Will You Take Me With You? (2015-08-23)

 Readings:    Sunday August 23, 2015

• Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b  • Psalm  34  • Ephesians 5:21-32  •  John 6:60-69 •

[__00__]    In our second reading, from Ephesians chapter 5, St. Paul writes about the importance of unity of husband and wife, the unity of a man and woman in marriage.

However, sometimes, this message is hard to hear, difficult to understand, when we hear the words, “wives should be subordinate to their husbands.”

As soon as we would hear the word subordination, we would not think of a person who is lesser in value, we think of inequality.

This is not St. Paul’s message. His message is that both partners to the marriage are important. And, in fact, the messages to husbands is equally stern (serious), that husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies.

Husbands are called to lay down their lives for the wives. Both parties are called to lay down their lives for each other.

And, I am sure every one of you who has a daughter going out on a date …or seeing a boy or young man with a romantic interest would want your daughter to choose her companion – or her future husband – based on who would lay down his life for her.

Nothing less would be acceptable.

And, this is what St. Paul is expressing to us about marriage and about the importance of unity and love for one’s spouse.  As Jesus himself said, “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ” (John 15:13)

[__01__]   Regarding the Gospel …. This conclusion  of Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John which we have been reading these past few weeks.

Will you take me with you?

This is the question asked before we would embark on certain journeys, especially if we were to be stranded or helpless is perhaps just delayed in time at Penn Station, Newark or JKF Airport,.

Will someone take us? Carry us? Or put us on stand-by?

Will you wait for me? Will you take me with you?

Can I go with you? Do you have space? Room? For one more?

[__02__]    We might say this was a question raised to Jesus, earlier, in this 6^th chapter of the Gospel of John.

First, there had been (was) a hungry crowd of thousands of people. Jesus, seeing – and taking a headcount of -- the crowd, asks Philip, “ ’ Where we can we buy enough food for them to eat?’  Jesus said this to test [Philip]--- [we read]- because he himself knew what he was going to do.” (John 6:6)

“Where can we buy enough for them to eat ….?”

[__03__]    Jesus was asking the apostles, in other words, “Can we take the 5,000 plus people with us?”

In the miracle, Jesus takes on – receives – everyone in the crowd – and multiplies enough bread and fishes for everyone, with “twelve wicker baskets with fragments left over.” (John 6:13)

[__04__]   Our Savior fed them, provided for them, took them in, preventing the crowd from going hungry, stranded and in out-of-the way place. They were on a mountainside during the encounter and miracle of the multiplication.

[__05__]    Now, of course, being fed, the crowd of 5,000 plus was satisfied and ready to move on, to walk away.

The challenging question of our Savior in return to them and to us is, “Will you take me with you?”

Or, as Jesus says to these followers, “will you also leave?”

They were having trouble with the fact that Jesus was not simply feeding them with bread made of grain but that he would feed them with his own flesh and Blood.

In other words, “will you also leave me behind?”

“Does this shock you?”

[__06__]   We come here to Sunday Mass to remember, to celebrate, to receive his wisdom, his perfect sacrifice. This is Holy Communion, Holy Eucharist.

We come here also to rest in God’s presence, both during the spoken words of the Mass and in the silence.

We come here to approach the table of the Lord’s altar, recalling that He multiplied his presence in this tabernacle of Our Lady of Lourdes and in many tabernacles so that there would be enough for everyone.

“Will you take me with you?”

[__07__]   This is a question not only about the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ at a scheduled Mass or Sunday Mass.

It is also question of our RECEPTION of God’s word, that we are called to not live by bread alone but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God (cf. Matthew 4:4). So, we are called to receive God’s word whether we are  at WORK or   PLAY/LEISURE.

When we are trying to decide how to use our time, money, energy.

Will you take me with you?

[__08__]  And, we might say – as some members of the crowd say – that we can find excuses not to accept Jesus as the additional traveling companion.

 [__09__]     Some of the followers in this crowd, after the multiplication, find themselves satisfied and they leave.

They are satisfied with BREAD ALONE …. Not with all the words that Jesus has spoken about his flesh and blood sacrifice.

They feel hindered by our Savior’s teaching.

This is free will. The free will which we all possess. The Lord does not impose himself on anyone.

[__10__]      He simply asks about our choices, our actions … in cases when feel ….

n  INJURED / HURT … We are called to forgive those who trespass against us. Will you take me with you?

n  REJECTED – if we have been rejected by someone, can we – as St. Paul says – return a blessing rather than an insult? This does not mean we have to make room – or encourage - for a person’s sinfulness or sinful behavior, but rather that we would make room for God’s mercy and kindness. Will you take me with you?

n  VULNERABLE … or if we trying to protect the vulnerable or precious life of someone else. Will we regard ourselves and others as Temples of the Holy Spirit?  Just as we show reverence at Holy Communion and before the tabernacle, can we also not show reverence to the Holy Spirit present in each of us, even reverence to ourselves.

We are called to be gentle judges of ourselves, but rather than harsh judges of ourselves or others.

St. Francis de Sales writes that a judge is more effective in passing sentence if he does so after some deliberation and he urges us to do the same before we pass harsh judgement on ourselves or others.

…and to recognize that Jesus is here in you and in me --- and that we are called take him with us, wherever we go.     [__fin__]