Joshua 24:1-2 ,15-18 Gospel: John 6:60-69

This Sunday we continue, and end, the series of readings from John’s gospel on the miraculous feeding of the crowd and Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist, the Bread of Life, the Bread he will give.

On each of the three previous Sundays the Old Testament reading is about bread or eating – the manna in the desert, the bread that sustained Elijah’s forty day journey, Wisdom’s banquet.

This Sunday the first reading is the striking passage from Joshua, where Joshua challenges the people to make a radical choice. Will they commit themselves to accept and follow Jahweh alone? This is significant. In the gospel reading Jesus has moved on and changed the question. It is not now about bread but about their fundamental relationship with Jesus. Can they accept him absolutely, trust him unreservedly and commit themselves to follow him?

Jesus’ giving us the bread of life, which is himself, means a total self-giving, as on Calvary. So following him means giving of ourselves as bread for others. Is it this rather than just the shocking language that some cannot accept so that they go away and walk no more with Jesus? Peter speaks for those who stay. His act of faith expresses his acknowledgement of who Jesus is, his conviction of his utter uniqueness and the absolute trustworthiness of his word. As we learn from Peter’s experience, this commitment rarely comes once and for all but has to be renewed again and again, and grows with the years.

Genevieve Mooney, OP