Recently, we listened to a priest talk about the Legion of Mary so that we could prayerfully discern whether or not we should begin a group in our parish. It sounded amazing. You get together once a week to pray the rosary and other Marian prayers, you listen to words of wisdom, and have fellowship with others who are also trying to live out their devotion to Mary. I was all in. 

Then he told us that each member of the group would be given a weekly apostolic work and we would come back to the group to report it. We would be given tasks to complete, like visiting the homebound or hospitalized, praying for others, completing works of service or walking up to complete strangers and offering them the Miraculous Medal. 

Walking up to strangers. Talking to them about Mary. Evangelizing to strangers. Out of my comfort zone. Way out of my comfort zone. Panic inducing anxiety out of my comfort zone. 

Yet, like Peter, I have to say, “Lord, to whom shall I go?” 

Jesus is at the height of his popularity. People are calling for him to be king. They are all in. And then Jesus tells them that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood. What? Is he talking about cannibalism? Is he just trying to tell them that he will provide for them? What does this mean? And great numbers of people simply walk away. This is too hard. It invokes revulsion, anxiety, maybe even panic since it is out of their comfort zone. And they walk away. 

So Jesus asks his apostles if they are going to leave as well. And Peter responds, “Lord, to whom shall I go?” Peter doesn’t tell Jesus he understands these hard sayings. He doesn’t ask Jesus to clue him in or to make an exception. Peter simply stands on his relationship with Jesus and wonders aloud, “What else is there?” 

We are asked to do the same thing over and over again. When the teachings of the Church become hard and we want to look for something easier, to whom shall we go? When we are scandalized by the behavior of those we see in the pews next us, to whom shall we go? When our pastor doesn’t live up to our expectations, to whom shall we go? When helping to build the Kingdom of God here on earth takes me out of my comfort zone, to whom shall I go? 

I don’t know where this current path will lead, but I know I trust Jesus enough that if he is placing this before me, I need to prayerfully, wholeheartedly discern his call. Because, like Peter, I too believe, Lord, that you have the words of eternal life. I have come to believe and am convinced that you are the Holy One of God. To whom else should I go? 

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