21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
August  23,  2009

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven;

whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread

I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

As soon as he said that, the crowd began to grumble.

“That’s nonsense” some said, and walked away.

Jesus was left with a handful of friends, and Peter was

one of them.  They looked at each other and Jesus asked,

“Do you want to leave, too?”

Peter put his head down, hesitant to answer;

the silence was painful.

“Is he having second thoughts?

Did the doubts of the crowd get to him?

“Is he thinking that what I said was nonsense, too?”

Jesus waited while Peter seemed to be searching for

words that wouldn’t hurt.  He kept trying to think the

thoughts in Peter’s head.

“I wonder if he regrets packing up so quickly when I

asked him to follow me.

“Does he miss his family, his home?

“Is this the excuse he’s been looking for to call it quits?

“If my oldest friend leaves me, will the disciples go, too?”

Slowly Peter raised his head and said, “No I am not leaving.”

With the silence broken and the answer given Jesus relaxed.

Peter went on, "You’ve unlocked in me ideas I’ve never had

before.

“I’ve watched you break the rules for mercy’s sake,

forgive people that others chose to stone,

sit with thieves around a dinner table and make

them feel at home.

“Where else would I ever find a teacher who taught me how to

live not with words but by living life the way it should be lived,

kindly,

humbly

lovingly.

“No one knows you better than I.  I’ve been with you day and

night when they wished to make you king and when they

angrily called for you to die.

“No, I cannot leave you now, and I won’t.

for your life’s in mine and mine’s in yours

and while I cannot see what is ahead for me

I’ll follow you knowing with all my heart

that you will lead me there, wherever that may be.”