Daily Catholic Mass Readings for May 9, 2019
First Reading: Acts 8.26-40
26And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.27And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,28Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.29Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.30And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.32The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.36And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?37And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.38And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.39And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.40But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
Psalm 66
1Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:2Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.3Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.4All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.5Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.6He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.7He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.8O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:9Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.10For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.11Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.12Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.13I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,14Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.15I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.16Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.17I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.18If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:19But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.20Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Gospel: John 6.44-51
44No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.45It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.46Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.47Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.48I am that bread of life.49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of faith and divine encounter. In Acts 8:26-40, Philip is guided by the Spirit to meet an Ethiopian eunuch who is reading from Isaiah. Philip's explanation of the Scripture leads the eunuch to baptism, illustrating the importance of spiritual guidance and readiness to receive the Gospel. In John 6:44-51, Jesus describes Himself as the bread of life, emphasizing that faith comes from the Father's drawing and promising eternal life to those who believe.
Both readings highlight the interplay between divine grace and human response. The eunuch's encounter shows how understanding Scripture requires guidance, while Jesus' words underscore that faith is a divine gift. Together, they teach us that spiritual growth involves both receiving God's grace and actively responding with openness and faith.
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to seek spiritual nourishment and remain open to the Holy Spirit's promptings. Just as the eunuch was ready to receive the truth, we should embrace opportunities for growth and trust in God's providence. Let us cultivate a deep faith, trusting in God's plan and being willing to take steps of faith, just as the eunuch did through baptism. May we find eternal life in Christ, the true bread from heaven.