Why We Stay

The Sunday Mass scriptures during this summer of horrors have often been eerily appropriate, beginning with Jeremiah's polemic against malfeasant shepherds who mislead the Lord's flock (July 25) and continuing through the story of many disciples' defection after the “hard words” of the Bread of Life discourse (August 26). And it's entirely understandable that more than a few Catholics have choked on the word “holy” these past few months, when asked to affirm it of the Church during the Creed and the Offertory. But while understandable, it still bespeaks a misunderstanding. The reason why is given immediately after the defection story in John 6: 60-66, when the Lord asks the Twelve whether they, too, are going to bail on him and Peter answers, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”