Food for the Journey: Food for those who fail
by Diocese of Des Moines | January 26, 2023
The Gospels give us a not-so-impressive picture of the disciples of Jesus. In fact, as the story of Jesus progresses, the failures of the disciples increase. They fail to understand his parables (Lk 18:34). They fail to understand the miracles he performed (Mk 4:40-41). They fail to know if it’s him walking on water (Mt 14:26-28). They wanted to use his authority to gain power in the afterlife (Mk 10:35-45). They fail to understand his mission right after proclaiming him as the Messiah (Mt 16:21-22). And in his last moments, they abandoned him out of fear (Mk 14:50).
Yet for all their failures Jesus remained faithful to them. The Lord continued to give himself to those who fail him repeatedly. This is why, when they first celebrated the Eucharist in memory of the Lord, they told the story of a selfless and unconditional lover who gave himself completely for those who most failed him. They knew, and proclaimed, that he loved them with a love unmatched even by their greatest desires to be with him.
Understanding the disciples’ failures is crucial to understanding why the Eucharist matters so much. The lesson here is not that we must learn from the failures of the disciples in order that we become better disciples, although it is an element of it. The primary lesson is that we, the body of Christ who fail him so often, are radically dependent upon the person of Jesus.
As disciples of Christ, we are all called to evangelize by first denouncing ourselves and picking up our cross. This faith journey often requires rejecting boldly and radically the values and principles the world holds dear. This may rouse fear and often produces failure. But if we return to that Eucharistic table we will be reminded of the unceasing and selfless love of Jesus who loves us beyond our failures. It is from the Eucharistic table that we will be fed Jesus who provides us the strength and courage to continue on our faith journey. We will continue to fail since our human condition prevents us from achieving perfection in this world, and that is why it is vital for us to return to the Mass weekly, if not daily.
John Huynh is the diocesan director of the Faith Journey program. He can be reached at 515-237-5006.