_*“Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter
answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life’”
(John 6:66-68)*_
The words
of Peter in today’s Gospel passage calls for some deep reflection. When it
comes to God, do we really have a choice? Is there an alternative to God? Where
else can we find salvation for our souls? Dear friends, if we cannot find
happiness following the footsteps of God, where else can we turn to?
The people
walked away from Jesus and stopped following him because he told them he was
going to give them his own flesh and blood instead of manna (ordinary bread)
they were expecting. The question is: Did they eventually find manna?
Like those
who walked away from Jesus, there are many times we walk away from God when our
expectations are not met. How? We stop taking prayers seriously, we become less
fervent with our devotional activities, or we turn aside from following our
conscience and begin to commit sin all in the hope of finding happiness or
something at least to soothe our pain.
Dear
friends, no matter the reason why we may want to turn our backs on God, the
truth is that THERE IS JUST NO ALTERNATIVE. St. Augustine said: “You have made
us for yourself O God and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” We
are made by God and made of God and made for God. Following God is not easy but
it is the best option we have.
Do you
notice that the same Peter who spoke in today’s Gospel passage is the Peter we see in today’s first reading working miracles in the name of God? Imagine
if Peter had walked away from Jesus during that moment of shock when Jesus said
they would eat his flesh?
We cannot
always understand God, yet God deserves all our trust. Don’t quit on God. Don’t
give up your prayers. Don’t drop that cross. It may look like Good Friday now
but your Easter Sunday will come. No matter how dark the night is, the daylight
must surely come.
Let us
pray: Lord Jesus, please give me courage to remain when I feel like giving up
on you or quitting the race. Amen
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith.
It is well with you. God bless you. (Saturday of the 3rd Week of
Easter. Bible Study: Acts 9:31-42, Psalm 116 and John 6:60-69).
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