Acts 8:26-48 / John 6:44-51
Jesus talks about
the Father: “Only the Son has seen the Father.”
A college student
said to his theology professor, “I cannot believe in God any longer.” The
professor stunned the student by saying, “Maybe I should congratulate you for
no longer believing in God.” “What do you mean by that?” said the student. His
professor replied, “Perhaps the idea of God that you have in your mind is so
distorted that you should
reject it.”
The professor’s
remark underscores an important point. Oftentimes the God whom people reject is
not the true God, but merely a
subjective caricature of him that exists nowhere but in their mind. If we are
to discover the true God,
we must turn to Jesus Christ.
****
What is our idea
or image of God? Jesus said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” John
14:9
*****
The power of
attraction is an amazing thing. It goes beyond logic and reason. From simple
attractions like sales and bargains to the infatuation and attraction between
opposite sexes, the whys and the hows are difficult to explain. Yet the power
of attraction is there and it cannot be denied and in a certain sense it cannot
be easily understood.
In the gospel, Jesus speaks of an awesome and mysterious
power of attraction. If we believe in Jesus, it is because the power of God has
drawn us to Him. Indeed, it was the power of God's love that has drawn our
hearts to Jesus and to come to this Mass to receive Him in Holy Communion. As
we heard in the 1st reading, it was also the power of God's love that drew the
eunuch to request for baptism.
Jesus said: No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the
Father who sent me. By the power of God's love we are drawn into the heart of
Jesus. We are now sent to draw others into the heart of Jesus. We need not
explain why we believe in Jesus, or preach to others about Jesus. By our hearts
of love, God will draw them to Jesus. May our hearts remain always in the love
of God.
****
Easter 3 wk- Thursday - LITURGY
Introduction
Luke presents the
conversion of the treasurer of the queen of Ethiopia very much in parallel with
that of the disciples of Emmaus. The latter had listened to Christ's
explanation of the scriptures about himself and then recognized and really
encountered the living, risen Lord in the breaking of bread, in the Eucharist.
The Ethiopian had the scriptures explained to him about the lamb that was slain
and the good news of the resurrection. Then he asked to be baptized so that he
could encounter the risen Lord.
In the gospel Christ speaks
again of himself as the bread of life to be accepted in faith and promises to
give the bread of his own flesh in the Eucharist for the life of the world, for
eternal life.
Penitential Rite:
-Faith in you is what draws
us to this mass. For our lack of faith, LHM
-Faith in you is flamed by our prayer and perseverance. For our lack of
prayer, CHM
-Faith in you is revealed
through our love and service. For our selfishness, LHM
Opening Prayer
Father, you draw all people
to you who believe in your Son Jesus Christ. Faith, Lord, faith it is that we
need. Give it to us, we pray you, a living faith that we can encounter today
Jesus Christ, your Son, in your word that you speak to us in the bread that you
offer us, and in the food that we can give and can be to one another, in Jesus
Christ, your Son and our Lord, who lives with you and the Holy Spirit now and
for ever.
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, we want to live,
live to the full and without limits or boundaries. Give us the bread of life,
we pray you, that we may know and love and live, that we may give ourselves
with him who gave himself as flesh for the life of the world, and be raised up
with him on the last day to live with you for ever and ever.
Prayer after Communion
God of the living, you have
given us the bread of life, that we may eat it and not die, All thanks be to
you, Father, but make our faith strong and deep that your Son is with us, that
in him the world can live a life worth living, a life of hope, of justice and
dignity and love, a life that lasts for ever and ever.
