FRIDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER, APRIL 19, 2024

MASS READINGS:

Gospel

Jn 6:52-59

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,

"How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?"

Jesus said to them,

"Amen, amen, I say to you,

unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood,

you do not have life within you.

Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood

has eternal life,

and I will raise him on the last day.

For my Flesh is true food,

and my Blood is true drink.

Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood

remains in me and I in him.

Just as the living Father sent me

and I have life because of the Father,

so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.

This is the bread that came down from heaven.

Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,

whoever eats this bread will live forever."

These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

REFLECTION

Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him.

Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father,

so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.

Have we done evil things to the Lord's holy ones? Cheated. Mistreated. Murdered. Verbally abused. Impatient. Happy when they had misfortunes. All these sins will hopefully meet with our repentance and the Lord's boundless mercy. God forgives our sins, never to remember them. He will help us on our ongoing journey towards Him.

St Paul was a persecutor of the followers of Jesus, whether it was with an order, a nod of the head or actual detention and killing of the followers. After his conversion, he learned who Jesus was, imitating and following in His footsteps. Jesus, too, longs for us to know Him, meet and talk with Him. Listen and read His every word in the Scriptures as He is present in real life to us.

His words contain the truth of our salvation and the "pass" to get into heaven. We become complete when He is part of our lives. Listen carefully to what He said, "

"Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me." Jesus opens the way to paradise. The food He offers is His very same flesh as nourishment in the Eucharist: His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.

God Bless You