The Gospel according to John (6:22-29)

[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.] The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat, but only his disciples had left. Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread when the Lord gave thanks. When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, open the Scriptures to me as I turn my heart to you. I need your resurrected power and life. Just as you opened the Scriptures to the disciples on the way to Emmaus, open the Gospel to me and reveal your heart. Make my heart burn while you speak to me.

Encountering Christ: Imagine if you were one of those people who witnessed, firsthand, the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Let’s put it in our perspective in a setting that we are familiar with. Let’s imagine we went to our parish and there was this man that everyone was following who was named Jesus. The rumors in the crowd is spreading like wild flower about the miracles He did and that He resurrected from the dead. Then this man, wanted everyone to eat but only two parishioners brought food. One brought some tacos and the other brought lumpia. Just as Jesus realized this, men from the Knights of Columbus brought the mariachis and some sangria to drink. Now, it’s a party! Jesus realizes that there isn’t enough for all 5000 of us so before our eyes He creates enough for everyone. And we all left the parish with Joy, good memories, and our bellies full. So does that make you a Believer?!

What sort of an impact would that have had on you? Would it have drawn you into a deep faith in Jesus, the Son of God? Or would you have been more impressed with the free and miraculous food? What’s interesting is that Jesus feeds the five thousand when they are not expecting it and not desiring it. But when they do come expecting it and desiring it the next day, He refuses. Jesus refuses another miracle because He wants the people to look deeper to the eternal reality. 

What do you work for in life? That which ultimately perishes? Or that which is eternal? This is an important question to sincerely answer. Too often we spend most of our lives putting most of our time and energy into those things that have little value for eternity. But according to this scripture, we should be seeking “Food for Eternity”.

The day before the above quoted conversation, Jesus had multiplied the loaves and fishes and fed five thousand households. The people were so impressed that the next day, when they were hungry again, they came looking for Jesus and found Him on the other side of the lake. Jesus, of course, immediately understands the situation. He realizes that the crowd of people who found Him were more interested in another meal than they were in the spiritual food that is eternal. So Jesus gently uses the opportunity to give them this short lesson about what is most important. The “food that endures for eternal life” is ultimately faith in Jesus.

In our own lives, living primarily for the deeper and eternal reality is often hard to do. It’s easy to keep our eyes on the superficial and less important aspects of life. How do I make more money? Or buy a new car? Or have a favorite meal (tacos and/or lumpia)? How can I better entertain myself? What new piece of clothing should I buy? And the list goes on. Of course, none of these things are evil, but they are all passing and will not have an effect upon our eternal soul. And, in fact, if we give too much attention to the superficial and least important aspects of life, they will have the effect of distracting us from that which is most important.

Do not work for that which perishes; work for that which is eternal. Look at your priorities in life.

Closing Prayer: My most glorious Lord, You are the Food that is eternal. You are the Food for everlasting life. Give me the wisdom I need, dear Lord, to turn my eyes from the passing and least important things of this world and to turn, instead, to that which is eternal. May I keep my eyes upon You and be nourished by my faith in You. Jesus, I trust in You.

Action of the Day: Where is your focus? What concerns you the most every day? Hopefully your greatest concern is to grow deeper in faith in the Son of God. Hopefully it is to live the charity that is eternal. If you honestly look at your life and the goals you have and see yourself overly concerned with the things of this world, then allow these words of our Lord to speak to you directly so that you are storing up riches for eternal life.

The Gospel according to John (John16:1-15)

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him,“Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

Opening Prayer:  Lord, thank you for this opportunity to sit quietly with your word. Please bless me and those I love as I pray and seek your holy will.

Encountering Christ: Todays gospel is all about “The Meal”.  Jesus demonstrates or teaches through the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish, that there is plenty – or an abundance of – spiritual food

available to anyone wishing to be fed. This event was to foreshadow the institution of the Eucharist at the last supper with his apostles. This gathering and teachable moment showed the apostles that they must first trust in Jesus always AND secondly, that the Father provides an abundance of graces (spiritual food) for us.

Eucharist today can be likened to this great event of Jesus’ time, in that we are like the crowd coming to be taught and fed. We gather at Mass and are fed first by the Word (Readings and Gospel) and then at the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer we receive Jesus in the Host and are fed spiritually in order to continue our journey and mission in life. We leave Mass not only fed but embolden in our faith, at least that is what is suppose to happen!

How many times have you seen people come to church and leave during communion time and not even receive our Lord in the Eucharist? Sad, but you know it happens. I think even more important we see a growing portion of our world-wide Catholic community moving away from believing the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Sit and pray about why this is happening in our world.

Do we really understand what Jesus was trying to teach us that day on the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee? I think first of all He was testing the faith of his followers by asking them to gather food for the huge crowd. Do we see ourselves like the apostles? Do we sometimes think that the problem facing us is too big to handle? OR do we “Trust in Jesus” to take care of our situation/needs. Next, do we see the blessings God places before us when we are in need? Where do we draw our internal strength to meet the challenge in front of us? Do we have “Strength for the Journey” or is our spiritual tank empty OR only half full. Let’s face it – if our spiritual life is in order, even the hardest situations are manageable when we are in concert with Jesus and the Father.

