Daily Readings - Tue May 02 2017

First Reading - Acts 7.51 8.1a

Acts

Chapter 7

⁵¹Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

¹And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Gospel - John 6.30-35

John

Chapter 6

³⁰They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?³¹Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.³²Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.³³For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.³⁴Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.³⁵And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two distinct yet interconnected themes: the challenges of faith and the true nature of spiritual nourishment. The first reading from Acts describes a time of great turmoil for the early Church, where persecution leads to the dispersion of believers. This scattering, though it seems chaotic, becomes the catalyst for the spread of the Gospel beyond Jerusalem. The passage also reflects on the resistance to the Holy Spirit, a recurring theme in the history of God's people, highlighting the tension between faith and obstinacy. The Gospel from John presents Jesus as the Bread of Life, a discourse that follows the feeding of the 5000. Here, Jesus shifts the focus from physical bread to spiritual nourishment, emphasizing that He is the true bread from heaven. The people's request for a sign is met with Jesus' profound revelation of His divine role, inviting them to move beyond physical satisfaction to a deeper, eternal fulfillment. These readings invite us to reflect on our own response to God's presence in our lives. Like the early Christians, we may face challenges that test our faith, but these can also be opportunities for growth and spreading God's message. Jesus' identification as the Bread of Life reminds us to seek spiritual sustenance in Him, trusting in His providence even amidst life's uncertainties. Let us embrace the Holy Spirit's guidance and find our true fulfillment in Jesus, the Bread of Life.