Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter
Lectionary: 275
Reading 1
Acts 8:1b-8
There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.
Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 66:1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a
R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!"
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!"
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
See John 6:40
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
John 6:35-40
Jesus said to the crowds,
"I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Holy Sight
“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” John 6:40
Do you believe in Jesus? Unquestionably the answer is “Yes.” However, to believe in our Lord is something that must deepen with every passing day. Therefore, if you do have faith in Jesus, you can also admit that you do not have faith enough. In this Gospel passage in which the “Bread of Life Discourse” is continued, Jesus calls us to do two things. First, we must see Him. Second, we must believe. Let’s start with the first.
When Jesus first spoke these words to the crowd, they did see His physical presence. But many of them did not see beyond the surface. They saw His miracles, heard His teaching, but very few saw the deeper reality of Jesus as the Son of the Eternal Father and the Savior of the World.
If you are to believe in our Lord and all that He is, then you must first see Him. One of the best ways to foster this “holy sight” of our Lord is to gaze at Him in the Most Holy Eucharist. When you attend Mass or spend time in adoration and look upon the Most Holy Eucharist, what do you see? Do you see the Eternal Son? Do you see His holy divinity? Do you see your God and the Lord of all?
As we stand or kneel before our Lord, present in the Most Holy Eucharist, it’s easy to become distracted. It’s easy to allow our minds to wander to the many other aspects of our daily lives and to fail to see the eternal Son of God as He is present to us.
Reflect, today, upon the way you look at our Lord. If you want to deepen your faith, your belief, then start with your sight. Start by considering how you look at Jesus, present in the Most Holy Eucharist. If you are blessed to be with Him this day at the Holy Mass or in adoration, examine the way to see Him. Gaze at Him. Make an intentional act of faith in His divine presence. Acknowledge His Godhead, His glory, His holiness and His sacred presence. If you can look beyond the surface and lift the veil that covers His glory, then this holy gift of sight will give way, also, to the gift of profound faith.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
CHANGING LEMONS INTO LEMONADE
“The members of the church who had been dispersed went about preaching the word.” —Acts 8:4
When the early Christians were chased out of Jerusalem, they went to other towns and chased out unclean spirits. When the Church was paralyzed and crippled from being persecuted, the wounded Church healed the paralytics and cripples. While the Christians mourned the deaths of martyrs, cities rejoiced because they heard and accepted the Gospel (see Acts 8:1-8).
The Lord works everything together for the good of the Church (see Rm 8:28). “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rm 8:31) The One in us is greater than the prince of this world (see 1 Jn 4:4; Jn 14:30). God’s wounded become healers. “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 852, Tertullian). “Continually we carry about in our bodies the dying of Jesus, so that in our bodies the life of Jesus may also be revealed” (2 Cor 4:10). “There is no chaining the word of God!” (2 Tm 2:9)
“Despite the increase of sin, grace has far surpassed it” (Rm 5:20). “When I am powerless, it is then that I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10). “In all this we are more than conquerors because of Him Who has loved us” (Rm 8:37).
Prayer: Father, change my mourning into dancing (Ps 30:12).
Promise: “No one who comes will I ever reject.” —Jn 6:37
Praise: Often criticized for his “old-fashioned” ways, Fr. Bill preaches the truth from the pulpit, being an unpopular voice amidst the permissiveness of the culture of death.
Reflection 3
The Servants of the Word
I Will Raise You up at the Last Day
Why did Jesus call himself the bread of life? The Jews understood that God promised them manna from heaven to sustain them on their journey to the promised land. Bread is the very staple of life. We could not live without food for very long. Bread sustains us. But what is life? Jesus clearly meant something more than mere physical existence. The life Jesus refers to is connected with God, the author of life. Real life is a relationship with the living God, a relationship of trust, love, obedience, peace, and joy. This is what Jesus makes possible for us - a loving relationship with God who created us for love with him. Apart from Jesus no one can enter that kind of life and relationship. Are you satisfied with mere physical existence or do you hunger for the abundant life which Jesus offers?
Jesus makes three claims here. First he offers himself as spiritual food which produces the very life of God within us. Second, he promises unbroken friendship and freedom from the fear of being forsaken or cut off from God. Third, he offers us the hope of sharing in his resurrection. Jesus rose physically never to die again. Those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior will be bodily raised up to immortal life with Jesus when he comes again on the last day. Do you know the joy and hope of the resurrection?
Prayers
My ever-present Lord, I thank You profoundly for the way You come to me in the Most Holy Eucharist. I thank You for Your divine presence and glory. Help me to see beyond the veil of the appearance of bread and wine so that I can see more clearly Your divinity. As I see Your divine presence, dear Lord, help me to profess my belief in You with greater certitude and faith. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus Christ, your death brought life and hope where there was once only despair and defeat. Give me the unshakable hope of everlasting life, the inexpressible joy of knowing your unfailing love, and the unwavering faith and obedience in doing the will of our Father in heaven.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 107: Revealing Your Soul in Confession
God sends to us His representatives in the person of His priests. Though priests are not perfect, they are God’s representatives nonetheless. This is especially true in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It’s essential that we approach that Sacrament with confidence and honesty. We must allow the confessor to see the sin in our souls so that he can enter, cleanse and heal by the sacred power of absolution (See Diary #494-496).
Do you go to confession? If so, how often? Do you clean your house more often than you clean your soul? The Lord has given you an immeasurable gift in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He invites you to receive this gift with an open heart. Do not fear this invitation; rather, run to it with eager anticipation of the many graces our Lord wishes to bestow. And do so as regularly as you can.
Lord, why do I fear Your Mercy as it is bestowed through the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Why do I fear Your sacred Mercy poured forth through the act of absolution? Give me courage and humility so that I may confess my sins clearly and completely and so be cleansed and restored to Your Heart. Jesus, I trust in You.
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