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Lord, to Whom Shall We Go?
Where We Are
Alleluia! Saturday of the Third Week of Easter brings us to the conclusion of the Bread of Life discourse, and it is one of the most poignant moments in the Gospels. Many of Jesus's disciples, unable to accept his teaching about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, turn away and no longer follow him. Jesus turns to the Twelve and asks, "Do you also want to leave?" Peter's answer rings through the centuries. In Acts, the Church grows and flourishes under the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter heals the sick, and a woman named Tabitha is raised from the dead. The Risen Christ continues to work through his apostles.
The Word
In Acts, the Church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria is at peace, being built up in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Peter heals Aeneas, a paralytic, saying, "Jesus Christ heals you." In Joppa, a disciple named Tabitha dies. Peter prays beside her body and says, "Tabitha, arise." She opens her eyes and sits up, and many believe. In John's Gospel, many disciples say, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Many turn back. Jesus says to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answers, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have believed, and we have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
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Reflect
"Lord, to whom shall we go?"
Peter's answer is not the confession of someone who has figured everything out. It is the confession of someone who has nowhere else to turn. Peter does not say, "I understand everything you've taught." He says, in effect, "Your words are hard, but every alternative is harder. Where else would we go? You have the words of eternal life."
This is often what mature faith sounds like. It is not the absence of confusion or struggle. It is the recognition that, even when God's ways are mysterious and his words are difficult, there is no other source of life. Philosophy cannot satisfy the heart. Pleasure cannot sustain the soul. Self-sufficiency eventually runs dry. Only Jesus has the words of eternal life.
Notice that John says "many of his disciples" walked away, not just casual followers but people who had been walking with Jesus. The cost of following Christ sometimes increases rather than decreases. The deeper you go, the more is asked. And at some point, everyone faces the question: "Do you also want to leave?"
The Acts reading shows us what happens when people stay. Peter, who chose not to leave, now heals the sick and raises the dead. Tabitha's restoration is a small-scale resurrection, a sign that the power of Easter Sunday flows through the community of those who remain with Jesus. The Church grows not through compulsion but through the quiet, persistent work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers like Tabitha, known simply for her good works and her charity.
Staying is not passive. Staying is the most courageous act of faith there is.
Living It
Have you been tempted to walk away from your faith? Many do. The teaching is hard, the community imperfect, the demands real. Today, hear Jesus ask you directly: "Do you also want to leave?" Let Peter's answer become yours: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." This does not mean pretending you have no questions. Bring them. Stay and wrestle. The faith is strong enough for your doubts. Also, be a Tabitha today: perform one act of charity that reflects the quiet, consistent goodness of someone who has chosen to stay.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, your words are sometimes hard, and we do not always understand. But to whom shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life. We choose to stay. We choose to believe, even when belief costs us something. Strengthen those who are tempted to walk away. Remind them that you are the Holy One of God, and there is nowhere else to turn. Make us like Tabitha, full of good works and charity, quietly reflecting your love in the world. Alleluia. Amen.
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