Openness and desire for God

Readings Acts 8: 26-40; Jn 6: 44-51

Let us reflect today on the First reading, wherein we meet the deacon Philip, whom we saw in the yesterday’s reading as a successful person in the preaching of the word of God. As we see in the reading today he is instructed by God to take the road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza, which is a desert road. On this road he meets an Ethiopian eunuch.

Who is this Ethiopian eunuch?

·         He is the finance minister of the queen of Ethiopia.

·         They were commonly used in positions of seniority and trust, especially where the women of the royal household were concerned.

·         They were often powerful and very rich.

·         As we are told in the reading today he had gone to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage to worship.

·          It is very likely that he was a convert to Judaism or else a Gentile who believed in the God of Israel.

When does Philip meet him?

·         Philip meets him when he was reading the book of Prophet Isaiah.

·         It was Isaiah 53: 7-8., which is the fourth song of the suffering servant, which is read at the service on Good Friday.

·         During those days it was a usual practice to read aloud and that is how Philip knew what he was reading.

·         During the course of their conversation we could see the openness and the desire of the Eunuch. Openness to know the depth of the Scripture and desire for baptism, because he expressed his total faith in Jesus.

What are the challenges?

·         There may be plenty of opportunities for all of us to explain Scripture to others, who willingly want to know the spoken words of Jesus, so it is our challenge to read and understand the scripture daily, so that we can explain this to others. Let us make this as a habit, so that we can inspire and be inspired by God’s word.

·         Why am I not able to spend time in reading the Scripture?

I Am the Bread of Life

Readings:  Acts 8: 1-8; Jn 6: 35-40

Dear friends we are called to be the living message of the Gospel. In the first reading we see the great zeal of the apostles who preached the message of Christ even amidst difficulties and suffering. The first reading tells us that many came to welcome the message of Christ based on what they heard and saw them for themselves. In other words, the message of Christ brought life and newness in the life of the people. The same message is also found in today’s Gospel reading. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.” (Jn 6: 35). At first he states to us who he is taking the symbol of bread, just like the bread sustains life and assures the continuity of life so also Jesus.  Thereafter, he extends an invitation with a firm assurance that he will not abandon them or turn them out “Whoever comes to me I shall not turn him away... I should lose nothing. (Jn 6: 37-39). This particular verse tells us the clear mind of God that he wants his sons and daughters to be with him. Just like the shepherd gathers his own sheep without being lost, so also Jesus. I am sure there might have been moments in our lives, where we felt the comforting presence of Jesus in our lives, so let us re-live those moments once again and be assured that Jesus does not abandon me.