Tuesday, April 21, 2026 - Will you do one loving action to another to show your love for God?

 

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 - Will you dare to become bread for at least one person today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 7:51-8:1; Jn 6:30-35

The invitation that Jesus issues to the crowd, to believe in him who was sent by God, results in the crowd asking for a sign. This demand is a clear indication that they have not grasped the meaning of Jesus’ words. They have been fed at the miraculous feeding but were not able to see it for the sign that it was meant to be. The crowd goes further in this demand by looking back at what happened in the desert during the Exodus and how their ancestors were fed. This seems strange, and even absurd, because they have been fed even more abundantly than their ancestors. This also points to how ignorant and even closed the crowd is to the revelation that Jesus continues to make.

Jesus does not remind them that he had already given them bread, but first corrects their misunderstanding. It was not Moses who gave their ancestors bread but his Father. This bread is not merely bread that was given in the past but it continues to be given in the present. It, and not the manna, is the true bread from heaven. It is true bread because it gives life to all who eat it.

Like Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman before them, the crowd does not fully understand what Jesus is really offering and so, make a request for this bread. They are convinced that this bread is better than the bread their ancestors ate, but do not understand how or why. Jesus is available to them and yet, they cannot see. He gives the bread once for all and, in doing so, gives the bread always. This is why Jesus can assert that He is the bread of life. This is the first time in the Gospel of John that the “I am’ saying is followed by a predicate nominative “the bread of life”. John’s Gospel often uses this distinctive way of revealing who Jesus is. The symbols that are used by Jesus in these sayings come from human and Near Eastern religious experience. The use of these common, everyday symbols results in conveying to all who will hear that Jesus can satisfy both the base and higher needs of people everywhere. These symbols indicate that the mystery of Jesus cannot be captured by any one symbol and that Jesus cannot be put into a well-defined category.

The saying also contains an invitation to come to him and be sated. Though, on the one hand, the invitation refers to a physical eating and drinking and so satisfying human hunger and thirst, on a deeper level, the invitation is to listen to Jesus’ teaching and see in him the revelation of God and so, the fulfilment of all human needs.

Bread is the staple of many people all over the world and is used to represent the basic needs of people. By use of this symbol, Jesus reveals that his mission is to be available to all and for all. He does not belong exclusively to any one group and no group can ever capture him fully. He is available to all who are open to the revelation that he continues to make. The primary form that this revelation will always take is the form of love.

Monday, April 20, 2026 - Jesus does not provide merely physical nourishment, but also nourishment of the mind, heart, and spirit.

 

Monday, April 20, 2026 - Will you express your faith in Jesus through one loving action today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 6:8-15; Jn 6:22-29

The first three verses of today’s text, which appear immediately after the miracle of walking on the water, serve as transition verses for the dialogue with the people and the discourse on the bread of life that follow. They also serve to bring the crowd, which had eaten at the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, back into the story and so, link Jesus’ words that follow with the feeding miracle and the miracle of walking on the water.

Since the crowd has not been privy to the miracle of Jesus walking on the water, they wonder how he got to the other side. Jesus does not answer their question but draws attention to their reason for seeking him. Though they have seen the sign that Jesus gave at the miraculous feeding, they were not able to perceive it because their attention was directed to the earthly and temporary, not to the heavenly and permanent. Even as they seek him for temporary food, Jesus invites them to a higher seeking. He asks them to seek for the food that only he can give, the food that endures forever. Jesus is competent to give this food because the Father himself has approved and set his seal on Jesus. In response to Jesus’ statement to not work for food that perishes, the crowd interprets the word “work” to mean certain actions that they must perform to acquire this food. Jesus corrects this misunderstanding by explaining what is meant by “work”. They must believe in Jesus who has been sent by God.

Believing in Jesus does not only mean a verbal profession of faith. In the Gospel of John, the term believing is, most often, used to describe faith that shows itself in action. This is why believing is akin to work. Jesus does not provide merely physical nourishment, but also nourishment of the mind, heart, and spirit. To know and believe in Jesus is to be sated in every aspect of life. It is to never lack or want anything, because all things are provided in him.

 

 

Sunday, April 19, 2026 - He will not ask us for explanations. He will simply meet us as we walk, each of us along our own road to Emmaus.

 

Sunday, April 19, 2026 - Emmaus is where the Lord meets us

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 2:14, 22-23; 1 Pt 1:17-21; Lk 24:13-35

Doubt and disillusionment, discouragement and despair, dread and fear are emotions that are common to all of us at some point or other in our lives. When we are confronted with the death of a loved one or loss of a job, or a life-threatening illness, we are thrown into a tailspin and our hearts can be filled with anxiety and fear. We think that things will never be right again.

Especially in the middle of the night, things seem at their very worst. We find it hard to hope, and all that we have learned about God’s saving grace is nowhere to be found. If ever we knew how to call upon God, it is now only a distant memory from a better and happier time; and even when we need God the most, we turn our backs on God and walk away.

