OUR SUNDAY’S IN AUGUST 2009

Today we see clear evidence that Jesus is all too often rejected by those who find His word too much to bear. During this month we have been listening to Jesus clearly as He tells us that He is the Bread of Life, and unless we eat this Bread we will have no life within us. Despite this clear, unambiguous, pointed message, we still only want the Bread when it can do something for us.

If we want to receive the Gospel as it is intended to be received - we must forget political correctness and listen attentively. Paul tells us how we are to live in relationship with the Church. (This is problematic because so many people think they can love Jesus Christ without being part of the Church.)

For example, not in recent memory have so many Catholics called for excommunication of other Catholics, particularly Catholic politicians, over moral issues, especially the right to life issue. These Catholics should and have the right to expect that the Church will do something about it. Kudos to the Bishop in Colorado who during the democratic convention advised those Catholic democrats not to come to their Altar seeking the Holy Eucharist. John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden all boast that they are devout and loyal Catholics and then proceed to instruct the public that abortion is permitted – it’s just a matter of interpretation! That same Gospel message now becomes weakened by trying to make it fit and support their way of looking at the world.

This is to be our relationship with the Church. Few people want to hear that our relationship with the Church should be so intimate that no one can think of “me” without thinking of the Church. Conversely, no one should be able to think of the Church without thinking of Jesus’ presence in the people, the Body of Christ, and literally in the bread and wine – the Eucharist.

Many of Jesus’ followers left Him because of His direct and unapologetic preaching on eating His flesh and blood and becoming the Church, the Body of Christ. The Apostles knew this was hard, too, but they discovered the truth, “Master, to whom shall we go?” We, too must choose. Will my choice be what I want or what God wants?

The Most Rev. John P. Walzer, D.D.
Archbishop