Daily Readings - Fri Apr 28 2023
Acts
1Now Saul, still breathing threats and beatings against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest2and he petitioned him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that, if he found any men or women belonging to this Way, he could lead them as prisoners to Jerusalem3And as he made the journey, it happened that he was approaching Damascus. And suddenly, a light from heaven shone around him4And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?5And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goad.6And he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do you want me to do?7And the Lord said to him, "Rise up and go into the city, and there you will be told what you ought to do." Now the men who were accompanying him were standing stupefied, hearing indeed a voice, but seeing no one8Then Saul rose up from the ground. And upon opening his eyes, he saw nothing. So leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus9And in that place, he was without sight for three days, and he neither ate nor drank10Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias!" And he said, "Here I am, Lord.11And the Lord said to him: "Rise up and go into the street that is called Straight, and seek, in the house of Judas, the one named Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying.12(And Paul saw a man named Ananias entering and imposing hands upon him, so that he might receive his sight.13But Ananias responded: "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem14And he has authority here from the leaders of the priests to bind all who invoke your name.15Then the Lord said to him: "Go, for this one is an instrument chosen by me to convey my name before nations and kings and the sons of Israel16For I will reveal to him how much he must suffer on behalf of my name.17And Ananias departed. And he entered the house. And laying his hands upon him, he said: "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, he who appeared to you on the way by which you arrived, sent me so that you would receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.18And immediately, it was as if scales had fallen from his eyes, and he received his sight. And rising up, he was baptized19And when he had taken a meal, he was strengthened. Now he was with the disciples who were at Damascus for some days20And he was continuously preaching Jesus in the synagogues: that he is the Son of God
John
52Therefore, the Jews debated among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?53And so, Jesus said to them: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him57Just as the living Father has sent me and I live because of the Father, so also whoever eats me, the same shall live because of me58This is the bread that descends from heaven. It is not like the manna that your fathers ate, for they died. Whoever eats this bread shall live forever.59He said these things when he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of transformation and grace. The first reading from Acts recounts the dramatic conversion of Saul, a fierce persecutor of Christians, who encounters the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. This encounter not only changes Saul’s life but also redirects the course of his mission, transforming him into Paul, a zealous apostle for Christ. The second reading from John’s Gospel presents Jesus’ teaching on the Bread of Life, where he invites us to partake in his very flesh and blood, promising eternal life and union with him. Both readings invite us to reflect on how we encounter Christ and how that encounter transforms us.
The readings are deeply connected in their emphasis on transformation and receiving life through an encounter with Christ. Saul’s conversion is a vivid example of how God can interrupt our lives in unexpected ways, calling us to repentance and a new purpose. Similarly, Jesus’ words in John’s Gospel challenge us to recognize that true life comes from union with him, a union that is both spiritual and sacramental. Just as Saul was blinded by his own zeal but later saw the truth, we too may have moments of spiritual blindness that only Christ can dispel. The Eucharist, as Jesus describes it, is not just a symbol but a real encounter with his presence, sustaining us for the journey of faith.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to openness and humility. Like Saul, we may need to let go of our preconceptions and biases, allowing God to reveal himself to us in unexpected ways. Like the crowd in John’s Gospel, we may struggle to understand the depth of Christ’s teaching, but we are invited to trust in his words and to seek him in the sacraments. Let us ask for the grace to be open to God’s transformative power, to receive his life-giving presence in the Eucharist, and to live as witnesses of his love in the world. May we, like Paul, be willing to surrender our plans to God’s will, knowing that it is in him that we find true life and purpose.