Word to the Wise
Wednesday, May 8, 2019 - 3rd Week of Easter - Wed
[Acts 8:1b-8 and John 6:35-40]"For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day." [John]
The Bread of Life discourse continues throughout this week in the gospel scripture for daily Mass. Today we are still in the first "strand" of what Jesus means when he says, "I AM the bread of life." This strand focuses on the relationship of faith in Jesus as the one whom God has sent. The familiar theme of "seeing and believing" surfaces. Later on in the Gospel According to John this will be presented more dramatically in the healing of the Man Born Blind (Chap. 9) and the post-resurrection appearance to Thomas.[20:24-29]. The result of seeing and believing is to have eternal life now and to be raised to it on the "last day."
Eternal life is not something most people think about as occurring in the present time. We tend to see it as something that begins with our physical death. In the Gospel According to John, faith in Jesus is the beginning of eternal life. Given the challenges and trials of everyday existence, eternity may seem a long ways off, but we have already begun it. The second strand of the Bread of Life discourse which focuses on the gift of Jesus own body and blood as a physical sign of eternal life will soon be in front of us. I recommend reading the whole of chapter six to get the "big picture." AMEN