Everything Comes to an End

Trusting in Jesus who alone gives us eternal life

05/06/2025

John 6:30-35 The crowd said to Jesus: “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” So they said to Jesus, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Yesterday I had a chance to visit one of our beloved parishioners, Stephanie Ferrari, at Mercy Crest. As you may know, she is the sister of Antoinette Beland, of happy memory. Our brief conversation ranged far and wide, from the conclave of cardinals, to the new altar in the church, to her health.

She’s quite happy at Mercy Crest, but she misses being able to come to Mass here at I.C. and worshipping God with her parish family. At one point, Stephanie made a very wise observation, stating with a smile: “You know, Father, everything comes to an end.”

I don’t remember exactly what prompted that comment, but I do recall being a little surprised by how happily she said it. Why? Well, sometimes the elderly can be angry, frustrated, or even depressed because of their chronic illnesses and the grief from lost loved ones. But I did not hear a hint of that in her voice.

Rather, her personality exuded calm, confidence, and even cheerfulness. She did not seem like a death-row inmate awaiting execution but more like a bride awaiting her wedding day. For Stephanie every celebration of the Mass was a foretaste of the “marriage supper of the Lamb,” namely, Jesus. Why did that make her so happy? Because “everything else comes to an end.”

In the gospel today we discover the foundation of Stephanie’s faith in the Eucharist. Jesus declares: “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” In other words, “everything – and everyone – comes to an end” except he or she who feeds on the Bread of Life, Jesus’ Body and Blood. And that eucharistic faith fills Stephanie with tremendous calm and confidence.

Even though Stephanie cannot leave the confines of Mercy Crest, she keeps up with the goings on of I.C. through Facebook. I have posted pictures of the progress on our new altar. And every time I do, Stephanie makes a comment. For example, on last Friday’s post, she remarked: “Thank you for the pictures. I am anxious to see all of it. Thank you for sharing.”

Why does Stephanie get so excited about a new back altar? Simple: because this is a new home for our Eucharistic Lord, and we are enthroning him in the highest, holiest place in our church. Yes, it’s made of two different colors of marble, yes it is super expensive, yes that money could have been spent on many other worth-while projects.

But Stephanie knows as well as anyone that, as Jesus said in the gospel today: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” Or, as Stephanie might put it: “Jesus alone satisfies our deepest longings. Everything else may satisfy for a while but eventually ‘everything comes to an end.’”

Another not unimportant side benefit of moving the tabernacle to the center is shoving the priests and deacons out of the center. The ministers will now be on the side while Jesus, whom we minister to, will occupy the principal seat. I shared with Cindy McNally yesterday how good it feels as a priest not to be in the limelight with all the eyes on me in church.

As if the reason you come to Mass were to see and hear me. If you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you won’t live very long. My entire role as a priest is to introduce you to Christ, so you can fall in love with him. And once I have served that purpose, I need to get out of the way.

Thus, Jesus said about John the Baptist: “He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s” (Jn 3:35-36). In other words, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, because everything else, even priests and prophets, come to an end. Only Christ will keep you calm and confident.

Praised be Jesus Christ!