Breaking the Word

3^rd week in Easter Time, Saturday – 28^th April 2023 — Gospel: Jn 6,60-69

Risks to be His Disciple

In the Gospel we find that the Word of God is spirit and life. Simon Peter, even though he has been impetuous and cowardly at times, but you can’t deny his deep love for Jesus. There were many disciples of Jesus but most of them found difficulty in accepting or believing His teachings on bread of life. Even though many left him and went, but only twelve remained. Jesus asked the twelve whether they too wanted to return. Peter makes a deep assertion of his faith as well as the faith of the twelve on His Word.  Peter had no intention of walking away from his friendship, for he was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. In one sense, Peter was being logical: where else could he go? Jesus was the only one whose words moved him, so it made sense to stay with him despite the teachings he couldn’t understand. But in another sense, Peter was speaking from conviction that went beyond human logic. His eyes had been opened and his reason was being infused with grace. He could have gone home and resumed his stable life of fisherman, but he decided instead to take a risk. Peter wished to risk everything on the Lord and so expressed his desire to remain with Jesus for his words.

3^rd week in Easter Time, Friday – 28^th April 2023 – Acts 9,1-20; Jn 6,52-59

Authoritative Identity

The first reading gives the account of Paul’s life-changing experience on the road to Damascus.  It is also one of the major turning points in the development of the early Christian community and indeed for the future of the whole Church for centuries to come. On his journey to arrest or persecute the Christians, Saul was suddenly surrounded by a bright light and fell to the ground. At the same time, he heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” To which Paul replied with another question, “Who are you, Lord?” The solemn repetition of Saul’s name and the bright light suggested to him that he was in the presence of God and hence he addressed the voice as “Lord”. When confronted with the light, Paul realizes his blindness, not only physical but also blindness to the truth. The reply he gets is, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.” Paul was not trying to exterminate the followers of Jesus, he was persecuting Jesus himself. This new insight is so overwhelming that he cannot see what he is to do. As God the Son came into the authority of God the Father, so Jesus’ followers came into His authority. Gripped by this experience, Paul specifically reminds later in his letters that the Christian community is the Body of the Risen Christ. To attack the Body is to attack Christ himself. However, God doesn’t desert him, even if Saul has misunderstood who God is.