The Gospel today makes a point about gathering the fragments or leftovers of fish and loaves. Nothing was to go to waste. Eucharist for us is the same. This gathering of the leftovers demonstrates to us and the crowd that the Father always blesses us with an abundance – more than we need – of spiritual blessings.  Eucharist IS our strength and our sharing with and in Jesus.

Today we are called to be stronger and bolder than ever in acknowledging the real presence of Jesus in the Host. The question is – DO YOU BELIEVE? Do you REALLY believe, and if so how can you help others who either have lost that perspective of faith OR are wavering in their belief of the true presence of Jesus. YOU and I are called to witness AND proclaim the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. We are called to not only proclaim it – but to live it. It is not a symbol or remembrance – it is our Risen Lord coming to us as a continuation of His command at the last supper and his promise of “I will be with you always”.

Eucharist is the “Real Deal” – and those that are missing out – help them through your prayer, example and conversation. There are many in the world who need that prayer support.

Closing Prayer:  Lord, help me to receive you more reverently each time I attend Mass and worship you more ardently in Adoration. Today by your grace I will make a Eucharistic visit, receive the Eucharist at Mass, or make a spiritual communion with a heart full of gratitude.

Action for the Day: Watch this 2 minute video for today. Think about how Jesus continues to remind us of His true presence in the Eucharist. He continues to show us that he really is with us and we are called to respond accordingly. The video tells of a recent miracle about the Host. Watch, contemplate, pray and then BELIEVE like never before.  AMEN!

The Gospel according to John (3:31-36)

The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.

Opening Prayer: Lord, thank you for these several days of reflection on the themes you revealed first to Nicodemus. May I draw grace and inspiration from my time of prayer today.

Encountering Christ: When you walk through the front door of your house or any building do you expect it to collapse on top of you?  How about when you start your car, do you expect that it will begin to fall apart like in the cartoons where you are left with nothing but a seat and a steering wheel in your hands?  No, we trust the builders of the homes and cars.  If you think about it, we trust them with our very lives.

In today’s Gospel we hear of the contrast between earthly things and from above.  This is not an unfamiliar topic. There are other places in Holy Scripture where this contrast is specifically identified.  We have a tendency of getting caught up in our earthly existence.  We marvel at our creations, tall buildings, immense bridges, complex and sophisticated communities, complexes, etc., let alone all the other medical, scientific, and additional fields where man has overcome and excelled in creating things.  We also are in awe of how much we have advance in our sophisticated ways, culture, and human anthropology.  We are an advance civilization without limits, so it seems.

The Celebration of Easter should have reminded us that all our accomplishments mean nothing if we do not believe in the risen Christ.  Nothing we have done or could ever do that can provide us with what we most need in our brief lives.  We must put our trust in the one who comes from above.  We must accept his testimony that certifies that God is trustworthy.  If we trust the builders of our homes, cars, etc. why do we struggle, at times with trusting God.

Again, we get caught up in what we can do collectively and individually.  We get to the point where we convince ourselves that we are in control and that we are the author of our own lives.  How misguided and dangerous!  Our lives, even if we live to our 80’s or 90’s is not that long.  When we are born our march to our physical mortality begins.  In our lifetime we put our trust in many people and things.  And rightly so.  For those whom we love and the things that surround us are often reliable and worthy of this trust.  But one day we will all be called to meet our true creator.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that moment would simply be a continuation of the trust we had in God in our lives up to then?  That, at the moment of our death, our trust was that our merciful and loving God would take into consideration a life, that while not perfect, was filled with moments of love and mercy that we shared with as many people as we could.  That we trusted God to provide us with the grace we needed to serve Him and others without fear of running out of resources.

The one who comes from above does not ration the Spirit.  We can never out give God.  We always receive more than we give.  How can this be if not for a generous God who sent his only son so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

Do we trust God with out eternal lives more that we trust people with our earthly lives?

Closing Prayer: Dear Lord, may the distractions of our earthly lives not rob us of the opportunities to trust in your merciful goodness.  May we receive the grace you so generously give us and share your love and mercy so others may trust in your loving kindness.

Action for the Day: Ask God, in prayer, study, or in any moment where you are aware of His presence for the grace to surrender the things of earth so we can trust God with this life and the one that will take us home to eternal life.

The Gospel according to John 3:16-21

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Opening Prayer: As we recall year by year the mysteries by which, through the restoration of it’s original dignity, human nature has received the hope of rising again, we earnestly beseech your mercy, Lord, that what we celebrate in faith we may possess in unending love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Encountering Christ: Have you ever been in a room that was completely dark and then lit a candle? It’s amazing how one very small candle can give off enough light that, as your eyes adjust, you can begin to see. And the longer that you stay in that subdued space the more visible objects start to become, more and more illuminated. Think of Jesus as that candle. He brought us into the light through His teachings, His actions and His love. The more that we grow in our relationship with Him, the brighter His light becomes. Death could not extinguish that light, because through His resurrection it was allowed to grow even stronger through us.

