Jesus said to the crowds, "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:
When I was little, my grandmother would tell me stories about the Saints. I loved sitting and listening to her stories. One of my favorite stories was about Saint Gerard. His father was a tailor and he died when Saint Gerard was about twelve years old. While Saint Gerard was learning to be a tailor at his Uncles place, the foreman would abuse Saint Gerard. He would beat him. One day when the foreman was beating him, Saint Gerard gazed upward and smiled. This made the man even more angry and he asked Saint Gerard why he wouldn’t yell out in pain? Saint Gerard answered that he could see the Hand of God disciplining him.
My Grandmother, said that Saint Gerard could see Jesus in everyone.
In this one instance in Saint Gerard’s life I could see that he understood the love of God. He trusted in God’s Will and in the love that God has for him. This story and the many other stories that my grandmother would tell me about the Saints, have all helped me through out my life. We all need some encouragement from time to time. There is no better encouragement than Jesus Himself telling us here this Gospel reading, “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…. 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.”
I pray that I can pass down to my children and maybe one day to my grandchildren these powerful stories of love that help to strengthen our faith. What a beautiful reminder here in todays Gospel reading that one day we will be raised by Jesus Christ.
How can I strengthen my faith to believe in Jesus and trust in Him with my whole heart? Who can I share the gospel with today to give encouragement and hope? As we go through our day today to PSB (Pray, Serve, and Bless) let us remember how much God loves us and see His hand in everything that happens throughout our day. God bless you!
