Who Will I server?
There comes a point in everyone's life when we have to realize the power of the word no. It's a powerful word when you really think about it. The ability to say no is the very thing that enables us to set up boundaries in our lives. It's the thing that allows us to actually say yes. When we are about to say no to one thing, we can truly dedicate ourselves to something else. For many of us, we often struggle with that word. We find ourselves pressured into doing things we really don't want to do because we're nice, because we can't say no to people.
I remember a skit that we always used to do with the kids that illustrated the point perfectly. A boy was standing next to Jesus and said to Jesus, you're my number one, I love you and I want to give you my all. Then, we see his teacher, who says. You have an exam coming up…you really need to study. The boy says, "Hold on Jesus, I'll be right back, I need to study. Along came the basketball coach. "If you miss practice again, you're going to get cut from the team" Next came the girlfriend who said, "you never spend any time with me." Then, came the friends…"you're boring, we never do anything fun anymore." Soon the boy was running frantically from one, to the next, to the next, until he finally collapsed. It was then that Jesus stepped in, picked him up and told him, I'm here. I will help you through this, but you have to let me be God.
When Jesus is in charge of our lives, we have the security of knowing where things belong, what to say yes to and what to say no to. When we know what comes first. Everything else is done for his sake. Then we realize how our lives are supposed to fit together…
All of us reach a point like that in our lives. We simply can't continue going as we have been going. We have to stop and decide what's most important. We have to decide where our priorities are and what comes first. We have to decide where we stand. We have to decide where we can be pushed and where we can't. We have to decide what we really believe in. Once we've found that though, that central point inside of ourselves that defines who we are, the rest of the world becomes clearer. Once we have decided, this is who I am, and this is what I am called to do, every other decision in our lives is made for the sake of that one thing. Once we realize, we have been made, as the old Baltimore Catecism said, to Know God, to Love him, and to Serve him in this life and in the next...not just with words, but with our whole person. Everything else we do becomes clear. This is who I am and this is why I act as I do....
Ultimately, in the first reading, and in the gospel, we're presented asked exactly that quesion...who do you serve? Where will you go? Joshua asked the people of Israel. Decide now, decide today. The time has come that you can't sit on the fence any longer. Will you serve the God of your fathers, or the Gods of the Amorites, the Gods of the people where you're now living. The Jewish people had to make a decision. Are you with God or against him. Today is the day, make that choice. They could no longer sit on the fence. Either they accepted the seemingly comfortable, or they risked everything and followed God. Do we want to be ok, or do we want eternal life?
In the Gospel, Jesus says to the people, "Unless you eat the flesh of the son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life within you…" the people responded "this is hard" Jesus said…"Does it shock you...the words I have spoken are spirit and life" Then many people left. We remember a few weeks ago at the beginning of this story. There were 5,000 men, not counting women and children gathered listening to Jesus. He told them, do not work for food that perishes, work for the food of eternal life. Then he told them, unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will not have life within you…" and when questioned about it, he says again...What I have said is true...whether you believe it or not, that crowd of 5,000 began to leave. The gospel says that many of them returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. That huge crowd left, and only a handful remained.
Jesus then asked the few that remained...do you also want to leave? But they responded no. They said, YOU have the words of eternal life! We are convinced that you are the holy one of God. Jesus, we believe and we stand with you. We may not understand all of this, but that's ok. We can learn. Even when we doubt, even when we don't get understand. We follow Jesus Christ because we believe in Jesus Christ. If he is the center of our lives, we realize…he's proven himself to us again and again…when we don't understand….sometimes we need to trust, and look deeper so we can understand.
As we watch the news, it's something very present in our day. Every day, each in our own way, we're confronted with those challenges. It can be very tempting to simply say. Oh, it's not really that big of a deal, is it? It can be very tempting to simply go along to get along. Yet, Those are exactly the times when we have to decide for ourselves what is important. Where is the point where I must draw the line. Do I have a real relationship with Jesus Christ, Do I really believe that Jesus Christ has the words of everlasting life? Do I really believe that he gave himself to us in the Eucharist? Do I believe that the Holy spirit really does guide the Catholic Church? Do I act like it. Does that belief work through every action of my day? Every decision I make, every action I take is influenced by who I am and what I believe. If Jesus is truly the reason why I act…Then I know when I simply can't let a little thing slide. I know when I have to stand.
