August 19, 2018 - Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"The Most Important Call of Our Lives"

Audio Clip

We all know how crazy things can get sometimes around Christmas.  So, in the middle of December, 2016, I was just too busy to take a cellphone call that I'd received so I let it go to voice mail.  Later that day, when I had a moment, I played the message back and I heard a voice that I knew pretty well --- it was our eldest daughter's boyfriend who said, "Hi Mr. Vierra, I'm wondering if you're going home before Kristi's game?  I wanted to see if I could talk to you for a minute or where the best place to grab you for a second would be? Thanks." His call would be one of the most important I have ever received --- when we later connected, I learned that he wanted my permission to ask for our daughter's hand in marriage and to begin a beautiful, new relationship with her and our family.

Today, in John's Gospel, we learn that Jesus was in a crazy situation of His own.  Far removed from His initial, disappointing revelation to a small group of family and friends in Nazareth, Jesus now found Himself the focus of thousands of faithful followers, curious spectators and dubious doubters wherever He went.  Jesus was now a battle-tested missionary who understood the challenges that were in front of Him. Today, Jesus speaks as a man with great conviction --- although He was a man whose proposals had previously been turned down by some, He was a man who was confident in His message of unconditional love and forgiveness and His authority to convey that message.

The Gospel of John is known to be a window into the humanity of Jesus.  I believe that today's verses, and the verses we've heard in recent weeks, are intended to illustrate that Jesus knows how difficult our lives and our faith journeys can be.  Jesus' message was not universally accepted then, and it certainly isn't today. Some in the crowd believed in Him, and some did not --- that is why they were arguing, just like today.  But, Jesus never stopped working. Like a man whose bride initially turns him down, Jesus had to find other words, other ways to impress his audience. Over time, I'm sure that Jesus learned what methods of evangelization were most effective --- His mission was probably not perfect, but He persevered.  He didn't quit.

Those who chose to accept Jesus' proposal, and believed that He was the Son of God, were fortunate to live in His presence.  But during those days, despite His voice declaring, "I am the living bread from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever . . . .",  Jesus' words were their only source of His spiritual nourishment. Not until the Last Supper, would Jesus institute His precious Body and Blood in the sacrament of Holy Communion as a source of Divine grace.  But, Jesus' intentions went well beyond His audience of that day --- they went to a people most of whom were not yet born --- to you and me. In a sense, He was a man proposing to a woman He had never met. So, today, not only do we hear the words of Jesus in the Gospel, but we receive "the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood", just as Jesus foreshadowed thousands of years ago. 

There is no greater "yes" to Jesus' spiritual calling then our "fully-invested" participation in Holy Communion.  This isn't a command from Jesus, it's His invitation. We are free to remain in our seat, or to stay at home, all-together.  Only during my diaconate formation, did I begin to understand the beauty of this part of the mass and the exchange which occurs in which Jesus invites us to place our petitions, our sorrows, our thanksgiving --- our very lives at the foot of His cross as an offering of obedience, of contrition and of love to God the Father.  And, in response, Jesus' love compels Him to come to our aid. For me, the Eucharistic procession is the most beautiful part of the mass --- when I see you all in line, sometimes, it brings tears to my eyes. When we approach the altar to receive Jesus, we claim Him as our Savior, we accept His invitation to live with Him in this world, to receive His healing grace and to accept the responsibility of loving discipleship --- of suffering when we'd rather laugh and of forgiving when we'd rather fight.

As we prepare to place our offerings along-side the perfect offering of Jesus on this altar, let us pray that our Lord fills us with the grace to better understand the relationship which is present during the Eucharistic miracle.  And, with this understanding, may we feel more deeply and more intimately the loving union which is formed when we accept His precious Body and Blood. And, finally, on a personal note, as my daughter and her fiancée approach their wedding day of September 14th, I ask that you pray with me --- that our Lord Jesus blesses them with a holy, happy life together --- thank you so much.  We ask all this through Christ our Lord. Amen.