You may recall a homily I delivered where we talked about the beheading of John the Baptist and how the ministry of Jesus Christ seemingly took a stark pivot directly toward Calvary. In a way, we have watched this saga continue to play out in our readings. Let’s look back and highlight a couple of things.
The reading for the previous homily would have occurred about six or so months previous our reading today.
During that homily, I mentioned Jesus had just fed 5,000 disciples with the loaves and fish. At that point, He had a great number of followers. They even wanted to make Him king.
Shortly thereafter, Jesus delivered the Bread of Life discourse in the Capernaum synagogue. This, as you know, is where Jesus first explained the Eucharist. The Eucharist that we must consume if we are to have eternal life. The Eucharist, which is the hard teaching that caused all of His disciples to leave Him.
And as I mentioned, this is the point of time when the news of the death of John the Baptist had reached Him…a reminder that John the Baptist was a forerunner of Christ in all things, including His Passion.
Three or so months later, we have our Gospel reading from last week. The reading where Jesus and the twelve apostles went to Jerusalem to celebrate Sukkot. At this point, it seems Jesus has only His twelve Apostles. For all intents and purposes, He has no other followers. In fact, we hear in the reading that the religious leaders are plotting to kill him.
In today’s Gospel reading, a couple more months have passed by. Jesus and His Apostles are back in Jerusalem celebrating Hanukkah. They are now celebrating the rededication of the second Temple.
We see in the reading that Jesus has not made many more friends, as now is seems almost literally everyone is trying to stone Him.
I’m trying to picture Jesus in this situation. Within a few short months He went from many, many followers to no followers. He went from being almost crowned king to almost being stoned. By any worldly standard, His mission is failing miserably.
Further, He knows the next major feast is Passover. He knows Passover just a matter of weeks away. He knows this is the Passover where He will undergo His sorrowful Passion. He knows His followers are few. He knows He will be betrayed. He knows He will be denied. He knows He will be abandoned. Yet, He continues on with His mission.
I can easily picture any other person in that situation just giving up. But, not Jesus.
In the face of adversity, He doubled down down,
He doubled down in Capernaum when he declared, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.” He said this knowing it would cause all of His followers to leave Him.
He doubled down again at Sukkot when He referred to God the Father when He said, “I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” He said this knowing they would try to arrest Him.
Now in today's reading, at Hanukkah, He doubles down yet again as He clearly regards Himself as “the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world”. He says this in the midst of those that have the stones in their hands.
But what He said today is actually far more profound than it may first appear. Jesus declares that He is consecrated by God on the very day they are celebrating the rededication (or re-consecration, if you will) of the temple. Now that is bold!
At the same time, what did Jesus say about Himself in John, chapter 2? “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
Brothers and sisters, the Body and Blood of Christ, the Eucharist, is the Temple of the New Covenant. The Body and Blood of Christ, consecrated by God, is the source of eternal life.
Our pivot toward Calvary is nearly complete as the Holy Triduum is next week. Holy Thursday, we get to rededicate our Temple, the Holy Eucharist, as we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist by Christ. Good Friday, we get to walk with our Blessed Lord through His Passion. Holy Saturday, we get to experience, in a very profound way, His resurrection and the transformation of His sacrifice into the Blessed Sacrament.
The Holy Eucharist, truly is our rock of refuge, our shield, the horn of our salvation, our stronghold!
Thanks be to God!
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