THROUGH UNTRUE
Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P.
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus told the Jews who avidly followed Him that He would offer them His body and blood as food. The Jews, who took Jesus's words literally, must have muttered to themselves: "Eat his flesh and blood? What does he think of us, cannibals?" So they left and no longer followed Him, except for His twelve apostles whom He asked: "Will you also go away?" (John 6:66).
As usual, St. Peter was the first to volunteer an answer: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God" (John 6:67-68).
St. Peter represents all followers of Jesus who decide to continue believing in Him even if they do not understand everything that He says and does. They decide never to give up their faith in Him even in the midst of adversity and trials.
My friend Lisa is one such person. For many years, she has remained a staunch believer in Jesus despite the fact that her husband had left her to live with another woman abroad. The pain of betrayal and separation has devastated her but in her darkest moments, she would repeat the words of St. Peter: "To whom shall I go?" She believes that Jesus is her only refuge when everything seems lost.
But Lisa's faith was unexpectedly put to the test during this pandemic. She narrates: "Like many others, my fear and anxiety spun out of control when I learned about the increasing number of people getting sick or dying of COVID-19. The possibility of death seems imminent.
"This fear is compounded by the seemingly endless health protocols imposed by the government, the long lines at the supermarket and ATMs, and jostling my way to get the needed vaccine in barangay centers. Also, the government closed churches for many months or weeks during ECQ and MECQ. I felt that my lifeline to God was cut off.
"The greatest blow came one day when a friend texted me that there was a huge fire in our neighborhood. I hurriedly drove home, praying that my house be spared. But when I arrived there, I saw that every house was already eaten up by fire, including my own.
“Having nowhere to stay, I spent the night inside an overcrowded barangay gym. The next day, I went to see what remained of my house. The destruction that I saw equaled the emotional ruin within me. Everything that I have bought or acquired are gone. I quietly prayed: 'Lord, help me continue believing in you despite this.'
“I was still sulking when the 12-year-old child of my neighbor came and asked: ‘Have you eaten? My Mom told me to ask you to join us. We are going to our favorite fast food resto.' My neighbor's sincere act of kindness made me weep unashamedly. I realized that I put more emphasis on things than on human relationship, friendship, and love. Before the fire, I did not even bother to know the name of my neighbor. But there she was, her house and belongings also turned to ashes, but she offered me help.
"It has been some months now since the fire. As I struggle to begin anew, I realized that faith in God does not always come with an exhilarating feeling of triumph, joy, and a sense of well-being. Sometimes it comes with excruciating pain that will tempt us to give up and lose heart. The good news is, God always sends us people who will lead us back to Him when everything seems lost."