Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said,
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life,
while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said,
“For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father.”
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him.
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.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
“We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
As much as St. Peter is commonly known as the Apostle who goofed up a lot, he does have incredible moments of faith recorded in Scripture.
The Bread of Life Discourse is one of the most controversial/challenging passages in Scripture. Jesus has proclaimed that the bread of eternal, heavenly life is His own very flesh. It is recorded that the Jews quarreled among themselves because of the radical new teaching. Ultimately, many of His disciples chose to leave Him because “this saying is hard.”
The biggest critique the Church gets from both members and non-members is probably that the Church is full of rules and regulations, disciplines and teachings that cage people in from fully living. Yes, the Church does ask much of the faithful, and odds are you and I have at one point, or many points, in our lives questioned why the Church teaches what She does. Each of those questions merit their own long and difficult discussions, but I would like to propose that we first ask this question, “Who is Jesus and what is His relationship with me?”
In verses 67 and 68 of this passage, Jesus asks if His Apostles will also leave Him over this hard teaching. Despite the departure of many other disciples, He does not tone down His teaching. He does not compromise nor does He force His people to believe. Peter then proclaims in a total act of faith, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” My translation of Peter would be, “Yeah man, I totally do not get what You just said, and I’m not even sure if I can believe it, but I do know WHO You are, and I’m going to choose to believe in You.” The primary invitation for us is always, “Do I know and trust the Lord?” I may not agree or believe with what is being put before me by the Church (insert hard/controversial topic here), but I know WHO Jesus is. He is God who became man and offered His life for me, for you. He is love and mercy itself.
If you are struggling with some difficult teaching of the Church or just the burdens of your own life, look to the face of Jesus. Let Him love you just as you are. It is by encountering the living person of Jesus that we are disposed to see Him in the brokenness of our lives. It is our own relationship with Him that Jesus invites us into relationship with His bride, the Church. Our relationship with Jesus is what enables us to say with St. Peter, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” Lord Jesus, I do not know this, but I know You.
About the Author: Huy Tran is a seminarian for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Huy was raised Catholic all his life but didn’t encounter Jesus in his heart until his sophomore year of college at LSU. Falling in love with Jesus through Christ the King at LSU, he desired to share Jesus’ love through small group Bible studies and the service ministry at CTK. At the end of his time at LSU, he perceived that the Lord had invited him to discern the priesthood. Graduating from LSU in spring ‘19, Huy has spent the last two years at St. Joseph Abbey in Covington studying philosophy and will be entering Notre Dame Seminary in fall ‘21 to begin his theological studies. Huy asks that everyone reading this prays for him and his discernment of the priesthood, one (or more) Hail Mary will do :). Huy enjoys watching LSU and Saints football, going to the Chimes, and just spending time with his friends. And he loves praying.
Who is your favorite saint at the moment and why? St. John the Apostle (also known as St. John the Evangelist) - I have always had a devotion to St. John ever since my conversion, but he has made a particular impact in my life recently. To me, St. John is a model for the priesthood (and for seminarians). To share the Gospel, to serve others especially the poor and marginalized, to worship rightly, basically to be holy, necessitates intimate communion with the living God Himself. St. John is one who followed the Lord Jesus, grew in deep friendship with Him, abided in Him (Jn15:4), remained at the Cross when all the others had abandoned the Lord. He received Mary as his own mother and cared for her, and went out to proclaim that Jesus is love and Lord to the world.
What are the top three songs on your playlist? “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles, “Knowing Me, Knowing You” by the cast of Mamma Mia 2 and “Layla” by Derek and the Dominos
What food would you eat every day for the rest of your life? Spinach and Artichoke Dip from The Chimes with a Blue Moon
The Well is a weekly reflection series from Red Stick Catholics that was created to allow young adults from the Diocese of Baton Rouge to reveal how God is speaking to them through prayer and Scripture. Each reflection contains the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel, a reflection written by a young adult from the Diocese of Baton Rouge and prompts for how to pray with the Gospel and reflection during the week. If you are interested in writing a reflection, please email Nicole at [email protected].