The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to ponder how our experience of Christ as life for the world translates into changes in our communities.
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| Community Life |
The reading from the Book of Acts describes the encounter of Philip with the Ethiopian Eunuch.
* [8:26–40] In the account of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, Luke adduces additional evidence to show that the spread of Christianity outside the confines of Judaism itself was in accord with the plan of God. He does not make clear whether the Ethiopian was originally a convert to Judaism or, as is more probable, a “God-fearer” (Acts 10:1), i.e., one who accepted Jewish monotheism and ethic and attended the synagogue but did not consider himself bound by other regulations such as circumcision and observance of the dietary laws. The story of his conversion to Christianity is given a strong supernatural cast by the introduction of an angel (Acts 8:26), instruction from the holy Spirit (Acts 8:29), and the strange removal of Philip from the scene (8:39).1
Psalm 66 is praise for God’s goodness to Israel.
* [Psalm 66] In the first part (Ps 66:1–12), the community praises God for powerful acts for Israel, both in the past (the exodus from Egypt and the entry into the land [Ps 66:6]) and in the present (deliverance from a recent but unspecified calamity [Ps 66:8–12]). In the second part (Ps 66:13–20), an individual from the rescued community fulfills a vow to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving. As often in thanksgivings, the rescued person steps forward to teach the community what God has done (Ps 66:16–20).2
In the Gospel of John, Jesus takes the Bread of Life Discourse to another level declaring ‘the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’
* [6:35–59] Up to Jn 6:50 “bread of life” is a figure for God’s revelation in Jesus; in Jn 6:51–58, the eucharistic theme comes to the fore. There may thus be a break between Jn 6:50–51.3
Edward Morse notes the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch beautifully illustrates the saying that “opportunity favors a prepared mind”. Philip’s presence nearby and the Holy Spirit’s prompting came at a time when this man was open to Philip’s words. After baptism, he went on his way rejoicing – and I guess that Philip did too!
At this time, we are ordinarily welcoming catechumens and candidates who have been joined to the church at Easter. Perhaps they will identify with this story and share in a sense of wonder, as they share a similar experience of being drawn into a new relationship accompanied by revealed truth. All who are called to a relationship with Christ can share in that wonder. We have sensed that God is patiently drawing us toward a future and hope that is rooted in His Son Jesus Christ, who is the bread of life we read about in today’s gospel.
Are we prepared to recognize the divine appointments happening all around us? God is calling us to journey with him. Preparation and curiosity are needed, as well as patience and endurance. Let us journey on and be taught by God as we go on our way rejoicing. Thanks be to God.4
Don Schwager quotes “Studying the Scriptures with humility,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"My ambition as a youth was to apply to the study of the Holy Scriptures all the refinement of dialectics. I did so, but without the humility of the true searcher. I was supposed to knock at the door so that it would open for me. Instead I was pushing it closed, trying to understand in pride what is only learned in humility. However, the all-merciful Lord lifted me up and kept me safe." (excerpt from Sermon 51,6)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 6:44-51 comments as beautiful and incredible as this promise may seem, we need to understand that the Eucharist is not magical. We don’t instantly become a new and improved version of ourselves when we receive it. The transformation is usually gradual, and we have an important role to play. We need to receive it with faith, and we need to back up our faith with acts of obedience during the day.
Of course, we don’t have to be perfect to receive Christ. When we receive him, he receives us—in our strengths and our weaknesses. And as he receives us, he slowly peels away our sins, strengthens our weaknesses, and gives us his grace. It’s also true that the more time we spend with Jesus outside of Mass, the more we will see his love, mercy, and grace taking root in us through the Eucharist. That’s why daily prayer and Scripture reading are so important.
The next time you are at Mass or at Adoration, think about just how extraordinary the Eucharist is. Out of pure love for us, Jesus chose not only to become man but to become present to us in simple bread and wine. He is our living bread, and this is a truth that will never fade.6
Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the experience of the Eunuch as a god-fearer who has already been considered important in the text of deutero-Isaiah. Before v51, the Gospel text reveals Jesus as a Teacher about the Father, like Lady Wisdom, personified as a woman who prepares a meal for the uninitiated of bread and wine. Friar Jude reminds us of the different meaning of “sarx” in the writing of Paul and John.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces, friend, John Philip Newell, a poet and scholar, who believes in the transformative power of Celtic Christian spirituality to support us in our era. The ancient Celts made great use of liminal times and places to integrate the “paired opposites” of which the world seems to be made.
Do we know that within each one of us is the unspeakably beautiful beat of the Sacred? Do we know that we can honor that Sacredness in one another and in everything that has being? And do we know that this combination—growing in awareness that we are bearers of Presence, along with a faithful commitment to honor that Presence in one another and in the earth—holds the key to transformation in our world? . . .7
Eco-theologian Thomas Berry says the universe is so amazing in its interrelatedness that it must have been dreamt into being. He also says our situation today as an earth community is so desperate—we are so far from knowing how to save ourselves from the ecological degradations we are a part of—that we must dream the way forward. We must summon, from the unconscious, ways of seeing that we know nothing of yet, visions that emerge from deeper within us than our conscious rational minds.
Similarly, the rebirthing of our true depths will involve a reconnection with the unconscious. It will demand a fresh releasing within us of the world of dreams, myths, and the imagination. Whether as individuals or collectively as nations and religious traditions, new beginnings will be born among us when we open to the well of what we do not yet know or what we have forgotten deep within. . . .7
The Spirit moves us, like Philip, to bring Life to the world, aiding in our necessary rediscovery of ways of seeing that involve the wealth of our unconscious.
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