The Word God Spells

John 10: 1-10
Acts 11:1-18 / Psalms 42, 43

Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came (before me) are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
(John 10:8)

When he beckons me to follow Him
I shall not sit around and wait;
Ere my steps falter, my sight grows dim,
Lead me, my Shepherd to Your gate.

Jesus told His listeners: “Whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.” (Jn.10:1-4) Jesus also said, “Amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep… Whoever enters through me will be saved.” (Jn.10:7,9)

Reflection

How do we know if someone who proclaims the way to Jesus and to the Father is a false prophet, whose only motivation is his own enrichment at the expense of his deluded followers? It’s quite simple. Observe his lifestyle. Does he live simply, and sacrifice much in imitation of our Lord Jesus? Or does he go around bristling with bodyguards in big expensive vehicles, and live in palatial homes? Mother Teresa, founder of the Missionaries of Charity, established hundreds of orphanages and nursing homes for the poor, and travelled all over the world to promote love, peace and the Gospel ideals of Jesus, but for all the millions of dollars she generated for charity, she remained poor and humble until the day she died.

Who are these thieves and robbers who have lured many souls into their churches? You can see them on cable tv, exhorting their followers to be more generous in their tithes so that “God’s blessings will pour upon them.” Surely the true Shepherd does not fleece His sheep. One of them even claims to be “one with the Father”, and is plainly propagating a cult, the way his mesmerized followers seem to be adoring him.

How can so many people be deceived by these charlatans who profess to be God’s shepherds? This can only be explained by the words of our Lord Himself: All who came (before me) are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. Those who listen to them and follow them are not from the sheepfold of our Lord. Only those who listen to the true Shepherd are His sheep, and they are saved.

Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come. (Psalm 23:6) Amen.

John 6: 60-69
Acts 9:31-42 / Ps 116

‘Do you also wish to go away?’
(John 6:68)

Tho’ God’s ways lie beyond our ken,
Tho’ His words are hard to comprehend,
Trust that we will see the truth when
Everything unravels in the end.

Many of the disciples who heard Jesus’ discourse on the Bread of Life said, ‘This teaching is hard; who can accept it?’ But Jesus, being aware that His disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones who did not believe, and who was the one who would betray Him. And He said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’ Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with Him. So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe that you are the Holy One of God.’

Reflection

Jesus had two important reasons for speaking in words that none of His disciples could understand. First, He was actually prophesying the transubstantiation of the Holy Eucharist, in which future generations would eat to gain eternal life. His words in John 6:54-55 are enough proof that the bread and wine in the Eucharist are truly changed into His Flesh and Blood. If He was merely speaking figuratively, (as Protestants claim) wouldn’t He have told His disciples not to take Him literally to prevent them from leaving en masse? And Jesus’ Words were meant for all future generations of Christians.

The second reason why His teaching seemed “impossible to understand” was because Jesus was “separating the chaff from the grain.” He was testing who among His followers had total faith and trust in Him. Once He had proven their fidelity, He would reveal the meaning of His words when He broke bread with them for the last time before His death (Lk.22:19- 20) : “This is my body which will be given up for you . . .”

Remaining steadfast in our faith, and trusting that God will see us through when we are undergoing trials and severe difficulties is the essence of fidelity. We have heard the phrase “fairweather friends” before, and can relate it to John’s Gospel. The Jews followed Jesus because they were fed and healed. But just because they could not understand His message, they opted to turn back and no longer followed Him. Many have left the Church and turned to other faiths just because they were disillusioned with a bishop or parish priest. How far are we willing to go with Jesus? How often do we read our Bible in order to understand the meaning of His words? How often do we receive Him in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in order to become closer to Him?

Lord God, teach us to discern what lies beyond the realm of our understanding. Like St. Peter, grant us the wisdom to seek You, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Indeed, where else could we go in this fleeting, temporal existence? Only You have the words of eternal life! Amen.

John 6: 52- 59
Acts 9:1-20 / Ps 117

Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
(John 6:53)

Nothing nourishes more than Jesus,
And as precious as His Word we’re fed.
In Scriptures we receive His Good News,
In the Eucharist our Daily Bread.

The Jews disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” These things He said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Reflection

Jesus had just performed the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fish, which was not only an expression of His compassion for the hungry multitude that followed Him, but more importantly, to prefigure God’s gift of the Holy Eucharist to future generations of Christians. Unfortunately, many of His disciples, inspite of the signs that He showed, left Him because they could not understand His words (6:66). The same can be said today of the Protestants who have chosen to leave the Catholic Church because they could not accept the doctrine of transubstantiation, wherein we believe the Bread of Life truly initiated in the Last Supper when He commanded, “Do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19).

In the Mass, the mystery of the Eucharist is relived every hour and everyday all over the world without losing its essence and meaning. The Word of God, which is also part of the liturgy of the Mass, is likewise read and heard everyday, throughout our lives, delivering God’s message to us in many different ways. A day will never be the same without receiving the Bread of Life and the Word of God. His Bread and His Word give us life, nourishing our spirits. We can never last long without them. Jesus is inviting us to take His Flesh and Blood and His Word into the very essence of our being. The life that He offers is the very life of God Himself. Like the multitudes in Jesus’ time, our spirits always hunger for the Bread of Life.

