August 23, Twenty First Sunday

...MANY OF HIS DISCIPLES RETURNED TO THEIR FORMER WAYS OF LIFE...

THEN HE SAID TO THE 12:

DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE?

AND FOR ONCE, PETER GETS IT RIGHT:

MASTER, TO WHOM SHALLWE GO?

YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE!"

Perhaps this is one o the most poignant scenes in the Gospel.

And Peter who so often gets it wrong, this time gets it right.

His respose is my personal favorite from all the Gospels.

A young poet reflects on the poignant feelings of leavetaking in her poem:

The Long Shadow of the Moon

He is caught between one life and another,

It came at last without a sound,

His leavetaking came without a word,

but we both heard it in the silence...

Carrie Richards

They departed. There was silence. No more Hzanas, no more applause at the miracle.

Only the lone and lonily voice of Peter:

"To whom shall we go?"