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| PETER SAYS TO JESUS, "TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?"Image from columban.com |
"As a result of this,
many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him."
How many teachings of the Church cannot be accepted by many? How many of her precepts are misunderstood? If Christ established the Church and which He has endowed with the Holy Spirit as Advocate and Guide, why is it that many people, including Catholics and non-Catholic Christians, question the Church, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, the community of Christ's followers?
One of the answers go back to the moment when the Lord taught about His flesh being real food and His blood being real drink which was so revolting to the Jews and which caused many of His disciples to leave Him, unable to accept the hard teaching. Such teaching was inconsistent with what the Jews believed and practiced. The Lord's declaration was tantamount to cannibalism hence it was not easy for the Jews to hear - how much more when they have to actually do what the Lord tells them: to eat and drink His body and blood!
Right after the Lord performed the miracle of the multiplication of the bread and fish, the people wanted so much to make Him their king. The very next day, they'd leave Him already because they were unable to accept what He taught them about what is the real food and drink. And the Lord did not even bother making even some little adjustments in what He declared in order to keep the people from leaving Him. He didn't say, "Come on, people. Don't leave. I was only telling you about my flesh as food and my blood as drink figuratively and symbolically. Don't be literal!"
Many people today still can't accept this doctrine of the Lord's Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist. They also cannot accept the primacy of St Peter, papal infallibility, the doctrines about the Blessed Virgin Mary, the teachings about life, family and marriage, the use of images of Saints, and many more. However the Church would try to explain these things, they won't listen. Perhaps it's related to what the Lord have also said, "Everything that the Father gives me will come to me" [John 6:37] and "No one can come to me unless the Father draw him" [John 6:44].
Though our focus is in the proclamation of the command of the Lord to love one another we cannot disregard that part and parcel of our relationship with God is believing in, standing up for and defending the Truth which also includes true doctrines about the Faith and proper application of the Faith in our lives. For even Christ asked His Apostles as to how people know Him and when Peter professed that He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, He changed his name from Simon to Peter, meaning rock, and established the Church upon him being the rock [see Matthew 16: 13-19]. For the Lord himself had said that the sensible person who built his house upon the rock and not like the foolish one who built his house upon the sand [see Matthew 7: 24-27]. Moreover, it is against charity and justice to lead others into the wrong beliefs and practices! Let us hold on to the Faith which has been handed down to us by the Apostles [see 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 1 Corinthians 11:2; 16:13]. Let us study our Faith so that we may be able to defend it, not necessarily through eloquent arguments but through our love in action [see Romans 12: 20-21; Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27].
Let us be like Peter and the other Apostles who acknowledged that it is only the Lord who has the words of Eternal Life [see John 6:68] and these words He has entrusted upon the Church [see John 14: 15, 26] to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth [see Matthew 28:19].
One of the answers go back to the moment when the Lord taught about His flesh being real food and His blood being real drink which was so revolting to the Jews and which caused many of His disciples to leave Him, unable to accept the hard teaching. Such teaching was inconsistent with what the Jews believed and practiced. The Lord's declaration was tantamount to cannibalism hence it was not easy for the Jews to hear - how much more when they have to actually do what the Lord tells them: to eat and drink His body and blood!
Right after the Lord performed the miracle of the multiplication of the bread and fish, the people wanted so much to make Him their king. The very next day, they'd leave Him already because they were unable to accept what He taught them about what is the real food and drink. And the Lord did not even bother making even some little adjustments in what He declared in order to keep the people from leaving Him. He didn't say, "Come on, people. Don't leave. I was only telling you about my flesh as food and my blood as drink figuratively and symbolically. Don't be literal!"
Many people today still can't accept this doctrine of the Lord's Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist. They also cannot accept the primacy of St Peter, papal infallibility, the doctrines about the Blessed Virgin Mary, the teachings about life, family and marriage, the use of images of Saints, and many more. However the Church would try to explain these things, they won't listen. Perhaps it's related to what the Lord have also said, "Everything that the Father gives me will come to me" [John 6:37] and "No one can come to me unless the Father draw him" [John 6:44].
Though our focus is in the proclamation of the command of the Lord to love one another we cannot disregard that part and parcel of our relationship with God is believing in, standing up for and defending the Truth which also includes true doctrines about the Faith and proper application of the Faith in our lives. For even Christ asked His Apostles as to how people know Him and when Peter professed that He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, He changed his name from Simon to Peter, meaning rock, and established the Church upon him being the rock [see Matthew 16: 13-19]. For the Lord himself had said that the sensible person who built his house upon the rock and not like the foolish one who built his house upon the sand [see Matthew 7: 24-27]. Moreover, it is against charity and justice to lead others into the wrong beliefs and practices! Let us hold on to the Faith which has been handed down to us by the Apostles [see 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 1 Corinthians 11:2; 16:13]. Let us study our Faith so that we may be able to defend it, not necessarily through eloquent arguments but through our love in action [see Romans 12: 20-21; Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27].
Let us be like Peter and the other Apostles who acknowledged that it is only the Lord who has the words of Eternal Life [see John 6:68] and these words He has entrusted upon the Church [see John 14: 15, 26] to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth [see Matthew 28:19].
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