MONDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER - Jn 6:22-29 - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

READING OF THE DAY

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:8-15

Stephen, filled with grace and power,

was working great wonders and signs among the people.

Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,

Cyreneans, and Alexandrians,

and people from Cilicia and Asia,

came forward and debated with Stephen,

but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

Then they instigated some men to say,

“We have heard him speaking blasphemous words

against Moses and God.”

They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes,

accosted him, seized him,

and brought him before the Sanhedrin.

They presented false witnesses who testified,

“This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law.

For we have heard him claim

that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place

and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”

All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him

and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 6:22-29

[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]

The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea

saw that there had been only one boat there,

and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat,

but only his disciples had left.

Other boats came from Tiberias

near the place where they had eaten the bread

when the Lord gave thanks.

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,

they themselves got into boats

and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

And when they found him across the sea they said to him,

“Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus answered them and said,

“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me

not because you saw signs

but because you ate the loaves and were filled.

Do not work for food that perishes

but for the food that endures for eternal life,

which the Son of Man will give you.

For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”

So they said to him,

“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”

Jesus answered and said to them,

“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

MONDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER - Jn 6:22-29

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Word of God, Jesus told the people: "Do not work for food that perishes

but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you." The food that the Son of Man will give is food that will never perish, and will nourish and bring eternal life to humans.

Jesus knew that people were looking for Him just for material food to nourish their bodies. He saw that it was not good when they came to God for the purpose of food that perished quickly, so He taught them to work hard for "food that endures for eternity."

- Working hard means to work hard to do good and virtuous deeds, to do charity and love as the Word of God has taught since ancient times.

- To have eternal food means to believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to earth and became human. That is what God wants because He is the One who provides eternal food to feed humans so that humans can have everlasting life.

Those who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, while still living on this earth, must live the things that God commands, which are:

- “'You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'”

- Pray diligently, sacrifice yourselves, and do acts of charity and love.

- Sacrifice yourselves to become bread that can be broken and given to all people.

These are virtuous deeds, to which God the Father invites everyone to listen and practice His teachings.

He also reminded us:

- Every day, we receive the eternal food that nourishes people, which is the Holy Eucharist.

- In order for God to always be present, reign in the souls, and nourish the souls and bodies of each person, that person needs to have a holy, clean, and pure life. If we do these things, we will have eternal life.

Thanks be to God. Amen

PRAYER TO GOD AT 3.00 PM