21st Sunday Ordinary Time August 22, 2021

Readings:  Joshua 24.1-2a, 15-17,18b, Ephesians 4.32-5.1-2, 21-32, John 6.53,60-69

One of the most challenging aspects of life is commitment. It is a choice. It is a decision. It locks us into a pattern of conduct that determines all or part of our life. It is commitment that is at the heart of today's readings.

Joshua proclaims that he and his family will serve the Lord. St. Paul, in a reading that is too often misunderstand, speaks of a commitment of mutual respect and love as the work of husband and wife. And Peter sums it up nicely when he proclaims his commitment of faith and says: " Lord, to whom shall we turn."

Today it is so very common for people to say that they are Catholic" and yet reject most of the teachings of the Church. IT is easy to say, " I am a Catholic," and it is truly difficult to be Catholic. The Gospel of John today brings us back to the place of decision. Many of the followers of Jesus left Jesus because of his teaching about the Bread of life, that He Himself is the Bread and that we must eat His body and drink His blood. If that teaching were only symbolic, it would not have offended those followers. So many today, even among Catholics, no longer believe in the real presence. Jesus Christ is truly present in the bread and wine, which become His body and His blood. Only when the strength of that teaching is present can we understand why followers left Him in His own time and why people today still find it difficult to accept the Divine presence, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Holy Eucharist.

When we come to communion in our Catholic Church, we affirm that Christ is truly present, not just as symbol and not just as remembrance -but truly present, Body, blood Soul and Divinity. This is why the early Christian believers could rejoice and could be strong when They were persecuted.

Commitment demands a great deal. Commitment demands 100% of ourselves.. not 50 or 70%. To commit ourselves is to puit other things behind us in order that we might be faithful...faithful to God and to each other. Commitment isn't always easy. But commitment transforms our lives. It is only commitment that opens us to achieving goals and reaping awards that would never be ours without our willingness to commit ourselves.  Let us remember Jesus is with us, now and always, and in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.