August 25 – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?” As we come to the close of the ‘Bread of Life discourse’ in John’s gospel, we reach a moment of truth – do we accept AND embrace His teachings and His call to us? Even when it is hard? Even when we don’t understand? Even when others may ridicule us? Do we do so with both our words and actions? Do we listen for His voice, or do we try to insert ours? In short, do we come humbly before our Lord? Many of the disciples found themselves unable to let go of their biases, their pre-conceived notions, and even their thoughts for the best way forward. They could not find the humility to set aside themselves and follow the Lord in complete trust. He calls each of us to eat and drink of his body and blood that we might see that “his words are Spirit and life!”
And it is not an easy decision that Jesus puts before his disciples in our gospel. He has a lot of people following him. They have seen miracles. They have heard his teachings. But now he tells them he is the living bread. Eat my flesh and drink my blood and you will live forever. And his disciples say, “This saying is hard.” Not hard to understand. They knew what he was saying. But hard to accept. For they understood the implications. That they must not only hear his words but follow his words. They must not only believe but embrace. They must change their lives, for in taking Christ in fully, they must configure themselves to him. And many chose to leave. And he asked Peter about the apostles, and Peter says “to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
This same question is posed to each and every one of us every time we come to Mass. It all comes together in the Eucharist, and specifically in the human and divine person of Jesus Christ, whom we consume as we come forward to his table. Every Eucharist celebrates the decisions of the past, the present and the future. We celebrate the decision of God’s son to become a human being. We celebrate the decision of Jesus to give his life in love for our salvation. We acknowledge the truth of his teaching. We accept and embrace the Real Presence – that this is the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. That we must eat his flesh and drink his blood and thus be united to him, intertwined with him forever. We accept our decision to associate ourselves with Christ’s gift of himself, our decision to renew our faith. We submit to his teaching. We surrender to his will. We sacrifice anything and everything that might stand in our way of being one with him and of being his hands and feet in the world. We embrace our call of baptism to follow him, to evangelize others and bring them to him and to care for those in need as he cares for us. And when we say yes – Amen – as we receive Christ into our hearts and the very fabric of our beings – we say yes to it all! This is the core of our faith, the source and the summit! We must change. We must sacrifice. We must submit and surrender. When we say yes, we must accept it all, embrace it all, and commit to it fully in total humility! Yes! Amen! Yes!
As Vincentians, humility is at the very center of our call and response to God. Through our vocation as Vincentians, we look to follow in the virtues and charism of St. Vincent. We learn to set aside our biases to be a part of something bigger. We learn humility by adherence to the Rule. We learn charity through both our ministry to neighbors in need and our friendship to one another. Our Vincentian vocation serves to form us as disciples of Christ by seeing and seeking his presence in all those around us. Our ministry can be hard at times – especially when we come face to face with our prejudices. It is at those times that Jesus says “Come and follow me!” He invites us to see love – and to be love to one another. We are called to come humbly before Him and before those He brings to us both in our ministry and daily living. How do I look to the Lord for guidance in all decisions? How do I joyfully submit to His will? How do I seek the path of humility by saying Yes to God at all times?
Lord Jesus, give me a heart of total acceptance. Let humility become my robe of daily living. Allow me to seek nothing but your will in all things – even when they are hard. For you are the source of all things and you have the answers for life. I seek no other place to be. We pray all of this in your name. Amen
Deacon Mike