21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Following in the footsteps of Jesus sometimes means being willing to accept a certain amount of suffering and pain so that, at times, one might become discouraged and tempted to give up. So what helps us to keep going when the going gets tough? How do we remain faithful to the call to discipleship when the cross we carry gets heavy? The readings from today’s Liturgy of the Word give us some help and encouragement.

In our First Reading (Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b), Joshua proclaims to the people that he and his household will serve the Lord, even though many around them have strayed from the path of righteousness. The reason that Joshua and his family were able to remain faithful was their awareness of, and gratitude for, God’s presence in having led his people out of slavery in Egypt, and God’s ongoing intercession in their daily lives. Might the same hold true for us? When things get difficult for us, are we not encouraged to go on by our recollection of God’s fidelity and providence in the face of past challenges?

In the Second Reading (Ephesians 5:21-32), Saint Paul reminds the Ephesians of the importance of being submissive to one another in their relationships, recognizing that by their very nature, relationships require the ability to compromise, and even to put the needs of the other ahead of our own. Isn’t the same true of our experience? So often we must rely on the support and encouragement of our spouse, siblings, children and friends, to stay the course in the face of the challenges that life presents; and most especially the challenge of walking the narrow road that leads to the Kingdom of God.

Today’s Gospel (John 6:60-69) shows an all too common response by disciples who find the going to be too difficult at times. When Jesus told his followers that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood or they would have no life within them, some of them could not accept that teaching and they walked away. Like Jesus’ first disciples, we too, may be tempted at times to walk away from our faith and from the commitment to live out our baptismal call. At those times, let us pray to have the faith of Peter, who recognized that Jesus alone had the words of everlasting life – words of encouragement and words of forgiveness, words of hope, words of mercy, words that call us out of the darkness of frustration and despair into the light of the Risen Lord and all his promises. And even more than such words, Jesus offers us his very self – his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Most Holy Eucharist.