Thursday, May 8, 2025

Bread to Sustain Life

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to accept the nudges of the Spirit to be ministers of the Love and Word that we share as the “Bread of Life”.


Bread of Life


In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Philip and the Ethiopian share the Word connecting Isaiah and Jesus.


* [8:140] Some idea of the severity of the persecution that now breaks out against the Jerusalem community can be gathered from Acts 22:4 and Acts 26:911. Luke, however, concentrates on the fortunes of the word of God among people, indicating how the dispersal of the Jewish community resulted in the conversion of the Samaritans (Acts 8:417, 25). His narrative is further expanded to include the account of Philip’s acceptance of an Ethiopian (Acts 8:2639). (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)


Psalm 66 praises God for powerful acts for Israel.


* [Psalm 66] In the first part (Ps 66:112), 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 66:812]). In the second part (Ps 66:1320), 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 66:1620). (Psalms, PSALM 66 | USCCB, n.d.)


In the Gospel of John, Jesus continues The Bread of Life Discourse.


* [6:3559] Up to Jn 6:50 “bread of life” is a figure for God’s revelation in Jesus; in Jn 6:5158, the eucharistic theme comes to the fore. There may thus be a break between Jn 6:5051. (John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)



Kent Beausoleil, S.J. thinks we, on our own spiritual quest, can relate well with our Ethiopian Eunuch’s own spirit quest from today’s first reading. 


Our spiritual journey is our own.  God relates to us, however, in every encounter and experience throughout the course of our lives, an unfolding journey of love that, if we let God, if we believe that that love is for us, and NOT against us, is and can be life transforming.  I know of where I speak, for there was a time in my angst ridden youth, over 50 years ago now, that more often than not I would tell people I was, if not atheist, well I was at least agnostic.  And, yet, well, here I am. (Beausoleil, 2025)



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) (Schwager, n.d.)



The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 8:26-40 comments that It is important to see each biblical passage in the context of the overall story of salvation.The Spirit can move us, too, especially when our reading of Scripture helps us see how deeply God desired, over so many centuries, to save his people—and how he finally brought that salvation through the cross of his only Son.


This passage is proof that God’s word is “living and effective” (Hebrews 4:12). So take full advantage of the blessings that Scripture has to offer by making the time and effort to understand what you read. You don’t have to do this on your own, of course. Just as Philip joined the Ethiopian, there are so many holy and knowledgeable people who can help you. And best of all, you can count on the Holy Spirit, who will not only accompany you, but will change your heart as well!


“Holy Spirit, be my companion on the road to understanding God’s word!” (Meditation on Acts 8:26-40, n.d.)



Friar Jude Winkler comments on the movement of the Spirit that leads Philip to encounter the God-fearer, eunuch and share the relationship of Jesus to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah. Jewish tradition would not accept the eunuch as more than one who respects Jewish ways but Philip baptizes his companion. Friar Jude notes the transition in the Bread of Life Discourse from describing Jesus as Wisdom Incarnate to an Eucharistic understanding of Jesus as “sarx”, Who becomes flesh for the life of the world.



Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces CAC affiliate faculty Dr. Michael Battle who served as chaplain for South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931–2021). He writes about Tutu’s passionate belief that we all belong and are invited out of exile.


I heard Tutu preach often when I served as his chaplain. One of his common refrains was that each of us represents God, not just the clever, the strong, the rich, the beautiful, the tall, or the impressive ones.… Tutu would go on to explain how monumental this was in terms of a paradigm shift—namely that in God, no one is exiled. Now, the old black lady that cleans houses and takes care of white children, whose employers do not even use her real name “because it is too difficult” and simply call her a generic name like Mary or Jane—when she walks down the street, and people ask, “Who’s that?” she will now think with her head in her heart, “I am God’s representative.” This is what I mean by Tutu’s holy life: He facilitated the perspective in others, even among those despised on this planet, that they are holy people. This was Tutu’s genius—that everyone, religious and nonreligious, friend and enemy, are all created in the image of God. (Rohr, n.d.)


We implore the Spirit to increase our awareness of the opportunities to be ambassadors for Christ as we encounter people and their needs on our journey.


References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 8, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/8?26 

Beausoleil, K. (2025, May 8). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved May 8, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/050825.html 

John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 8, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/6

Meditation on Acts 8:26-40. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 8, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/05/08/1269331/ 

Psalms, PSALM 66 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 8, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/66?8 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Invited Out of Exile. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 8, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/invited-out-of-exile/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). If Anyone Eats of This Bread, He Will Live for Ever. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 8, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=may8 



No comments:

Post a Comment