Will You Also Leave?

21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle B

 “This saying is hard, who can accept it?” As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. 

You’ve probably heard the joke, based largely upon fact, that the second largest religious denomination in the United States is fallen away Catholics. I think that’s true, and the statistics tell us that when Catholics fall away, it is usually because they do not agree with certain teachings of the Church. And yet when Catholics leave, they do not usually go searching for the truth in another religion or denomination. They simply stop going altogether. And ironically, when asked they still identify themselves as Catholic, even though they are not active in their faith.

This isn’t a new thing. Today we’ve heard about the first group of fallen away Catholics. Some of those who were closest to Jesus.

Many people today think that some of Jesus’ teachings are outdated, not in keeping with our modern sensibilities, that they’re a product of a patriarchal, oppressive society that we’ve grown beyond. And they point to that second reading today as proof. So they pick and choose those teachings they think are evolved, and discard those they think do not apply anymore. Or worse, they twist and bend the teachings in an amazing display of intellectual and philosophical gymnastics to make them say what they want them to say. 

It was the same in Jesus’ day. Today’s gospel is the conclusion of the great Bread of Life discourse in John. It began with the feeding of the five thousand with five loaves and two fishes. That was a great thing. The people were amazed and happy that they received their fill of food. A miracle. That was easy for them to accept because they experienced it with their own eyes and stomachs. 

Then we heard that the people followed Jesus across the Sea of Galilee because they wanted more of the free food. As long as they could get something for nothing they were enthusiastic in their belief in Jesus. It’s easy to believe when we agree. But then Jesus started saying some strange things. He said that just as the Hebrews had received manna in the desert from heaven, God had sent him to be the living bread. Weird, but they could sort of relate because they had heard the stories of the manna their entire lives. Jesus was just speaking metaphorically, right? We get it. Your teachings will feed us. You are referring to spiritual food, right?

But then last week Jesus got a bit more specific. “The bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.” Huh?

“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him.”

That was too much for them. Too literal. No wiggle room . Jesus wasn’t being metaphorical. The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Who does he think he is?” And that is where we took up again today. The Jews could not understand or accept that teaching of Jesus. And so many of his own disciples left him. It was easy for them to follow Jesus when he was giving them what they wanted. It was easy for them to follow Jesus when he gave them free stuff. But when he began talking about things they could not or would not understand and accept, they left him. 

And what about the others? 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.” Where else could we go? I think that is why most people who leave the Catholic Church just stop practicing their faith altogether. Where else could they go? How many words of eternal life are there? If there is one God, there is one truth. Jesus said he is the way, the truth and the life. Where else but in Jesus can we find those words of eternal life? If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God then you must believe that he alone has the words of eternal life. If we reject Jesus’ words we reject him, and if we reject him, can we ever share eternal life? 

Wow, that’s hard. But isn’t that the core of the matter? Isn’t eternal life what it’s all about? It’s not about you coming to church to feel good or become a better person, or to fulfill some psychological or spiritual need. It’s all about eternal life. Your eternal life. And the only way we can attain eternal life is by following the truth. If you don’t believe Jesus is the truth, then why are you here?

Joshua said to the Hebrews, "If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve.” And you must serve if you are to attain eternal life. Will you serve the Lord, or will you serve the many other gods you have set up in your life? And if you have a problem with St. Paul saying that we must be subordinate to one another, how can you subordinate yourself to an unseen God, especially since you think he’s sometimes completely out of date?

Where else could you go? Jesus says that unless you eat his body and drink his blood, you have no life within you. No life. And so you come to Mass to celebrate and receive that life. Where else could you go? He says that his body and blood are true food and true drink, not some symbol. And so you come to Mass to eat and to drink. Where else could you go? What other doctrine or religion or denomination gives you that? 

You can twist his words and rationalize it all day long, but this is the only place you can find Jesus’ body, soul and divinity.  Jesus said he calls us his friends, and we are his friends if we keep his commands. Not our will but his will be done. This is the place Jesus commanded us to come. Do this in memory of me. And yet most of us take it for granted, or just show up when the mood hits us or it’s convenient. Or thousands just stop coming at all.

And if you think that Catholicism is just one of many ways to get to heaven, all equally good, think again. Peter didn’t say, “You know, Jesus, there’s another rabbi in the next town over who has a message that’s easier to accept. We’ll just go there.” No, he said, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Not some words, THE WORDS. And then Peter and the twelve took those words and passed them down to us through the tradition of the Church. Unbroken and unchanged for over 2000 years. 

Where else could you go?

We may like all the feel good sayings of Jesus, but his core teachings challenge us. They can be hard to accept. They can be hard because we make them hard. Because we want to live the lives we want to live, and not live the way God created us to live. We want to have all the pleasure we desire. We don’t want moral constraints. We remove all limits on our sexuality. We pour chemicals into our bodies that alter our most basic functions. We try hard to say when life will begin and when it will be prevented. We take it upon ourselves to determine which lives are worth living and which aren’t convenient. We look to fundamentally change the very foundations of society, given to us by our Creator, twisting scripture to justify our positions. 

You know, it is going to become harder and harder to remain a faithful follower of Jesus. The pressures that are being placed upon us by our society and our government will lead to more and more people leaving the Church. It will become just too hard to fight it anymore. Cardinal George of Chicago, one of the smartest bishops I’ve ever heard, said recently, “I will probably die in my bed. My successor will die in prison, and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.” Over the top? Hyperbole? Or prophetic? Time will tell.

The saddest thing is that we ourselves are complicit in our own destruction. Many Catholics today not only agree with forcing faith out of public life, they are actually working to make it happen. We take so much for granted, and have lost sight of the ultimate goal, eternal life. Empty pews testify to that.

The ancient Hebrews were also beset with pressure to conform to the myriad gods of the people surrounding them. Joshua told them, “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."

What about you? Do you also want to leave? Whatever happens, as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.