The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

August 25, 2024 – Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

John 6:60-69

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
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When I open my eyes each morning, I wonder about what choices I will face that day. That’s because I believe that we all have been endowed with the gift of freedom. Each day is like a blank piece of paper, or an empty screen, awaiting our decisions, our choices our unpredictable acts.

This matter of choice is not, however, something obvious. There have been many seemingly wise people who advocate what’s called “determinism.” Simply stated, this means that freedom is an illusion. Everything that we do, everything that happens to us, some believe, is determined by our genes, our impulses, our environment or forces totally outside our control. We are nothing more than sophisticated machines. Freedom is an illusion.

Yet a careful reading of today’s gospel suggests that Jesus fully values and believes in human freedom. For instance, we can freely choose whether to believe in God and follow the example and teachings of Jesus, or not. It’s up to us.

And referring to how I began this reflection, each day offers us opportunities to make free decisions, which includes the opportunity to live in accord with God’s intent for us or turn our back on God by acting selfishly, ignoring our own best interests or the opportunities that come our way to help others.

So, how many acts of genuine freedom have you made yesterday or today? I used to ask my students this question and after an initial reaction that this is a silly question, many awaken to the reality that this is a very important question that deserves full attention.  They realize that they often simply follow through each day directed by “forces” like habit or a lack of self-awareness.

Again, in the gospel for today, notice that Jesus states that some people faithfully accept his message of God’s love and forgiveness. But others follow for a while but then go in another direction. We are free to do either. And our decision to follow Jesus is not made once and then we can forget about it. No, it is made with every free decision each day. That keeps it fresh and alive. That is what it means to follow Christ faithfully and with the enthusiasm it deserves.

David M. Thomas, PhD