Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 66
John 6:44-51
Worship Song
Entrance
Antiphon
Let us sing to the Lord, he has
covered himself in glory! The Lord is my strength, and I praise him; he is the
Savior of my life, alleluia. (Exodus 15:1-2)
Opening
Prayer
Father, in this holy season we come to
know the full depth of your love. You have freed us from the darkness of error
and sin. Help us to cling to your truths and fidelity. We ask this in the name
of your Son.
Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia. I am the living
bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord; whoever eats this bread will
live forever. Alleluia, alleluia. (John 6:51)
Jesus
Promises His Flesh To Eat
44No one can come to me unless
the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. 45It is
written in the prophets. ‘They shall all be
taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to my Father and
learns from him comes to me. 46Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is
from God; he has seen the Father. 47Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your ancestors ate the manna in the
desert, but they died; 50this
is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down
from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I
will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
Reflection
“I am the living
bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.” ~
Jesus in v. 51
I know a man
who is dying of cancer. Recently we journeyed to a distant monastery to fulfill
a last request: to visit the priest who fostered his faith and inspired him to
become a Catholic. We arrived at the abbey in time for afternoon prayer, and
then my friend had a long talk with the old priest whom he hadn’t seen in
years. Afterward, on the way home, my friend exclaimed. “That’s it! I’ve done
everything I wanted to do. It doesn’t matter what happens to me now. I could
die right now and it would be okay.” As we drove in silence it occurred to me
that when he does die, he probably won’t even notice it. He’s caught up in God
right now and dying won’t change that. Dying for him will be like both falling
asleep and waking up at the same time.
Prayer Response
Do I fear
death, my God? Or is it dying, the painful pathway that leads me to death’s
door, that makes me afraid? Either way, Lord, you yourself have suffered and
died, so I know you will die with me in my suffering and dying. In you, death
is no death. Rather, death’s door leads to life. Jesus, may I always bear in
mind the memory of your death and resurrection. Your promise of eternal life
sustains me.
Suggested Action
Recall a time
when you were caught up in God. What were the circumstances? What has changed
for you between then and now?
Credits: Fr. Paul Boudreau, Between Sundays
Silencing
We
cannot know God unless we have listened to him in the silence of our hearts.
Rest in the loving arms of the Lord with an open mind and an open heart.
“Christian
love, either towards God or towards man, is an affair of the will.” ~ C. S. Lewis
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