21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrated By Archbishop Denis Hart
at Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne
on Sunday, 27th August at 11.00am

Introduction

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

At the conclusion of his discourse on the Bread of Life, Jesus’ words, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life”, reminds us of the wonderful promise of the Eucharist; an encounter with our God in the reality of his being and of his presence.

This has always been a challenge to Jesus’ followers.  We as people of faith reaffirm our belief and move forward, confidently nourished by Jesus, to the eternal life he promises.

As we celebrate this Mass, let us take this opportunity to affirm with Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  (Matthew 16:17)

Homily

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

A very popular folk singer of the 60s and 70s, Joan Baez, once said, “You don’t get to choose how you are going to die.  Or when.  You can only decide how you are going to live.  Now.”

The Spanish philosopher, Jose Ortega ey Gasset, said, “Living is a constant process of deciding what we are going to do.”  More telling still is the work of the Viennese psychiatrist and neurologist, Viktor Frankl, who was interned in a Nazi concentration camp from 1942 to 1945 and yet retained his freedom and ability to make decisions.  He said, “People don’t simply exist but always decide what our existence will be, what we will become in the next moment.”

Frankl, himself imprisoned in horrendous circumstances, claimed the last freedom which can never be taken away, the ability to decide what his attitude would be in any circumstance and to choose one’s own way.

The Readings today make this point precisely in a telling way for each of us; Joshua challenging us as to whether we will serve God or turn away to false gods.  His determination is shown in the words, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  In the second Reading we have a powerful example of how obedience, mutual caring, love and fidelity are at the essence of all that we do as followers of Christ.

In the recent Sundays under the motif ‘taste and see the goodness of the Lord’, we have been challenged by Jesus’ teaching about himself in the Eucharist.  Will we accept Jesus’ gift of himself as real food and real drink?  Or will we consider it too hard?  The Gospel itself makes this contrast between the things of everyday and the Spirit, “It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer, the words that are spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”

Each of us today is challenged to see how serious we are in our resolve to walk with Jesus or to reject him.  To take hold of a life that goes right through our earthly days to a death, when and how we know not, onward into eternal life.  Like Peter, Jesus asks us, will you also go away?   And we like him are able to respond, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the message of eternal life and we believe; we know that you are the holy one of God.”  (John 6:69)

Refusing the gift of Jesus living under the appearance of bread means walking away from him.  Even though we cannot fully grasp the power of his love, we too need to show by our life and the responsibility for making the good news believable.  We have to explain how Jesus gives more meaning to our lives and our lives must prove that Jesus makes a profound difference.  This is both the invitation and the challenge that is offered to us today.

+ Denis J. Hart,
Archbishop of Melbourne.