John 3:16: These are some of the most famous words of the Gospels. We see this passage written on signs at public venues, prominently displayed on the faces of sports players, and printed on t-shirts. It’s no wonder—this simple phrase assures us that God is love, that he loved us enough to sacrifice his Son for our good, and that we never die because eternal life awaits us. Our greatest two fears are not being loved, and dying. If we believe in the risen Christ, we need not ever fear either! 

I Believe: Belief in God requires our turning away from sin and striving to live according to the commandments and Church teaching. But many in our modern, post-Christian, individualistic society believe that obedience to God is a price too high to pay. It restricts “freedom,” they complain. If God so loved the world as to give his Son in sacrifice, then we can trust that his commandments are also for our own good. Trusting our lives to the commandments and Church teaching, is that one important way we show that we believe! It’s one beautiful way to show our love for God! And through our obedience, we experience true freedom as Jesus told us in John 8:32: “…the truth will set you free.” 

Condemnation: When we refuse to believe in Jesus, we “have already been condemned.” We are condemned even before we die as we wallow in unrepentant sin, enslaved by our passions and stubbornness. This spiritual reality binds us to the darkness, but even more tragically, we miss out on the delight and wonder of coming to know our loving God here and now. Life can be wonderfully illuminated by God’s light–in the faces of our loved ones, in the glories of nature, in the experiences of his grace–or we can choose to live in darkness. All it takes is a little faith to break free of darkness; it starts with one small flame. 

Conversing with Christ: When my own “works are done in God” I radiate your light and, by your grace, I can reach into another’s darkness to help them break free. Lord, I want to be an instrument of your light for many of my family and friends. Please continue to bless me with your grace so that I may “let my light shine before others” (Matthew 5:16).

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace, I will reach out to others with a kindness, and compassion, knowing that your light is shining through me.

Closing Prayer: Lord, send your light upon us, so that we may show the others the brilliance of your eternal love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Gospel according to John (3:7b-15) 

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
‘How can this happen?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

Opening Prayer: Father God, please help me to pause for a moment and listen for the sound of Your voice through this reading today.  Speak to me and show me the tasks You have set aside just for me.  Amen.

Encountering Christ:

Today’s Gospel continues the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, one of the leaders of the Pharisees.  Nicodemus had to have a tremendous knowledge of the Mosaic law, but when you read the third chapter of John’s Gospel, you can see that he doesn’t quite “get” what Jesus is saying to him.  All I can say to that is: “join the club”.

Jesus’ mission on Earth was quite simple: He was sent to demonstrate God’s love, to reach out to those who were outcast, and to give His life in ransom for the sins of all.  When I think about my own faith, and relate it to those three points, I definitely see my faith as showing me the way to God and to being His witness of His great love.  It’s an easy thing to say, but much harder to do in real life.  Love is not neat and tidy – it is messy, especially when experienced between two flawed and fragile human beings. 

Love is like the spirit that Jesus describes to Nicodemus, where it blows wherever it wills, but we don’t know where it comes from or where it goes.  Love means being willing to go like the wind, maybe someplace you don’t really want to go.  Sometimes, the wind is strong, and other times it is a gentle breeze.  When the wind is pushing us, it can be very difficult to walk a path against it. 

In the conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus speaks of heavenly things, but Nicodemus could only see them from his own earthly perspective.  We see that in his response to Jesus: “how can this happen?”  He was so caught up in the laws and the practices that he missed the love that all those laws and practices were intended to highlight.  He was certainly a very good Jew, but he only saw one side of the God he served.

Jesus was trying to open his mind to more.  He is trying to do that with each of us every day, too.  Each day, Jesus calls each of us to live a life of love and of service.  It can be as simple as doing a kind deed without being asked, such as making coffee for your spouse, or writing a note to your child, or calling someone and asking how that person is feeling.  We don’t have to change the world with our acts of kindness, but the truth is that doing them *will* change the world.

That may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s not.  I don’t think I will quote it exactly, but there’s a line in the film “The Shack” that goes something like, “each time we don’t judge and act out of love, the world changes for the better.”  Our small acts do change the world even if just a bit.  And when that happens, God’s kingdom comes just that little bit closer.  We won’t necessarily do that every day.  No, some days, we can make it seem that God’s kingdom is far, far away.  That’s okay.  God allows us all the chances we could ever ask for to do His will just a bit better, and to bring His love to those around us. 

As we continue in our journey of Easter joy, can we try to love more and to “change the world for the better” by doing so?  Who do you need to love more and better?  Pause right now and think of that person, and ask our loving Lord for His grace to share that love with that person today.

Closing Prayer: Lord, thank You for loving me.  Thank You for never giving up on me.  Help me to be a presence of love and light in a world of so much darkness.  Help me never give up on You, too, that I may bring Your love to life in my life today and always.  Amen.

Action for the Day: Show love to someone who especially needs it today.  If you’re not sure who that is, ask God to show you!