John 6:60-69

Acts 9:31-42

Psalm 116:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

John 6:60-69

Many of the disciples of Jesus 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 walked with 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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, every day I am faced with a decision to believe and follow you and your Son or return to my former way of life. Strengthen my resolve to follow you always. You truly give me life in your Son. I never want to be separated from you.

Encountering the Word of God

1. This Saying is Hard: At the beginning of today’s Gospel passage, we hear about the disciples who grumbled against Jesus’ teaching about himself as the Bread of Life and the need to eat his flesh and drink his blood to have eternal life. They refused Jesus’ invitation to Eucharistic conversion. Instead of embracing the newness of life and the gift of the Eucharist, many of Jesus’ disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him. “They returned to a way of life without Jesus. They chose his absence rather than his presence in their lives. Instead of accompanying him, they walked alone. Their rejection of the gift of Jesus’ word, body, and blood meant they would not walk with him. And neither could he send them on mission” (Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Homily at the U.S. National Eucharistic Congress, July 24, 2024).

2. Do You Also Want to Leave? Jesus asks each one of us, “Do you also want to leave me like the others did?” We hope we can answer like Peter and remain with Jesus and abide in him. Thus, Peter’s question, “To whom shall we go?” seems to have two answers. On the one hand, we need to go to Jesus. He has the words of everlasting life. Without Jesus, we are nothing. Jesus is the Holy One sent by the Father to redeem and save us from sin and death.

3. To Whom Shall We Go? On the other hand, we need to take what we have received and go to others. “Like Peter, we should believe with conviction. Jesus does not impose himself on anyone. He appeals to our interior freedom. Faith and conviction are our gifts to Jesus, who gives himself to us. … Will you stay with Jesus? … Those who choose to stay with Jesus will be sent by Jesus. The gift of his presence and love for us will be our gift to people. We should not keep Jesus to ourselves. That is not discipleship. That is selfishness. The gift we have received, we should give as a gift. Have you experienced the tenderness of Jesus towards his tired disciples, offering them time to rest and to eat, as recounted in the gospel today? Go and share Jesus’ tender love to the weary, the hungry, and the suffering. Have you experienced Jesus’ compassion and guidance when you were like sheep without a shepherd? Go and share Jesus’ shepherds’ caress to the lost, confused, and weak. Have you experienced Jesus’ wounded heart uniting those who are separated from each other, as St. Paul states in his letter to the Ephesians? Go and share Jesus’ gift of reconciliation and peace to those who are divided” (Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Homily at the U.S. National Eucharistic Congress, July 24, 2024).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have pronounced my name and invited me to rise with you to new life. You invite me to follow you even when others reject you and the mysteries you reveal. You can do great things in and through me, and I entrust myself to you today.

Living the Word of God: How am I called to follow Jesus today? Will I be like Peter and reaffirm my faith in Jesus and open my heart to receive his words of everlasting life?