The Gospel According to John 6:35-40
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. But I told you that although you have seen [me], you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it [on] the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day.”
Reflection: What is faith to you? Does one see it as an allegiance to a duty or a person? Is it an act of one’s sincerity of one’s intentions? How about a firm belief in something that has no physical proof? Or simply complete trust. Recently we heard about St. Thomas who would not believe that Jesus Christ had been resurrected until he felt the wounds. Then and only then did he “believe” that Jesus was resurrected just as He said that He would.
Let’s look at this from a different perspective. When you’re deep in prayer, whether it be alone or with others in prayer (at Mass) can you feel the presence of God in your heart? Or do you feel empty like no one is listening to you. Do you still believe, is your “faith” still alive? God is always listening! Sometimes when I pray, I allow myself to become distracted and when this happens, I feel disconnected, not only from God but also from myself, as well as from my family and friends. Does that mean I have lost my faith? No, it doesn’t! Why? Because St. John told us why in this passage. “Everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” And I believe this not just in my heart, but in my whole being, that’s my faith, I don’t need any other proof!
Action of the Day: Find the best time of day, for yourself, to pray. For me, the best time for me is early in the morning (Liturgy of the hours, Morning Prayer). I enjoy this time mainly because I’m an early riser and my mind is clear and not full of all the things that the day will bring to me during my day. I always keep a Rosary in my pocket, this is a great way to center myself as I begin my prayer time with God.
Audio Reflection:
