"FOR I DO NOT SEEK TO UNDERSTAND IN ORDER THAT I MAY BELIEVE,

BUT I BELIEVE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND. FOR THIS ALSO I BELIEVE -

THAT UNLESS I BELIEVE I SHALL NOT UNDERSTAND."

                                                         - Saint Anselm

 

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Acts 7:51-8:1a

But you

Are a stubborn people. You hardened your hearts and closed your ears.

You have always resisted the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. Was there a prophet

whom your ancestors did not persecute? They killed those who announced the coming of the Just One,

whom you have now betrayed and murdered; you who received the law through the angels but did not fulfill it."

 

When they heard this reproach, they were enraged; and they gnashed their teeth against Stephen.

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus at God's right hand;

so he declared: "I see the heavens open, and the Son of Man at the right hand of God."

 

But they shouted and covered their ears with their hands, and rushed together upon him.

They brought him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.

As they were stoning him, Stephen prayed saying: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

Then he knelt down and said in a loud voice: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he died.

Saul was there, approving his murder. This was the beginning of a great persecution against the Church in Jerusalem.

 

Ps 31:3cd-4, 6 & 7b & 8a, 17 & 21ab

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

John 6:30-35

They then said, "Show us miraculous signs, that we may see and believe you.

What sign do you perform? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert;

as Scripture says: They were given bread from heaven to eat."

 

Jesus then said to them, "Truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven.

My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

The bread God gives is the One who comes from heaven and gives life to the world."

And they said to him, "Give us this bread always." Jesus said to them,

"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall never be hungry,

and whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

The bread of life.

The crowd demands a sign from Jesus, referencing the manna their ancestors received in the wilderness.

Jesus responds by declaring himself the "bread of life,"

explaining that he offers sustenance far greater than physical bread

– he provides eternal nourishment for the soul. Unlike manna,

which only temporarily satisfies hunger, Jesus offers true

and lasting spiritual fulfillment that comes solely from a relationship with him.

 

We are invited to seek deeper nourishment in Christ rather than rely on temporary or worldly sources of satisfaction.

In a culture often consumed by material pursuits and fleeting pleasures,

Jesus calls us to prioritize our spiritual well-being and anchor our lives in Him.

Believing in Him and embracing His teachings sustain us through life's trials and grant us the hope of eternal life.

Furthermore, it encourages us to share this "bread of life" with others,

not only through words but also through actions that reflect Christ's love, compassion,

and selflessness in a hungry and searching world.