Jesus said to them,
“I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to Me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.”
(John 6:35)
Jesus is the Bread of Life. Just as bread sustains physical life, Jesus sustains spiritual life. He is the source of eternal life, and those who come to Him will never hunger or thirst spiritually. It’s not about the physical miracles, but about believing in who He is - the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Whoever partakes in the Bread of Life (Jesus) will live forever. This underscores the promise of eternal life through Jesus.
30 The crowd said to Jesus: “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? 31 Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 So they said to Jesus, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” (John 6:30-35)
Jesus, the Bread of Life, so pure and true, sustains our spirits, makes us anew. Just as bread gives life to the body's frame, Jesus feeds our souls, in His holy name. He is the source of life, eternal and grand, offering salvation, to every land. Those who come to Him, in faith and love, will never hunger, in Heaven above. Not about miracles, physical and seen, But faith in Jesus, through the veil, serene. He is the Son of God, the Savior so bright, believing in Him, brings us His light. Partake in the Bread of Life, partake in His grace, and live forever, in His loving embrace. This promise of life, eternal and free, is the gift of Jesus, for you and for me.
Dear Lord Jesus, You are the Bread of Life. Just as bread sustains our physical life, You sustain our spiritual life. You are the source of eternal life, and we know that those who come to You will never hunger or thirst spiritually. We understand that it's not about the physical miracles, but about believing in who You are - the Son of God and the Savior of the world. We believe in You, Lord Jesus, and we partake in the Bread of Life that You offer. We hold onto Your promise that whoever partakes in the Bread of Life will live forever. This underscores the promise of eternal life through You, Lord Jesus. We thank You for Your love, Your sacrifice, and the eternal life that You offer. Help us to live our lives in a way that honors You, and guide us on our journey of faith. In Your holy name, we pray, Amen.
God is not confined to any one place, like the temple. We can experience God’s presence anywhere and at any time. Even in times of hardship and persecution, God can bring about growth and the advancement of His kingdom. He gives us the courage to stand up for our faith, even in the face of severe opposition and boldly proclaim the truth about Jesus. We should always be open to God’s word and guidance. These lessons can be applied to our own lives as we navigate our faith journeys. They remind us to be courageous, to seek God everywhere, to listen to His guidance, to find growth in hardship, and to practice forgiveness.
51 Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors. 52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. 53 You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it.” 54 When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together. 58 They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and when he said this, he fell asleep. 8:1 Now Saul was consenting to his execution. (Acts 7:51—8:1)
In temples, in spaces, in the vast expanse, God's presence is not confined, it's not by chance. Everywhere we go, every place, every time, we can feel His presence, sublime. In hardship and persecution, in trials so deep, God brings about growth, promises to keep. His kingdom advances, in ways unseen, even in times tough, in landscapes serene. He gives us courage, to stand up tall, in face of opposition, however big or small. Boldly we proclaim, the truth about Jesus, our faith unwavering, in Him we trust. Open to His word, to His guidance we listen, in our faith journeys, His love will glisten. Courageous we are, seeking God everywhere, listening to His guidance, His love we share. In hardship we find growth, in forgiveness we unite, practicing His teachings, holding them tight. These lessons we apply, in our lives each day, navigating our faith journeys, in His light we stay.
Dear Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that You are not confined to any one place, like the temple. We know that we can experience Your presence anywhere and at any time. Even in times of hardship and persecution, we trust that You can bring about growth and the advancement of Your kingdom. Lord, You give us the courage to stand up for our faith, even in the face of severe opposition. Help us to boldly proclaim the truth about Jesus. We pray that we should always be open to Your word and guidance. These lessons, we apply to our own lives as we navigate our faith journeys. They remind us to be courageous, to seek You everywhere, to listen to Your guidance, to find growth in hardship, and to practice forgiveness. In all things, we seek Your wisdom and guidance. Help us to trust in Your plan, to rest in Your grace, and to live out our faith in a way that honors You. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.
God is our deliverer in times of trouble. We should have deep trust in God’s protection especially during times of difficulty, seek God’s guidance and intervention in our lives and trust in His direction. Let us always recognize and appreciate God’s love in our lives. Recognizing God’s love is an essential part of our faith. It involves acknowledging and appreciating the countless ways in which God manifests His love in our lives. Every good thing in our lives, from our health to our relationships to our daily provisions, is a blessing from God and a demonstration of His love. God’s love is unconditional and constant. It’s not based on our performance or worthiness. Recognizing God’s love helps us to trust Him more, increases our gratitude, and deepens our relationship with Him. It also empowers us to extend that love to others.
3 Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety. 4 You are my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me. 6 Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O Lord, O faithful God. 7 My trust is in the Lord; 8 I will rejoice and be glad of your mercy. 17 Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your kindness. 21 You hide them in the shelter of your presence from the plottings of men. (Psalm 31:3-4, 6, 7, 8, 17, 21)
In times of trouble, in times of need, God is our deliverer, on this we feed. Deep trust in His protection, we hold so dear, especially in difficulty, we have no fear. We seek His guidance, His intervention divine, in our lives we trust, in His direction we align. Recognize and appreciate, His love so grand, in every corner of our lives, on sea and land. Recognizing God's love, a faith so essential, in countless ways, His love is potential. Every good thing in life, a blessing it's true, from health to relationships, His love we accrue. Unconditional and constant, God's love so pure, not based on worthiness, of this we're sure. Recognizing His love, trust in Him grows, gratitude increases, our relationship shows. Deepens our connection, with Him above, empowers us to extend, His gracious love. In our faith journey, these lessons we hold, God's love in our hearts, a treasure untold.
Dear Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that You are our deliverer in times of trouble. We place our deep trust in Your protection, especially during times of difficulty. We seek Your guidance and intervention in our lives and trust in Your direction. We recognize and appreciate Your love in our lives. We understand that recognizing Your love is an essential part of our faith. We acknowledge and appreciate the countless ways in which You manifest Your love in our lives. Every good thing in our lives, from our health to our relationships to our daily provisions, is a blessing from You and a demonstration of Your love. We understand that Your love is unconditional and constant. It’s not based on our performance or worthiness. Recognizing Your love helps us to trust You more, increases our gratitude, and deepens our relationship with You. It also empowers us to extend that love to others. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.
Pericope:
Gospel
II: The Book of Signs
THE BREAD OF LIFE DISCOURSE
John 6:22-59
First Reading
II: The Mission in Jerusalem
CONCLUSION / STEPHEN'S MARTYRDOM / PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH
Acts 7:51-53/54-60/01-03
Responsorial Psalm
First Book of Psalms 1-41
PRAYER IN DISTRESS AND THANKSGIVING FOR ESCAPE
Psalm 31:1-25
Reflection Source:
Copilot
