Thursday, May 08, 2014

 

Thursday Third Week of Easter

May 8, 2014 
Thursday Third Week of Easter

Acts 8: 26-40 / Ps 66: 8-9, 16-17, 20 / Jn 6: 44-51 

Reading: Acts 8: 26-40
An angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south towards the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert road." So he set out and it happened that an Ethiopian was passing along that way. He was an official in charge of the treasury of the queen of the Ethiopians; he had come on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was on his way home. He was sitting in his carriage and reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, "Go and catch up with that carriage." So Philip ran up and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah; and he asked, "Do you really understand what you are reading?" The Ethiopian replied, "How can I, unless someone explains it to me?" He then invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. This was the passage of Scripture he was reading: He was led like a sheep to be slaughtered; like a lamb that is dumb before the shearer, he did not open his mouth. He was humbled and deprived of his rights. Who can speak of his descendants? For he was uprooted from the earth. The official asked Philip, "Tell me, please, does the prophet speak of himself or of someone else?" Then Philip began to tell him the Good News of Jesus, using this text of Scripture as his starting point. As they traveled down the road they came to a place where there was some water. Then the Ethiopian official said, "Look, here is water; what is to keep me from being baptized?" Then he ordered the carriage to stop; both Philip and the Ethiopian went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The Ethiopian saw him no more, but he continued on his way full of joy. Philip found himself at Azotus, and he went about announcing the Good News in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Gospel: John 6: 44-51
No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise him up on the last day. It has been written in the Prophets: They shall all be taught by God. So whoever listens and learns from the Father comes to me. For no one has seen the Father except the One who comes from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Though your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, they died. But here you have the bread which comes from heaven so that you may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread which has come from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever. The bread I shall give is my flesh and I will give it for the life of the world." 

Reflection:
 "Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life." (John 3:16) This verse is said to be the bible within the bible. "Truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life" (John 6:47) and this one is the succinct formulation of our belief. And here is one of Jesus' many 'I AMs.' "I am the Bread of Life."  "I am the Living Bread." Bread in the family life and culture in those days is a staple as rice is to us now. So when Jesus claims 'I AM the Bread of Life, the Living Bread,' he is giving the imprint of ordinariness, the availableness in daily life, the ease to identify if not relate to him. Yet it provides the families then of the deeper meaning of God's provision in the desert of the Manna, of the provision to prepare the Passover meal with the unleavened bread! So this I AM of the Blessed Lord Jesus evokes so much deeper meaning and significance in that setting.  
     How do we now relate or even associate ourselves with this particular I AM of Jesus, the Bread of Life and the Living Bread?  It is often said one becomes what one eats, but with the Bread of Life and the Living Bread, one receives and becomes more like JESUS! Let us not starve ourselves through infrequent reception of the Eucharist. Let us approach the Banquet of Love to partake often and become an imprint of the Bread of Life, the Living Bread, Jesus Christ!

Prayer Requests:
We pray ...
... for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn
... for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary
... for families who are in need of healing
     * Herman Gamboa
... for world peace and reconciliation
... for the eternal repose 
     * Erland D. Navarro
     * Bong Lacida, Rowena Lacida-Yap, Joel Arrienda, Bert Bughao, TJ Sultan
... for special intentions
     * Rom de Guzman

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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