SAINT FIDELIS OF SIGMARINGEN, PRIEST AND MARTYR (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

This saying is hard; who can accept it?

Imagine how shocking Jesus’ words must have been to the people who heard them. Do we really need to eat this man’s flesh and drink his blood (John 6:53)? Peter, and all the disciples, must have struggled with them as well.

But look at how Peter responded when Jesus asked him and the disciples whether they would join everyone else in leaving him: “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Peter believed that Jesus was the Messiah, and this helped him to accept Jesus’ words, even if he didn’t fully understand them at that moment.

Now, you may not have a problem believing in the Eucharist. But is there another teaching from Jesus or the Church that you or someone you know finds “hard” to accept (John 6:60)? It could be a moral teaching. It could be about Mary. Or it could be a passage in the Bible. When we come up against something we struggle to grasp or fully agree with, what should we do?

We can imitate Peter’s attitude: keep following Jesus and believe that understanding will come with time.

This isn’t the same as blind faith. God isn’t asking us to throw our reason out the window. He respects our intellect, and he wants us to use it. In the meantime, we need to be patient and say, Even though I don’t fully understand, I choose to believe. And as I seek to understand, I will search with faith.

But how, on a practical level, can we continue to deepen our understanding? We may want to talk to a friend or our pastor or someone else who has a better grasp on a topic. In addition, many resources, including most Church documents and the Catechism, are accessible online. We can find a good study Bible. Most important, we can pray that God would guide and help us.

Jesus knew what a hard saying his words about the Eucharist were going to be for some. He also knows what will be difficult for you. So come to him and trust that he will give you insight, one step at a time.

“Lord, I believe! Help me to understand your ‘hard’ sayings.”

Acts 9:31-42
Psalm 116:12-17
John 6:60-69

WORD AMONG US