18th Sunday Ordinary Time
Fr. Peter Robinson
Preached: August 4, 2024
According to tradition, there was a young Roman by the name of Adrian who was a member of the Praetorian Guard. He served under Emperor Galerius Maximian, and had been a fanatic persecutor of the Christians. However, he could not ignore the calmness and courage of those he put to the torture. That is because Adrian was brave himself, and he admired bravery in others.
In the year 280 AD, Adrian was twenty-eight years old. Due to his skill and daring, he had received one promotion in the army after another. One day he asked one of the Christians being tortured: “What gives you such strength and joy in the midst of your sufferings?” The martyr replied, “Our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we believe.” In a flash Adrian made an important decision. He stepped over to the pagan judge presiding and declared: “Put down my name among those to be tortured. I too shall become a Christian.” Somewhere between 303-306 AD, Adrian also was martyred for the Christian faith.
By the way, for those who venerate St. Adrian, his feast day is September 8. He is honoured for saying, “Put down my name.”
Sadly, our OT story today does not demonstrate the unflinching faith of a St. Adrian.
In the Sinai desert, Israel had received miraculous provision by God. 1) The Lord God demonstrated his provision, his miraculous feeding of Israel, for 40 years. 2) Yet in return, Israel demonstrated her persistent impatience with the Lord.
Think of it: there was the first generation of Israel wandering in the savage, inhospitable desert of Sinai. Around them is only rock and sand, where virtually nothing grows. Daily, they are receiving a sweet substance that either 1) was somehow excreted from bushes in Sinai; or 2) rained down each morning from heaven. Yet, at the same time, this group whom God had liberated slavery in Egypt rebelled again and again — and that was before they reached the Promised Land; after that, their rebellion only got worse.
I. True, from one angle, the Exodus of the Israelite people from Egypt can be seen as a time of perfect harmony between God and his people. It was like the honeymoon period when Israel was delightedly faithful to her Lord.
II. But from the other angle, it was the beginning of Israel’s “murmuring” against God; of a discontent and disenchantment with God which grew into spiritual unfaithfulness, century after century. This is why, around 600 BC, those who were left in southern Israel were punished by the Exile to Babylon (far to the east). The Promised Land which had received them, shall we say, spit them out.
Now, think of our Gospel Reading from John 6 — where our Lord clearly speaks of the Eucharist. Jesus is surrounded by the very descendants of those early Israelites, now 1200 years after the Exodus. Can you hear echoes of the same attitude in their challenge to Jesus? Listen closely as they challenge him: “What sign can you do, [Jesus,] that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert …” Which is why Jesus replies to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
Sisters and brothers, let us use today’s mass as a time for an attitude check:
Have we come today (even subtly) with a challenging spirit?
With a disobedient spirit?
With a rebellious spirit?
Are we coming to Jesus this morning, saying “What sign can you do, that ‘I’ may see and believe in you?”
Or have we come today like St. Adrian? Is our response to Jesus this morning, “Put down my name”? Whatever the price might be — for you to be faithful to Jesus — can you say from an unflinching standpoint: “Put down my name”?
St. Adrian, patron saint of soldiers, pray for us …
