Twenty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time 2024 Franciscan Gospel Reflection

Franciscan Friar Fr. Paul Gallagher reflects on the Gospel readings for the Twenty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time. Are there things about the Catholic Church to which you would like to say “These things are hard to accept?”

The content is edited by Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Anne Marie Lom and Joe Thiel. The excerpts from the Sunday readings are prepared by Joe Thiel. To read or download the complete pdf with excerpts for your prayer, please click here Franciscan Gospel Reflection August 25 2024. Excerpts are from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Photos: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons; Nheyob, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

John 6:60-69

Then many of his 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.”

Background:

This is the last Sunday that the Gospel text will be taken from the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel. Next Sunday the lectionary will return to Mark’s Gospel for the Gospel text.

The lectionary began drawing on the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel six weeks ago. The chapter began with the crowd seeking Jesus after he had crossed the Sea of Galilee. Jesus responded to the crowd in two ways: feeding them with the barley loaves and fish, and with his teaching. Within Jesus’ teaching they heard him claim that he was the bread of life come down from heaven, and all that that implied. But his teaching proved to be too much for many. “The Jews murmured about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven’ and they said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? … Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’” (John 6:41-42)

The last section of the chapter focuses on the disciples, Jesus’ own followers, and their response to his teaching. They find it hard to accept Jesus’ claim that he is the Son of Man who has come down from heaven. Jesus’ response to their difficulty is not to soften his claim or to try to make his teaching more acceptable. Rather, he confronts them with another question. If they have trouble believing that he has come down from heaven, what would they think if they saw him ascend into heaven? It is a hypothetical question. Jesus is also suggesting that “seeing is not the same as believing.”  The disciples have seen Jesus do some extraordinary things, yet they are having difficulty in believing what he is teaching them. Faith is not natural, nor does it come easily.

Jesus is not indifferent to the departure of some of his disciples. He turns to the twelve and asks them what they are going to do. He asks them about their intentions, leaving them free to act on their own, not asking them to stay nor saying that they have permission to leave. Instead, he asks them what they want to do. Peter, the spokesperson, makes three statements that seem to move toward a deeper faith and a deeper commitment to following Jesus:

• “…To whom else 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)

Even though these three statements follow one after the other, it took the early Christians more than a generation to come to this understanding of Jesus that John recorded in his sixth chapter.

Reflection Questions:

1. Are there things about the Catholic Church to which you would like to say “These things are hard to accept?”
2. Has your ability to accept some of Jesus’ teaching changed as you have gotten older? Where have you become more comfortable? Where have you become more challenged?
3. Has your ability to accept some of the Church’s teaching changed over the years? Where have you become more comfortable? Where have you become more challenged?
4. Has your personal response to people who have questions of faith changed as you have gotten older?
5. Do you have people whom you admire for their ability to respect others as they mature in their faith and/or values?
6. For you, what are the best parts of the Catholic Faith and tradition? What is the hardest?
7. If Jesus would turn to you and ask, “Do you too want to leave,” how are you responding?
8. Can you talk to God about how you honestly see yourself as one of Jesus’ disciples? Are there gifts for which you are grateful? Are there gifts for which you would ask?