Guest Column / Richard Etienne

How will you respond when you are asked to go where you would rather not go?

There is a critical message that Jesus delivered to Peter in the Gospel of John just after his resurrection.

It follows a moment when a group of the Apostles had just eaten a meal with Jesus on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was at this time that Jesus asked Peter three times if he loves him. (After all, he had denied him three times.)

Peter assures Jesus three times in return that, in fact, the Lord should already know that he loves him.

Then Jesus shares this very disturbing image: “I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (Jn 21:18).

Often, early in many of our faith experiences, it is common to expect our continuing journey of following Christ to be more like a heavenly banquet than a difficult journey. I know that my personal experience of a Christian awakening retreat nearly 50 years ago seemed that way.

This experience was like a wonderful trip with a large group of my peers, who expressed only positive and warm feelings toward me. And, if we are blessed, there can be these types of wonderful moments in our lives when we can experience such feelings.

But as our faith deepens, we are quite often called to do much more difficult tasks.

Reflecting on such a personal experience is what prompted further reflection on the Scripture passage above from John.

In late 2024 and early 2025, I was immersed in an intense situation playing a key role in my son’s hospice and eventual death from pancreatic cancer. It was the most difficult thing I have ever done.

But over time, I have eventually realized that it was what God wanted me to do at that particular place in my journey—however difficult it was or how long it would take.

I continue to work through many of the feelings that overwhelmed me while I was caring for Eric. But the reason that I share this very personal story is the following: Will God put a belt around you and ask you to go where you would rather not go? How will you respond?

May God give us the strength to always say “yes” to carrying out his will regardless of our confused feelings during major life crises.
 

(Richard Etienne has a degree in theology from Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad and resides in Newburgh, Ind.) †