Daily decisions are a part of life: how to dress, what to eat, when to go to bed. In these matters our decisions are constantly changing, but there are some decisions which by their nature should be permanent. An excellent example of which is the decision to marry. Marriage is a covenant, a permanent, loving relationship of fidelity in which a man and woman become one.
God invited His people of the Old Testament to become His partner in a covenant which was a spiritual form of marriage. Joshua had made his decision.
Centuries later Jesus confronted those who had heard Him preach. He challenged them to make a decision about Himself. But that they take it seriously is exactly what Jesus demanded. When His objectors turned their backs on Him to walk away, He let them go. It was the day of decision. Peter, in a protestation of loyalty which has been repeated down through the ages by men and women of faith, declared, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe; we are convinced that You are God’s holy one.” He had made a decision to bind himself so closely to Christ that, despite his late momentary lapse, he would be of one mind in faith with Christ. In effect he said that he wanted to enter into a permanent, loving relationship of fidelity with Christ.
We have the same grace which means we have the same challenge, the same decisions to make. Christ made faith in the Eucharist the ultimate test of faith in Himself. To embrace the Eucharist and to make the celebration of this sacrament the center and heart of our lives is to live out the permanent, loving relationship which makes Christ and ourselves two in one flesh.