THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Thursday of the third Week of Easter, 2022

Acts 8:26-40

Ps 66

John 6:44-51

Bread of life that comes down from heaven

In the gospel reading (Jn 6:44-51), Jesus declares that all who come to him have been drawn to him by the Father, ‘No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me. God is always drawing us towards his Son, who says of himself in the gospel reading, ‘I am the bread of life. God draws us towards his Son as the one who can satisfy the deepest spiritual hunger of our hearts. God often draws us to His Son in and through other people of faith. 

In the first reading (Acts 8:26-40), God initially draws the Ethiopian to his Son through the Scriptures. When the Ethiopian reflects on a passage from Isaiah, he begins to ask questions, ‘Is the prophet referring to himself or someone else?’ He needed the help of a person of faith to answer this question, the help of Philip. God who began to draw the Ethiopian to his Son through the Scriptures now draws him fully to his Son through the spiritual accompaniment of Philip, the preacher of the gospel. Philip’s ministry to the Ethiopian led the Ethiopian to take an initiative of his own, ‘Look, there is some water here; is there anything to stop me from being baptized?’ It is as if the final step of God drawing the Ethiopian to his Son was through the medium of creation, water. 

Having allowed God to work through him to bring the Ethiopian to Jesus, Philip moved on from him, and the Ethiopian continued on his way rejoicing. God will find many ways of bringing us to his Son if we allow ourselves to be drawn.

Let us pray: Holy Spirit, may my heart burn with the Good News of Jesus the Messiah, Lord, Savior, and God. Make me a fruitful ambassador of the Gospel. Amen

+Remain blessed