Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life. JN 6:63, 68
ACTS 9:31-42 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
Today we have an account of the miracles that Peter performed in Your Name in Lydda. A paralytic, Aeneas, bedridden for eight years received healing and stood up and walked. And at Jaffa, the holy woman Tabitha was raised to life because the heartbroken widows whom she had helped tirelessly when she was alive pleaded with Peter to come at once to them. Seeing the grief of the widows he went into the room where the lifeless body of Tabitha lay and he commanded her by name to stand up and she did.
It is always a great faith booster to witness extraordinary signs and wonders but we must never forget Lord what You said to Thomas and to all who believe in You and Your Name, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
May we have the kind of faith Lord that does not need miracles in order to believe that You are the Son of God whom the Father sent into the world to redeem and save all mankind.
JOHN 6:60-69 ©
For some, the simple, plain, unvarnished truth is more distasteful than lies and we see this as we continue to read and reflect on John 6. Many could not stomach what You were saying about eating and drinking Your Flesh and Your Blood and said plainly, ‘This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?’
You knew they were upset, disgusted even, and You knew they were complaining about what You had said. Addressing them directly You said, and so once again You said, Knowing their thoughts and their feelings You addressed them directly saying
‘Does this upset you? What if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?
‘It is the spirit that gives life,
the flesh has nothing to offer.
The words I have spoken to you are spirit
and they are life.
the flesh has nothing to offer.
The words I have spoken to you are spirit
and they are life.
‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’
You knew then and You know now that many will not believe You. All the protestant denomination churches that sprout up all over the place all the time do not believe. They do not take You at Your Word and yet they shout from the rooftops that the Bible alone is the rule of the Christian life. Grace alone and a hunger to seek the truth and embrace it no matter where the journey takes them will enable them to finally grasp with wonder and awe the sublime Gift of the Holy Eucharist willed by the Father and given to us by You, His Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Food for thought for Christians who do not accept the doctrine of the Eucharist:
Jesus knew from the outset those who did not believe. He knows the name of all who refuse to believe and they will not believe as You said to Your faithful disciples, ‘No one could come to me unless the Father allows him.’
So many in the Catholic Church leave because they are not firmly rooted in the doctrine of the Church and are ignorant of why the Church teaches what she teaches. After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him.
At various times in our lives, we will hear You say to us, what You said to the Twelve, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’ And like Peter may our response always be, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.’
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