Decisions, Decisions

These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum. Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard, and who can hear it? But Jesus, knowing in himself, that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you? If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning, who they were that did not believe, and who he was, that would betray him. And he said: Therefore did I say to you, that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father.

After this many of his disciples went back; and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away? And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have known, that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.
John 6:60-70 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father there are so many choices to make in our day, often it's the choice of where to dine and what to eat can often frustrate others. We make so many decisions throughout our day from the moment we wake up until it's time to go to bed. Jesus spoke the truth to many people in that time. Should he stand right before us in the flesh and speak these words to us too, would some of us walk away in disbelief at what he just said. Or would we believe in the truth of what he proclaimed and stand by his side. It's not like a decision we would make on where we are going or what we would have for dinner but a decision that speaks of life. When we make all our decisions is Jesus part of them where we choose to love him and trust in him. Or do we happen to decide that today is the day we give Jesus a little bit of our time and then tomorrow it's back to the routine we live. What's your decision going to be this day? Following Jesus and believing in him or going the other way, the way of the world. Remember, the decision to choose eternal life has greater rewards, where the other does not. Choose well then.

Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist

On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
John 20:1a and 2-8 (NAB)

Reflection

Where have they taken him? Little did they know he has risen from the dead to fulfill the prophecy. They had forgotten what he told them. That he would rise on the third day. How often even in our lives we are told something to give us faith and we discard it as nonsense. Until like this and we receive proof of his words. Little things that go on in our lives to give us unending faith in Him but for many we disbelieve what we see. Or as this story tells of a sinner who reports the loss of the body of our Lord and the others need to go and see to believe her. But if she first of all were of a different class of people then belief would have been different. We are like that too even in our day. We assume sinners are liars and not worthy of God's transformation. But it is often the people around them that cause them to stifle God's healing grace. Why as in the days past that we need to see to believe.

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him, may not perish; but may have life everlasting.

For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him.
John 3:13-17 (Douay-Rheims)

Prayer

Dear Father once again I am reminded of your Sons divinity. How he was descended from heaven to become a human man for our salvation. Where his life was lived doing your will and teaching us also to learn to do the same. We have learned about the ultimate sacrifice, that of your Son. That all sacrifices that were done before have been eradicated by the death of Jesus and the proverbial slate wiped clean. Jesus brought to us a new era where we no longer sacrifice animals, or people as an atonement to you dear Father. You gave us a new way, that of love and mercy. That showed me how much you love me by freeing me from sin with the sacrifice of your Son instead of sacrificing more lives for the cost of sin. My heart swells with tears at the thought of how much you love the world to do this for us. Where we are often so ungrateful for that act alone. Today let me keep sight of the Cross that your Son died on so I may come to understand the glory of his rising from the dead for our salvation. Amen

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
‘How can this happen?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
John 3:7b-15

Prayer

Dear Father what a beautiful lesson your son Jesus has given for us to believe in him and you. May our belief in Jesus' resurrection bring life to those who are lost and have not yet believed. Let our faith and love reach out to all those in darkness so they too may come to the light of faith and love. Amen

Saturday in the Octave of Easter

When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week,
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

After this he appeared in another form
to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
They returned and told the others;
but they did not believe them either.

But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, “Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
Mark 16:9-15

Prayer

Dear Father are we as the Eleven that were at table, unbelieving and hard of heart when we hear the Gospel proclaimed at Mass. Do we shut our ears to what your shepherds preach because they rebuke us as you did to your disciples. Help us to open our hearts to your love as you also appear to us in the form of bread where we are to unite ourselves to you so we may too go out into the world and proclaim the Gospel and undying love for us, for our salvation. May we believe in the living presence of our Lord each time we receive him and come to glorify God, our Father, who is truth. Amen