THURSDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER - Gospel (John 6:44-51) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“I Am the living bread that came down from heaven, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (Jn 6:51)

FIRST READING - Acts 8:26-40

A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,

"Get up and head south on the road

that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route."

So he got up and set out.

Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,

a court official of the Candace,

that is, the queen of the Ethiopians,

in charge of her entire treasury,

who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home.

Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

The Spirit said to Philip,

"Go and join up with that chariot."

Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said,

"Do you understand what you are reading?"

He replied,

"How can I, unless someone instructs me?"

So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.

This was the Scripture passage he was reading:

Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,

and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

In his humiliation justice was denied him.

Who will tell of his posterity?

For his life is taken from the earth.

Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply,

"I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this?

About himself, or about someone else?"

Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage,

he proclaimed Jesus to him.

As they traveled along the road

they came to some water,

and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water.

What is to prevent my being baptized?"

Then he ordered the chariot to stop,

and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water,

and he baptized him.

When they came out of the water,

the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away,

and the eunuch saw him no more,

but continued on his way rejoicing.

Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news

to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - John 6:44-51

From the Gospel according to John

Jesus said to the crowds:

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,

and I will raise him on the last day.

It is written in the prophets:

They shall all be taught by God.

Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.

Not that anyone has seen the Father

except the one who is from God;

he has seen the Father.

Amen, amen, I say to you,

whoever believes has eternal life.

I am the bread of life.

Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;

this is the bread that comes down from heaven

so that one may eat it and not die.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven;

whoever eats this bread will live forever;

and the bread that I will give

is my Flesh for the life of the world."

THURSDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER - Gospel (John 6:44-51)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

Jesus said to the people: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: 'They shall all be taught by God.'"

God is the Creator of man. He created man out of His love and placed him as the highest among all creatures, because man was created in the image of God. God saw that it was good. He did not abandon any of the creatures He created. When man was born into the world, God engraved His words into the heart of each person—these are the Ten Commandments of God. If anyone believes and lives according to God's teachings, then they also believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who came to earth and became a human being. They believe that the words Jesus spoke to all humanity are the words that come from God the Father.

God the Father calls all people to come to Him; He does not exclude anyone. But He always gives people freedom: each person's conscience chooses whether to follow God or follow the world. He does not force anyone to believe in God the Father or in Jesus Christ, His Son. Yet in the freedom God gives, there is always His love. He always watches over our steps.

Since man committed an original sin, his heart has been inclined toward evil. Therefore, God sent His only Son into the world to die in order to redeem man's sins and bring eternal life to humanity. To receive eternal life, one must believe in the words of Jesus Christ: "Eat my Holy Flesh and Blood." This is the eternal bread from heaven—the very body of Jesus Christ. He promised: "Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world." That promise has been fulfilled, just as God said it would. So, whoever desires eternal life should listen to and live according to what God teaches.

Thanks be to God. Amen.