The Voice, the Bread and the Messenger

WORD 2day: Friday, 3rd week in Easter time

May 09, 2025: Acts 9: 1-20; John 6: 52-59

The Word today presents to us the three fundamental ways in which the Lord continues to reveal Godself to us! We encounter a hard headed crowd that opposes Jesus and a stone hearted man being melted by the grace of God... the stubborness of humanity and the power of Divine Grace - what a lovely play of life and meaning in these! Let us unravel the three splendid elements of God's self manifestation amidst this play that continues even today!

In the first reading we see, that the Voice from heaven touched him; the man sent by heaven healed him; the Bread from heaven strengthened him. What an example of the Word, the Sacraments and the Community of faith working together for God's Reign! Yes, these are the three elements we are presented with. 

The Word...the daily and unceasing revelation of God! It is never dead or outdated, but alive, cutting into the finest of existent realities and making it glow with meaning. When we miss it, we miss the lamp for our feet, the way for our life, and the very ground for our being. 

The Sacraments...specially that of Eucharist, an undeserved gift offered to us, to be strengthened from whatever weariness or worries we find ourselves in. Today specially when we are so stricken by infirmities and fear, how blessed we would be to find our strength and solace in the Sacrament, God's living presence amidst us. 

The Community...our own brothers and sisters, who are given to us to be loved. It is not that we expect someone to be sent to us, as Ananias was sent to Saul, but we need to become the Ananias to those in need, those blinded in their hearts and spirits, those unable to see the light of joy and serenity! Let us be the persons of God, the people of God to take hope and peace, joy and serenity to them! 

Can we today behold the goodness of the Voice and the Bread, that we shall become Messengers of God's love to all, especially those who are burdened and weak... As the new Holy Father Pope Leo XIV invites us, we are called to be One People with the One Lord...One Church hearing the Voice, united by the Bread and led by the Message!

HABAEMUS PAPAM - PAPA LEO XIV

Habaemus Papam - Pope Leo XIV shall officially take office on May 18, 2025

This is how we saw him for the first as Pope... 

This is how God blessed him from above... 

as we received the gift of him to the Church today!

God bless our Pope!

God draws those who are drawn...

WORD 2day: Thursday, 3rd week in Easter time

May 08, 2025: Acts 8: 26-40; John 6: 44-51

Phillip is mightily used by God, taken from place to place by the Spirit. It was because he allowed himself to be used; he submitted to the plans of God. The Court Official is chosen to belong to the Lord because he had a fundamental thirst for the knowledge of the matters of God. Why should he after all struggle with understanding the scroll of Isaiah on his journey... he was drawn to God from within himself.

Jesus declares that it is the Lord who draws a person to Godself. And we can easily understand, combining that teaching with the event in the first reading, that the Lord draws those who are drawn to the Lord in their choices, in their priorities, in their daily decisions. Yes, the Lord does not draw you without your consent... that would be against the freedom that the Lord has given us!

Yes, it is ofcourse the Lord who initiates but it is upto us to readily and promptly acknowledge these initiatives and respond to them from the depths of our beings. The responses are the use of the freedom that the Lord has given us! The choices we make are ours and therefore, many a time things that happen to our lives, depend on some choice somewhere that we have made...hard to understand, but if only we go to the depths we would get that connection clear.

However, God does not cease to invite us. However far we may go from the Lord, however deviated our choices get, however warped out priorities become, the Lord does not quit soliciting our loving choice for God and for what pertains to God. If only we are drawn to God, if only we choose to draw ourselves near to God, we would see, that the Lord has already drawn us so close to Godself, and it is in fact, God who drew us.

How simply James put it: draw near to God and God will draw near to you! (James 4:8).