TUESDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER - Jn 6:30-35 - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

READING OF THE DAY

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:51—8:1a

Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes:

"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,

you always oppose the Holy Spirit;

you are just like your ancestors.

Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?

They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one,

whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.

You received the law as transmitted by angels,

but you did not observe it."

When they heard this, they were infuriated,

and they ground their teeth at him.

But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit,

looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God

and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

and Stephen said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened

and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."

But they cried out in a loud voice,

covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.

They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.

The witnesses laid down their cloaks

at the feet of a young man named Saul.

As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,

"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,

"Lord, do not hold this sin against them";

and when he said this, he fell asleep.

Now Saul was consenting to his execution.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 6:30-35

The crowd said to Jesus:

"What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?

What can you do?

Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:

He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

So Jesus said to them,

"Amen, amen, I say to you,

it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;

my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven

and gives life to the world."

So they said to Jesus,

"Sir, give us this bread always."

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."

TUESDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER - Jn 6:30-35

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Word of God, God gradually reveals to humanity the identity of Jesus Christ. He is the only Son of God the Father who came to earth to become a human being to love, sacrifice, die, and rise again to save humankind. He is life itself. All who believe in the only Son of God the Father coming to earth to become a human being will have eternal life.

This is a progressive way of revelation in which God the Father gradually reveals to humanity that: Jesus Christ is the only Son of God, He is the life of mankind. Whoever believes in Him, comes to Him, lives in Him, remains in Him, and does what He instructs will be granted eternal life. Furthermore, He finds every way to penetrate deep into the hearts of humankind, that is, He will stay with humanity by allowing humans to receive His Holy Body and Blood. Therefore, Jesus Christ foretold humankind:"I AM the life; Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood will have eternal life.”

And this promise is fulfilled when any person or soul receives His Holy Body and Blood into their soul, they will have eternal life, on the condition that they must be sinless, must be chaste, pure, and free from all stains of the world's sins and Satan's sins then we are worthy to be the temple for God to dwell in, and we are worthy of welcoming Him into our being.

In God's Word today, God the Father calls all humanity to cleanse our hearts, prepare our hearts to receive His Holy Body and Blood to nourish eternal life for humans.

That is the wisdom that humans need to achieve. Sell everything to buy the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, give up our sinfulness, greed, anger, and ignorance to purify our bodies and souls. So we can eat and receive the Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. That is the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the food that nourishes our souls and bodies on the path to Heaven.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

PRAYER TO GOD AT 3:00 PM