We praise you, Lord God eternal. Your Flesh and Blood and Your Word will nourish us all the days of our lives, until the end of time. Amen.

John 6: 44-51
Acts 8:26-40 / Ps 66:8-9,16-17,20

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.
(John 6:47-48 )

If we cannot believe the Word
That the Bread of Life has given,
We may not be worth the reward
Of eternal life in heaven.

Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Reflection

The Jews were now becoming confused with what Jesus was saying about Himself. They could not comprehend what he was claiming, that He was “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” (Jn.6:50-51).

Like the Jews in Jesus’ time, we may have to undergo a mental struggle, or even suspend our doubts and limited understanding, if we want to enter into a mystical relationship with God. It’s a futile effort to try and breach the gap between knowledge and faith. There’s a world of difference between knowing and believing.

When the Jews asked Jesus earlier, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” His ready answer was, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the One He sent” (Jn.6:28-29). ‘Just believe Me, that’s all it takes,’ He seemed to be saying.

Many of our questions in this life will remain unanswered. We will only find the truth in Jesus Christ, Who is also our Way and our Life. Following the Father’s will through the words of Jesus must be our all-prevailing quest in life. We do not need to try and understand the mysteries that baffle us. When our faith has been put to the test like tempered steel in fire, then the truth will be revealed to us through the power of His Holy Spirit. In time we will be inspired by the parables and teachings of Jesus in the Bible, which we once found difficult to accept. In the meantime, we must humbly accept what we cannot comprehend as truth, like the Holy Eucharist in the Mass as Jesus Christ Himself, “sent down from heaven.”

Grant me the grace to hold fast to Your Word, Lord Jesus, even if I still do not see the full significance of Your message. Help me believe the words of St. Paul that “at present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.” (1 Cor.13:12.) Amen.

Mark 16: 15-20
1 Pt 5:5-14 / Ps 89:2-3,6-7,16-17

They went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
(Mark 16:20)

Our strifes and troubles when we preach
Are but a light cross that we bear,
But there’ll be more souls we can reach
If Christ’s Good News are ours share.

Jesus said to the apostles, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” They went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs. (Mark 16:15- 20)

Reflection

Before His ascencion into heaven, Jesus gave His final commissioning to His apostles. His mission on earth was over, but theirs was just beginning. But His departure meant only His physical absence from His disciples; He promised them that He would still be with them in a new way — and always until the end of time. That was why when Jesus departed from them, they did not feel any grief or sorrow. Instead, they went away filled with joy and great anticipation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The other day, we witnessed two kinds of departure that showed contrasting emotions. One was marked by grief and sorrow, and the other filled with cheers and merriment. The former was the burial of the patriarch of a prominent family in Davao, who had served his church and community well. The other occasion that we attended in the evening was the despedida de soltera for our good friend’s young daughter, who would soon begin a new life of her own in marriage. These two contrasting events, in a strange way, both signified a beginning and an ending. The patriarch had finished his mission in life, but his real life in the Father’s kingdom was just beginning. The daughter of my friend was ending her single life, but her real purpose in life was likewise just beginning. But for the former, there should have been greater rejoicing.

Those who have received the commission of Jesus Christ to be heralds of the Good News of salvation have seen the end of their worldly life, and are now living a new life in the Spirit. There is reason to rejoice and be glad, despite the trials that we might face. For we believe that the risen Lord is working in us through the power of His Holy Spirit, and we are so privileged to share in this task of the saints.

Lord God, You fill our hearts with a spirit of joy which no trials or difficulties can overcome. May we always live a life of praise and thanksgiving for our renewal, and may we fulfill Your purpose in our life. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

John 6: 30-35
Acts 7:51–8:1 / Ps 31

I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
(John 6:35)

Who puts our Lord Jesus Christ first
Will never go hungry or thirst.
If we must seek true life instead,
We’ll find it in the Living Bread.

The Jews said to Jesus, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who 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.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’

Reflection

The Jews kept asking for a sign from Jesus, despite the fact that He had already fed more than five thousand of them (with 12 baskets left over) from five loaves and two fish. It seems that the previous miracle had not been enough proof of His divinity, but had only whetted their appetite for more exciting displays of power. Like their ancestors who received manna from heaven everyday during their sojourn in the desert, they wanted Him to “give us this bread always.”

Like those Jews in Jesus’ time who were only thinking about their physical needs, there are still many people today who only seek to satisfy their hunger for food and other material needs, but neglect the more important needs of their famished souls. Everytime we take a stroll in the mall near our home, we notice that almost all the restaurants and fast food chains are packed with people. The same can be said in practically all the other malls we go to. Filipinos are a food-loving people. But they say Filipinos are also a very religious people — in fact the only predominant Christian nation in Asia. So how come our churches are not as packed with people like our restaurants on any day except Sunday? Is Sunday the only time we can receive the Bread of Life, Who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world?

God created us to receive not only mere physical nourishment, but more importantly, to be sustained by His Spirit as well. As Jesus Himself said, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Mt.4:4) This nourishment can only come from regularly reading and reflecting on the Word of God, and receiving the Bread of Life.

Nothing nourishes more than You, Lord Jesus, in Your Eucharist, and in Your Word. Let me receive You always, to be sanctified by Your Spirit, and be inspired and strengthened for the work ahead. Thank You, Father for our Daily Bread. Amen.