Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.(John 6:56)
We all have a choice in who we choose to follow. What person or group to follow on social media, what bands we listen to, and what authors we will read. We can also choose whether or not we will follow Jesus.
In our first reading, the Israelites had been through some difficult times, to say the least. Moses had passed many years before. Joshua, who led them into the Promised Land and through Israel’s conquest of Canaan, was now at the end of his life. The people had to decide who they would serve: the old Egyptian gods, new Amorite gods, or they had the choice to follow Joshua’s example of fidelity: “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).
“Fidelity expresses constancy in keeping one’s given word.” CCC 2365
Free Will: The Choice to Remain Faithful
Jesus’s disciples also had a choice. Jesus had just revealed the truth of His Real presence in the Eucharist and some just couldn’t believe this. Just like Joshua, Jesus gave his disciples the choice to stay and serve the Lord for leave. Many walked away, but the Twelve remained faithful “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.” (John 6:68-69)
We each have the same choice to stay united to Christ and His Church or leave His side. This is the gift of free will that God has given us (see CCC 1730). Some Church teachings can be difficult to understand; some even make us question our faith. When we come to these points of struggle, we can think about this passage. We can ask God to enlighten us and help us see what He sees. We can ask a trusted priest, nun, or spiritual friend to help us sort out our feelings and share their wisdom. We can search the Catechism or Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church to learn more. In this way, we learn to couple faith with reason to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the truth and “remain in Christ” (John 6:56).
Lord Jesus, I believe that you are “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6 ) Help me to remain faithful even when things are uncertain, foreign, or difficult to understand or believe.
“The human person participates in the light and power of the divine Spirit. By his reason, he is capable of understanding the order of things established by the Creator. By free will, he is capable of directing himself toward his true good. He finds his perfection ‘in seeking and loving what is true and good.'” CCC 1704