Daily Readings - Fri Apr 28 2023
Acts
1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest2and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.3As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"5"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.6"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.8Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.9For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!Yes, Lord," he answered.11The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."13"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.14And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."15But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.16I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."17Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."18Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,19and after taking some food, he regained his strength.20Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.
John
52Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"53Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.57Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."59He said this while teaching in the synagogue in 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.