Sometimes we just don’t want to do things that someone else tells us we should do. Even if it’s God. In our first reading, Ananias didn’t want anything to do with Saul, and for good reason: Saul had a reputation for wanting to put an end to Christians and the Christian Way. Saul himself probably would not have wanted anything to do with Ananias prior to the bright flash of light on the way to Damascus. In the Gospel reading, the Jews didn’t understand and probably didn’t want to understand how Jesus could give them his Flesh to eat. And in fact, some of them walked away.
But Ananias was called to help God save Saul’s soul, and I can’t imagine his rejoicing now in the Kingdom of heaven. And Saul, becoming Paul, rejoiced for the rest of his life in the hardships that living as a Christian brought him. The same is true for those Jews who did become followers. They were fed not just with bread and fish, but with the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ, just as we do in every Eucharist.
God might call us today to do something we just don’t want to do. Maybe we should do it anyway, and trust that he can build the kingdom from us getting over ourselves.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
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