21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Aug 22-23, 2015)

My older brother, Pat, had a morning paper route when he was in high school. The problem was that he was not a morning person. My mother had to call him several times in order to wake him up. He would then go downstairs and fall on the davenport for a few more winks. This led to another series of “Pat, get up and on your route. One day in exasperation my mom said to my dad, “I don’t know what will become of that boy,” to which my dad replied, “Don’t worry, Martha, he will stumble into something.” Pat did very well for himself. He graduated from college; got a job with the IRS after serving in the army, married a good wife and had a family. He retired at age 52 and started his own business, which he worked at up to his nineties. But, he did not stumble into these good outcomes. They were the result of good decisions and a lot of commitment on his part. My point is that no one stumbles into making something of their lives. It requires dedication.

One of the most challenging and important aspects of our lives is commitment. Commitment involves a choice that locks us into a pattern of conduct that determines all or a significant part of our life. To commit ourselves is to put other things behind us in order that we might be faithful, faithful to God and to another. That is not always easy but it transforms our lives. It is only commitment that opens us to achieving goals and reaping awards that would never be ours otherwise and it is commitment that is at the heart of God’s Word to us today.

In our first reading Joshua proclaims that he and his family will serve the Lord. in other words be committed to the Lord. St. Paul, in a reading that is too often misunderstood, speaks of mutual respect and love of husband and wife. And Peter sum it up nicely when he proclaims his commitment of faith and says, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of Eternal Life.”

One of the characteristics of our culture today is that many people are unwilling to make a commitment. Pope Francis has described most cultures today as characterized as individualism and a “throw away” attitude. These don’t fit well with commitment. So, many people don’t want to tie themselves down in the fear that things may not work out. Many are afraid to take a marriage vow; others regret having made it and retract it; some young people are reluctant to accept anything that is traditional or that restricts their freedom, Saddest of all, many are reluctant to make the kind of commitment that Jesus asks of us when he calls us to be his disciples.

What is involved in being a disciple? It means first of all having a personal relationship with Jesus that is fostered by prayer, trusting that he has the Words of eternal life and is the Holy One of God. It also presumes that the eternal Life that He promises is about our life here and now as well as hereafter. That life begins with our Baptism and involves a commitment to Jesus and to living now by His words now, despite the fact that some of them may be “hard sayings”. It also means that like Peter we often fail and then have to recommit ourselves in the sacrament of Reconciliation

Being a committed disciple of Jesus also means joining with other disciples in community. In answering Jesus’ question Peter did not speak for himself alone he answered “we”. Today it is hard for many people to see church as part of one’s commitment to Jesus Christ. Along with Pope Francis we do not judge them. There are many reasons for this; some because “we” the Church have not adequately taught that to be Catholic is not to believe in a hundred theological statements but rather to commit one’s heart to Jesus and to one another.

Each one of us must answer for ourselves the question “do you also want to leave?” We also need to keep asking ourselves the question proposed to us in last weeks bulletin, “what practices help you renew the commitments you made before God and in faith?” Unless our faith is understood and nourished, it is easily lost.

All of us made the decision to come here today. To share honestly in the Eucharist is to renew one’s commitment to Him who on His part shed his blood for us. He comes to us in Holy Communion that we may live out our commitment in all areas of our life this coming week as his disciples.