Readings for Thursday of the Third Week of Easter[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible at Universalis
Commentary:
Reading 1 Acts 8:26-40
In this story of Philip’s conversion of the eunuch we are given a strong mystical nudge. First when Philip is instructed by an angle to leave on the trip and again with is disappearance after the baptism of the eunuch.
If we read this passage in context with verse numbers we find verse 37 is not present in either the NAB or the Jerusalem Bibles. That is because in the oldest and best manuscripts it was not present. But, for our benefit verse 37 said responding to the eunuch’s request for baptism; "And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may.' And he said in reply, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' "In modern texts it is omitted as probably a latter addition by some early Christian redactor.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 66:8-9, 16-17, 20
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Psalm 66 is a song of thanksgiving. In the selection we are given we start with part of the community blessing of the Lord and follow with the second and third strophes being individual response to the communal prayer.
Gospel Jn 6:44-51
St. John’s “Bread of Life” discourse continues in response to the protest of the crowd. In the first part of the passage we hear Jesus telling the crowd that no one comes to God unless it is willed by the Father (who sent me). Then Jesus says the remarkable; “…and I will raise him on the last day.” This is a clear statement that the Lord has been given the authority to judge the living and the dead in the eschaton (the last day).
The Lord quotes Isaiah 54:13, interpreting that passage as it relates to him as the “teacher” sent by God. He now launches into the answer to the earlier question “Where can we get this bread?” saying “I am the bread of life” and going further tells the crowd that they must eat (John uses the graphic word gnaw) the bread of life to have eternal life and that the bread he gives them is his life for the salvation of all mankind.
Homily:
Whenever I read this section of St. John’s Gospel I am always struck with a modern day paradox. There are significant groups of Christians in what is called the "Bible Belt" of the U.S. that are very anti-Catholic. They believe that we have missed the importance of having Christ as “our personal Savior”. They also believe that we do not believe in the Bible because, unlike many of the Baptist, Pentecostal, and Evangelical sects, we believe that Holy Scripture is inspired by God but not every word should be interpreted literally.
This is so ironic because in the case of our Gospel today, we believe, quite literally, that Jesus gave us His Body as the Bread of Life. We hear the unequivocal words “I am the Bread of Life” and later “who ever eats this bread will live forever”. Can it be any clearer?
We also believe that when we eat this bread in the most Holy Sacrament of the Alter the Lord, truly present in His Eucharistic Sacrifice, is joined with our own body and we with his. Talk about a personal relationship!!!
They do have one thing right though, and they should be very glad about it. We do not believe Jesus is our “Personal” savior. Rather we believe he came so, as scripture today tells us, “...whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." He came for them too.
Pax
[1] After Link Expiration
[2] The image today is “The Institution of the Eucharist” by Nicolas Poussin, 1640
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible at Universalis
Commentary:
Reading 1 Acts 8:26-40
In this story of Philip’s conversion of the eunuch we are given a strong mystical nudge. First when Philip is instructed by an angle to leave on the trip and again with is disappearance after the baptism of the eunuch.
If we read this passage in context with verse numbers we find verse 37 is not present in either the NAB or the Jerusalem Bibles. That is because in the oldest and best manuscripts it was not present. But, for our benefit verse 37 said responding to the eunuch’s request for baptism; "And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may.' And he said in reply, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' "In modern texts it is omitted as probably a latter addition by some early Christian redactor.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 66:8-9, 16-17, 20
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Psalm 66 is a song of thanksgiving. In the selection we are given we start with part of the community blessing of the Lord and follow with the second and third strophes being individual response to the communal prayer.
Gospel Jn 6:44-51
St. John’s “Bread of Life” discourse continues in response to the protest of the crowd. In the first part of the passage we hear Jesus telling the crowd that no one comes to God unless it is willed by the Father (who sent me). Then Jesus says the remarkable; “…and I will raise him on the last day.” This is a clear statement that the Lord has been given the authority to judge the living and the dead in the eschaton (the last day).
The Lord quotes Isaiah 54:13, interpreting that passage as it relates to him as the “teacher” sent by God. He now launches into the answer to the earlier question “Where can we get this bread?” saying “I am the bread of life” and going further tells the crowd that they must eat (John uses the graphic word gnaw) the bread of life to have eternal life and that the bread he gives them is his life for the salvation of all mankind.
Homily:
Whenever I read this section of St. John’s Gospel I am always struck with a modern day paradox. There are significant groups of Christians in what is called the "Bible Belt" of the U.S. that are very anti-Catholic. They believe that we have missed the importance of having Christ as “our personal Savior”. They also believe that we do not believe in the Bible because, unlike many of the Baptist, Pentecostal, and Evangelical sects, we believe that Holy Scripture is inspired by God but not every word should be interpreted literally.
This is so ironic because in the case of our Gospel today, we believe, quite literally, that Jesus gave us His Body as the Bread of Life. We hear the unequivocal words “I am the Bread of Life” and later “who ever eats this bread will live forever”. Can it be any clearer?
We also believe that when we eat this bread in the most Holy Sacrament of the Alter the Lord, truly present in His Eucharistic Sacrifice, is joined with our own body and we with his. Talk about a personal relationship!!!
They do have one thing right though, and they should be very glad about it. We do not believe Jesus is our “Personal” savior. Rather we believe he came so, as scripture today tells us, “...whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." He came for them too.
Pax
[1] After Link Expiration
[2] The image today is “The Institution of the Eucharist” by Nicolas Poussin, 1640
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