B Cycle – 21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time 24

Jn. 6:60-69

A Gallup poll conducted two years ago showed that 81% of Americans believe in God. Every time, we as Catholics, go to mass on Sunday we profess that belief as we recite the Creed. But belief in God is not the real issue for, is it?  We can believe God exists, without ever acting on that belief.  Belief in God was not the issue for Joshua (Joshua 24) in the first reading today.  Joshua’s question had to do with the need for a deeper response to our belief in God.  A response which demands each person to act on their belief in God.  It demands an honest assessment of our faith in God.   Belief is easy because belief only acknowledges God exists. It does not mean we have faith in God.  Remember the demon in a possessed man said to Jesus “…have you come to destroy us; I know who you are the Holy One of God (Lk.4:34). 

Joshua is asking the Israelites, to go beyond just believing in God and acknowledge in Him is found all they desire.  Joshua’s challenge is to remember how God provided for them after freeing them from slavery in Egypt.  Even when they doubted and grumbled. Even while they believed God had abandoned them and they were going to die.  Joshua is telling them to recall those moments of grace when God provided for them.  From the moment God responded and freed from the yoke of slavery, they witnessed God’s power.  It began the night of the Passover when all the first born of the Egyptians died and how God protected them by the blood of the lamb smeared on the lintels of their homes. 

He called them to remember how God was with them as they stood in fear on the banks of the Red.  To remember how God provides water, food, and protection from the army of Amale.  How God mercifully overlooked their sin as they fashioned the golden calf.  How God remained faithful as they doubted as they stood at the entry to the promised land.  Moses prior to Joshua and now Joshua was telling them to never forget and to remember.  To daily affirm their belief and to always trust God will continue to protect them and lavish His love upon them.

We have reminded our children, a close friend, a spouse or even a student who was going through a time of doubt to believe. When they struggled with self-doubt and their inability to achieve a goal.  We know how that kind of doubt is often a concern about lacking something.  Because we are close to them, we encourage them, and we do everything we can to remind them their strengths are more than adequate to overcome all obstacles.  We tell them how much we believe in them and how they have what it takes to act.   We do that because we want them to believe they can achieve things they cannot see.  That even if God is unseen, it does not mean He is not with them.    

There is an interesting movie titled “Waking Ned Devine set in a ridiculously small town in Ireland. It is humorous and engaging.  Without telling the whole story there is one scene which describes our inability to go beyond just “believing in God” especially when we do not feel His presence.  A young priest who is subbing for the town’s vacationing pastor.  This priest is talking with the youngest resident of the town, a young boy named Maurice. During their conversation, the priest aske Maurice if he thinks he would be interesting in being a priest.  Maurice answers by saying no “because he does not believe he could work for someone he cannot see.” 

It is easy for us to say the words of the Creed each Sunday.  What is difficult for us is to stand firm on what we profess to believe.  We can easily believe God exist, but do we believe in God’s promises.  His promise that “if we believe we have eternal life.’  If
“we believe we can move mountains.”  If we keep our eyes on Jesus, we “can walk on water.” If we believe “we can love as God loves.”  If we believe we “can do the things that Jesus did and even greater things.’ 

We have been given all we need to be faithful to God not to just believe in God but to live “a life worthy of the calling we have received” (Eph. 4:1).  We have been given the gift of forgiveness of our sins by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and by the grace of our admitting we are sinners in need of the sacramental grace.  We have been given the “promise of the father” (Lk.24:49) – the Holy Spirit who Christ said would remind us of all He said and did.  This promise of the Spirit was given to us through the prophets, saying the Sprit would transform our hearts so we would desire to be united with God and centered on “serving God.” Those same words echoed by the Israelites who responded to Joshua’s challenge. 

Joshua challenged the Israelites long before the Prophets of Jeremaih and Ezekiel who spoke of the promise of God to change our hearts.  Our greatest challenge as humans is that we need to assess something before we try it or buy it.  Before we buy a house, we demand a “house inspection.” We test drive a car to see how it rides or feels.  We try a new dish by tasting a small portion of it.  To act on faith, we must trust what God is asking us to do is not only doable but is going to add a deeper dimension to our faith.  Here we are again with the need for a ‘childlike faith” to act without thinking about it.  It is like a child standing on the high diving board, looking down into ten feet of water which looks like it is miles away. 

Do we dare dive or jump into that water?  Our father is below, encouraging us to jump.  He is there to make sure we will not perish.  Do we jump or do we go back down the latter and jump off the small diving board instead? Or do we walk back into the shallow end and walk down the steps into the pool? 

To act on faith we must do what Peter did and take a step of faith knowing God is there if we keep focused on Him.

B