TUESDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK OF EASTERTIDE - 2025

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I am the bread of life, says the Lord.
He who comes to me will never be hungry;
he who believes in me will never thirst. JN 6:35

ACTS 7:51-8:1

My Soul's Beloved,

Truth makes evil men grind their teeth and fills them with diabolic rage. This was witnessed when evil had its hour, and You gave Yourself to the pawns of Satan. From the moment You created Adam and Eve, Satan roared in rage and swore to destroy the crown of God's creation, and when he cost them paradise, he thought he had won. But Satan cannot win, not against God and not against You, the most beloved Son of God, who in perfect humility lay down Your life in obedience to the will of Your Father, thus destroying the disobedience of Adam and Eve.   

The wicked are consumed with hatred. Their rage fuels all kinds of diabolic schemes to destroy the innocent, the humble, the pure in heart. Every Christian by virtue of our baptism and the gift we receive of becoming children of the Father and members of Your Body, gives us the courage and strength we need to lay down our lives for Your sake and the sake of the Gospel, just as Stephen and countless others since him have done.

The Holy Spirit makes us temples of God, and with God on our side, we are more than conquerors, just as Stephen was. The world is presently teetering dangerously on the precipice of relativism, debauchery, vice, and greed. Stephen, filled with courage, firm in faith, and confident of the Truth that illumined his life, testified to his dying breath that You, O Lord, whom the enemies of Truth had killed, was indeed alive and in glory in heaven. They stoned Stephen to death, believing that by killing the messengers of Truth, they would succeed in destroying it. But You, O Lord, have a way of using the blood of martyrs to raise brand new Christians and convert the most unlikely people into the most dynamic evangelisers just as You did with Saul, later Paul, who was in the crowd and approved the murder of Stephen. 

Stephen said to the people, the elders and the scribes: ‘You stubborn people, with your pagan hearts and pagan ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Can you name a single prophet your ancestors never persecuted?’
They were infuriated when they heard this, and ground their teeth at him.
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned him. 

As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and said aloud, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’; and with these words he fell asleep. Saul entirely approved of the killing.

PSALM 30(31):3-4,6,8,17,21

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

Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mighty stronghold to save me,
for you are my rock, my stronghold.
For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.

Into your hands I commend my spirit.
It is you who will redeem me, Lord.
As for me, I trust in the Lord:
let me be glad and rejoice in your love.

Let your face shine on your servant.
Save me in your love.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plotting of men.

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

JOHN 6:30-35

My Soul's Beloved,

Why is it that we are always clamoring for signs, and no sign is enough, Lord? The more signs we receive, the more we ask for because we are not willing to commit our lives to You. Our lives are a miracle. The very fact that God created us is a miracle. That God desires us for eternal life and a life of unending bliss in Your Presence is a miracle. Yet we demand more because we are not serious about living up to the demands that faith makes of us.

The people witnessed not just the astounding miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish but many miracles of healing, and yet they demanded more, like children. And when they spoke of the manna that Moses gave their ancestors to eat in the desert, calling it bread from heaven, You reminded them that it was Your Father, not Moses, who gave them the bread. That bread was perishable. You promise that Your Father sends from heaven the true bread, which gives life to the world. They did not understand. They asked for this life-giving bread, and it was then You revealed that You were the Bread that came down from Heaven, and if we eat You we will live forever.

Thank You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the Holy Eucharist. Thank You, Father, for desiring to give us Your Son as food for our souls. Thank You, Beloved, for becoming the Bread that makes us like You. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for making the miracle of transubstantiation possible. Thank you, Mama Mary, for giving Your Son, Jesus, His Flesh for the life of the world.

The people said to Jesus, ‘What sign will you give to show us that we should believe in you? What work will you do? Our fathers had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’
Jesus answered:
‘I tell you most solemnly,

‘I am the bread of life.
He who comes to me will never be hungry;
he who believes in me will never thirst.’