Wednesday, 3rd week of Easter
DAILY GOSPEL AND COMMENTARY:
“I CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN TO DO THE WILL OF HIM WHO SENT ME” Jn 6:35-40.
READING I
Acts 8:1–8
There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him. Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment. Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Thus Philip went down to (the) city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured. There was great joy in that city.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Or: Alleluia!
Cry out with joy to God all the earth,
O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise.
Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds!’
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Or: Alleluia!
‘Before you all the earth shall bow;
shall sing to you, sing to your name.’
Come and see the works of God,
tremendous his deeds among men.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Or: Alleluia!
He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the river dry-shod.
Let our joy then be in him;
he rules for ever by his might.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Or: Alleluia!
ALLELUIA
This is the will of my Father, says the Lord, all who believe in the Son will have eternal life and I will raise them to life again on the last day.
Gospel of Wednesday, 3rd week of Easter.
Jn 6:35–40
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen (me), you do not believe. (37) Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it (on) the last day. (40) For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him (on) the last day.”
GOSPEL COMMENTARY from the Navarre Bible, Commentary to the Gospel of St. John (with permission)
vv. 37-40 Jesus clearly reveals that he is the one sent by the Father.
- This is something St John the Baptist proclaimed earlier on (Jn 3:33-36), and Jesus himself stated it in his dialogue with Nicodemus (Jn 3:17-21) and announced publicly to the Jews in Jerusalem (Jn 5:20-30).
- Since Jesus is the one sent by the Father, the bread of life come down from heaven to give life to the world, everyone one who believes in him has eternal life, for it is God’s will that everyone should be saved through Jesus Christ.
- These words of Jesus contain three mysteries:
- 1) that of faith in Jesus Christ, which means “going to Jesus”, accepting his miracles (signs) and his words;
- 2) the mystery of the resurrection of believers, something which begins in this life through faith and becomes fully true in heaven;
- 3) the mystery of predestination, the Will of our Father in heaven that all men be saved. These solemn words of our Lord fill the believer with hope.
St Augustine, commenting on vv. 37 and 38, praises the humility of Jesus, the perfect model for the humility of the Christian:
- Jesus chose not to do his own will but that of the Father who sent him: “Humbly have I come, to teach humility haveI come, as the master of humility have I come; he who comes to me is incorporated in me; he who comes to me, becomes humble; he who cleaves to me will be humble, for he does not his will but God’s” (In Ioann. Evang., 25, 15 and 16).
Dear brethren in Christ, let us imitate Jesus, the Way that leads to the Truth and the Life, in always seeking and fulfilling the will of the Father. Isn’t it ture that, out of our desire to please our beloved, we are willing to put up with sacrifice? The same holds true if we really love God and if we really want to imitate and follow Jesus: we must not be afraid of sacrifice and be properly disposed to die unto ourselves, for that is the only way that leads us to the glory of the Resurrection. Let us not forget that Christ’s way, is the way of Love which knows how to embrace sacrifice for the sake of the beloved. For this reason and by this manner He obtained for us our salvation and opened the gates to eternal life.
Stay safe and God bless! Fr. Rolly Arjonillo
VIDEO REFLECTION
TOPIC: DO YOU THINK JESUS WILL EVER REJECT YOU?
In today’s gospel, Jesus utters a very powerful message: “I will not reject anyone who comes to me.” St. Faustina’s Diary of the Divine Mercy is replete with this message that many people ought to hear. Many today experience rejection in their lives. From parents to spouses, to schoolmates, to siblings and workmates; from people one works with in a parish to those who serve in renewal communities, there are varying degrees of rejection that happen. Thus, people, afraid of being hurt, ostracized and becoming disrespected and insignificant, retreat into their own shells and stay there in the dark, languishing and, perhaps, dying slowly emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.
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