Bread of Life

Good Afternoon, dear reader. I am so glad you decided to drop by and read about the good news of Jesus Christ!! I hope you will continue on in your journey of faith! 

The verse I chose for today goes with our reading in John. It shows that we need more than just physical sustenance. We need both the word of God to nourish our soul and physical food to nourish our body. However, in this context, bread is symbolic of faith; faith in God and in Jesus, which is our very source of life. When we accept the Eucharist at Mass, we are saying that we accept Jesus into our body; a life-giving force that is the heart of every Christian. Jesus IS life! "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Rev 22:13, nab).

As we move into the reading in Acts, we see Peter and John are once again in front of the Sanhedrin. It is becoming most obvious that the high priests cannot silence the crowd in their exaltations for Jesus. The signs and wonders had spread far and wide and the people were amazed. However, this did not bode well for the members of the Sanhedrin. If they didn't do something to stop this, it would make them look weak. The priests had to demonstrate that they were still in charge; somehow they had to get a handle on this movement. One of the high priests, Gamaliel, wanted to have Peter and John set free. The way he figured it, if these men are some sort of fraud, they will soon disappear and the people will lose interest. However, if these two men are who they say they are, then the Sanhedrin would suffer the wrath of God. They decided a flogging would be strong enough to send a message. But even this backfired because this just further brought strength to Peter and John. They would suffer for their faith in Jesus. After all, Jesus died for them. A flogging seemed a mere pittance in comparison.

What does your everyday faith look like? Do God's words sustain you? Is your soul at peace because of your faith? Or is it just something you haul out on Sunday morning? That's the thing with being a believer, you're either all in or you're all out. There is no in-between, as much as we'd like to believe it's possible. It's like being pregnant, you either are or you're not. There is no sort of. It's easier to be "more holy" when you're in church. You're surrounded by people who believe the same as you. You are led by someone, you receive the Eucharist, you sing, you pray. Sometimes just being in church can bring you peace. I get it. I'm the same way. I'm great when I'm in church. But, once I leave and get back to "real life", it's not as easy. 

This is why God's word is so important. It gives us a way to keep our body and soul connected. Our lives are busy and sometimes we forget this. This is where technology is a plus! There are tons of bible apps so we can access God's word. Take two minutes, maybe on a bathroom break. Find one line of scripture and read it. Let it bolster you as you go through your daily routine. Before you go to sleep at night, maybe write down the verse and reflect on it. Write down how it made you feel when you read it. Write down how it impacted your day and/or your thoughts. Did it help your day go better? Did it give you a moment's peace? Before you know it, you will have filled a whole notebook! If you'd like, share your verse and your thoughts here. Tell me what you chose and why you chose it (even if it was just the first one that came up when you opened your bible app). Let's start a whole conversation!! And, as always, dear reader.... be a nice human. 😇

Father Bill's reflection on today's readings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef3P2Le6iHM

Palm Sunday

Good Morning, dear reader!! A blessed Palm Sunday to you!! Today we begin our journey into Holy Week. It will be a week of mixed emotions, reflection and prayers. It is never easy watching Jesus during this time as we know what is to come. But, we also know of the joy that it will bring on Resurrection Sunday! 

We start our reading this morning with Jesus entering Jerusalem. I will share with you the footnote from my bible, as I think this gives us some good insight on this:

With the royal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, a new section of Luke's Gospel begins, the ministry of Jesus in Jerusalem before His death and resurrection. Luke suggests that this was a lengthy ministry there, which is  characterised by Jesus' daily teaching in the temple.*

Today is one of the few days we can feel joyous. He is heralded as King as He enters the city. But, the Romans ask Jesus to reprimand His apostles for calling Jesus King. They felt this was an insult to their king, who they saw as true ruler. Jesus told them that He would not do this because even if His apostles kept quiet, others would still recognise Him as King and would call out to Him as such. Jesus is the ultimate rabble rouser and rebel!! 

The reading from Isaiah is a prophetic one as Isaiah is referring to Jesus. Remember, Jesus's birth, death and resurrection are all foretold in the Old Testament. This reading laments the fact that the people will not heed Jesus's teachings. Rather, they are relying on the secular. Because of this, their sins will bring death and destruction to the land. 

As we move on to Philippians, we see the joy of Jesus, exalted by His Father, illustrating the fact that He is to be glorified and revered. Jesus did not act as a god, but as a servant TO God; He exemplified utmost meekness of character. This passage reminds us that we, too, should act like Jesus. Our actions should show our devotion to Him. 

Finally, we go back to the Gospel of Luke, where he tells us the story of The Last Supper. Jesus mentions that this is a Passover celebration. Passover is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the Israelites being freed from slavery in Egypt. However, Jesus wants it known that instead of making an animal sacrifice for the meal, He will be sacrificing Himself. This will begin a new tradition, as a way to "seal the deal" of the new covenant between man and God. When we partake in Holy Communion, we are recognizing the fact that our salvation was bought and paid for through the body and blood of Jesus Christ, acknowledging our belief in this. 

This is a good time to reflect on your own faith in Jesus. Are you willing to freely accept what He has given up for you? Are you willing to stand by your faith? This is also a good time to participate in the Sacrament of Reconcilliation. Speak of your sins and be willing to accept the consequences of them, thus clearing yourself to take part in communion. 

Be thoughtful and mindful this week, dear reader. And, as always.... be a nice human. 

**Senior, D., Collins, J. and Getty-Sullivan, M., n.d. The Catholic study Bible. (1995)