People of the Light - drawn

WORD 2day - Thursday, Third week in the Eastertide

April 18, 2024 - Acts 8: 26-40; John 6: 44-51

No one can come to me unless he oe she is drawn by the Father who sent me - this teaching of Christ explains to us who could become people of the Light:  those who are drawn by the Lord. This experience of "being drawn" is what we exactly mean by the conviction, faith is a gift; not everyone gets to have it. 

First of all the persons should feel drawn: those who have a disposition from within, feel drawn by the Lord. Just as the Ethiopian minister who we meet in the first reading today, who was eager to know something, who was reading to get to know. The Lord uses that disposition, to draw the person to Godself. This is the stage of realisation. The Minister felt drawn. The people were fed with the bread from heaven, and here they see, in the Gospel, the Bread from heaven feeding them!

Secondly, persons should wish to draw closer: this is the part of the personal response to what the Lord wishes to do to us. The Minister asking Philip to get in and sit by his side, and imploring him to explain the Word, is a response, a clear and definitive respose of a yes to draw near to the Lord who is drawing the person to himself. Difficulty in understanding things beyond our minds, not really getting to see the spiritual sense of the things happening in our life, could be reasons enough to turn us away from God, but not so with those who are drawn by God!

Thirdly, persons stay close to God and draw others to God: this is the part of resolve, to taste the Lord and share that with the world around. Anyone who eats of this bread will live forever and there is a net difference seen in the life of these persons drawn by God and those who let themselves be drawn. They become ambassadors of this eternal life that resides in God. They are already taught by God to hear the teaching, feel drawn, actively draw closer and stay close to God drawing others to God and to God's Reign.