12 ~ Jackson Cooper Stell

08/07/12 ~ Mary Jaquez

08/09/12 ~ Tonya Jones, Peter Thompson and Mieko Timmons

08/10/12 ~ Walker Bland

08/11/12 ~ Christopher Jaquez

08/12/12 ~ Lisa Moore and Daphne Sylvester

08/20/12 ~ Paulette Wright

08/21/12 ~ Vincent Cotman, Jr.

08/23/12 ~ Melvon McMillan

08/25/12 ~ Lyric Weston

08/26/12 ~ Candido Antomattei and Tracey Hall