Each and every day, in a million tiny ways and a few big ones…We're constantly faced with one single decision that really does mean everything. Who do I serve? Will I serve the God of our Fathers….or will I serve the world?
I remember a skit that we always used to do with the kids that illustrated the point perfectly. A boy was standing next to Jesus and said to Jesus, you're my number one, I love you and I want to give you my all. Then, we see his teacher, who says. You have an exam coming up…you really need to study. The boy says, "Hold on Jesus, I'll be right back, I need to study. Along came the basketball coach. "If you miss practice again, you're going to get cut from the team" Next came the girlfriend who said, "you never spend any time with me." Then, came the friends…"you're boring, we never do anything fun anymore." Soon the boy was running frantically from one, to the next, to the next, until he finally collapsed. It was then that Jesus stepped in, picked him up and told him, I'm here. I will help you through this, but you have to let me be God.
When Jesus is in charge of our lives, we have the security of knowing where things belong, what to say yes to and what to say no to. When we know what comes first. Everything else is done for his sake. Then we realize how our lives are supposed to fit together…
All of us reach a point like that in our lives. We simply can't continue going as we have been going. We have to stop and decide what's most important. We have to decide where our priorities are and what comes first. We have to decide where we stand. We have to decide where we can be pushed and where we can't. We have to decide what we really believe in. Once we've found that though, that central point inside of ourselves that defines who we are, the rest of the world becomes clearer. Once we have decided, this is who I am, and this is what I am called to do, every other decision in our lives is made for the sake of that one thing. Once we realize, we have been made, as the old Baltimore Catecism said, to Know God, to Love him, and to Serve him in this life and in the next...not just with words, but with our whole person. Everything else we do becomes clear. This is who I am and this is why I act as I do....
Ultimately, in the first reading, and in the gospel, we're presented asked exactly that quesion...who do you serve? Where will you go? Joshua asked the people of Israel. Decide now, decide today. The time has come that you can't sit on the fence any longer. Will you serve the God of your fathers, or the Gods of the Amorites, the Gods of the people where you're now living. The Jewish people had to make a decision. Are you with God or against him. Today is the day, make that choice. They could no longer sit on the fence. Either they accepted the seemingly comfortable, or they risked everything and followed God. Do we want to be ok, or do we want eternal life?
In the Gospel, Jesus says to the people, "Unless you eat the flesh of the son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life within you…" the people responded "this is hard" Jesus said…"Does it shock you...the words I have spoken are spirit and life" Then many people left. We remember a few weeks ago at the beginning of this story. There were 5,000 men, not counting women and children gathered listening to Jesus. He told them, do not work for food that perishes, work for the food of eternal life. Then he told them, unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will not have life within you…" and when questioned about it, he says again...What I have said is true...whether you believe it or not, that crowd of 5,000 began to leave. The gospel says that many of them returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. That huge crowd left, and only a handful remained.
Jesus then asked the few that remained...do you also want to leave? But they responded no. They said, YOU have the words of eternal life! We are convinced that you are the holy one of God. Jesus, we believe and we stand with you. We may not understand all of this, but that's ok. We can learn. Even when we doubt, even when we don't get understand. We follow Jesus Christ because we believe in Jesus Christ. If he is the center of our lives, we realize…he's proven himself to us again and again…when we don't understand….sometimes we need to trust, and look deeper so we can understand.
As we watch the news, it's something very present in our day. Every day, each in our own way, we're confronted with those challenges. It can be very tempting to simply say. Oh, it's not really that big of a deal, is it? It can be very tempting to simply go along to get along. Yet, Those are exactly the times when we have to decide for ourselves what is important. Where is the point where I must draw the line. Do I have a real relationship with Jesus Christ, Do I really believe that Jesus Christ has the words of everlasting life? Do I really believe that he gave himself to us in the Eucharist? Do I believe that the Holy spirit really does guide the Catholic Church? Do I act like it. Does that belief work through every action of my day? Every decision I make, every action I take is influenced by who I am and what I believe. If Jesus is truly the reason why I act…Then I know when I simply can't let a little thing slide. I know when I have to stand.
Each and every day, in a million tiny ways and a few big ones…We're constantly faced with one single decision that really does mean everything. Who do I serve? Will I serve the God of our Fathers….or will I serve the world?
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