The story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is a story which addresses precisely these negative emotions. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful of the Resurrection appearance stories in the New Testament. The text states that the village is about 60 stadia from Jerusalem, which is about seven miles or a little more than eleven kilometers. Though Luke does not tell us why the two disciples are going there, it seems very likely they are going away from the mission which was to begin in Jerusalem. They had experienced the death of Jesus in Jerusalem and with no hope of the resurrection they were on the verge of giving up and giving in. They are sad and gloomy. They had hoped but now their hopes are dashed. They are puzzled by the resurrection appearance reports. So they started out, the two of them, talking as they went, and going over and over the same ground, as if saying it one more time would change everything. Don’t we all do that? If we have lost something, don’t we keep revisiting the same spot, thinking that if we go there often enough; the lost item will miraculously appear?

Emmaus therefore represents defeat. It is a place to which many of us go in order to escape from the harsh realities of the world. So, apart from a geographical location, Emmaus can also mean a state of mind, a way of proceeding or even an attitude. Emmaus is whatever we do or wherever we go to make ourselves forget that reality is too difficult for us to handle. It is the tendency to run away, because nothing seems to be going the way we expect it to go. We can do this by using defense mechanisms like denial, displacement, regression or repression or sometimes external stimulants like alcohol and drugs. However, as the two disciples experienced, this is where Jesus meets us. He comes to us at those moments when we least expect him. Even in the midst of our despair and negativity, he continues to walk with us and show us the right path.

He does this in two ways. First he opens their minds to understand the scriptures which were fulfilled in their totality not only in the death of Jesus but also and more importantly in his resurrection and ascension, Second, he makes as if to carry on his journey because he does not want to impose himself on them – something which the Lord will never do with anyone (Rev 3:20). But they invite him to stay and eat with them. Though it seems at first glance that they want Jesus to stay with them because “it is toward evening and the day is now far spent”, the real reason for the invitation is the impact of his concern and conversation. He accepts their invitation. Even as he takes bread, blesses and breaks it and gives it to them, they come to knowledge from ignorance, to insight from blindness and to recognition from a blurred vision.

Once this happens, however, Jesus disappears from their sight, since his presence is no longer required. They have understood, they have believed, they are willing to move from despair to hope. This is why immediately they set off to return to Jerusalem and to hope. We too can meet the risen Lord through the Scriptures as read and explained in the celebration of the reality (and not just the ritual) of the Eucharist.

One of the most wonderful things to come out of the resurrection is that we learn this about Jesus: no matter how bad things become for us, no matter where we go to hide ourselves from the bitter reality, even if we lose our faith for a time, he will come to be with us. He will not ask us for explanations. He will simply meet us as we walk, each of us along our own road to Emmaus.

The wonderful truth of this story is that God uses everybody to proclaim his kingdom. Just as he made himself known to the two disciples and then used them to make his resurrection known to the world, so he does with us.

Saturday, April 18, 2026 - Our God in Jesus is a God who is with us and in us. We need to believe that with him we can do all things.

 

Saturday, April 18, 2026 - When the road is steep and the going is difficult, will you continue to believe that God walks with you or will you give in to despair? When things do not go the way you want them to, do you believe that God comes to your aid?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts6:1-7; Jn 6:16-21

Luke is the only one of the four evangelists who does not narrate the story of Jesus walking on the water. In Matthew (14:22-32), and Mark (6:45-51), like in John, the miracle is narrated immediately after the feeding of the five thousand. John’s account of the miracle is the shortest of the three.

The story begins by portraying the disciples in a boat moving towards Capernaum. The statement that “it was now dark” indicates, on the surface level, the time of the day, but on the deeper level, the absence of Jesus. It is always “dark” for John when Jesus is absent. The rough sea and the strong wind make rowing difficult. Suddenly, the disciples see Jesus walking on the water, coming towards them. In the Old Testament, only God has the power to walk on the waters (Job 9:8; Isa 43:2), and so, this act on the part of Jesus, already reveals him as divine. John does not give us the reason why the disciples were terrified. Matthew (14:26) and Mark (6:49) explain the fear of the disciples by saying that they thought they saw a g

As Jesus comes close to the boat, he identifies himself to the disciples with the divine name, “I Am”. This is the name that God gave to Moses when Moses asked God for the name that he must give to the Israelites when asked (Exod 3:14). In addition to identifying himself with the divine name, Jesus says to the disciples, “Do not be afraid”. These are words of comfort and consolation and, here also, function to allay the fears of the disciples who are in awe after witnessing a theophany. Even as the disciples want to take Jesus into the boat, they realize that they have reached their destination. The presence of Jesus assures them a safe passage through all the storms.

Thus, the point of the miracle is not so much to stress the miraculous powers of Jesus, but to reveal Jesus as God. The glory of God is revealed in Jesus and here, God is portrayed as a God who is for the disciples and with them in all their struggles and tribulations. He is a God who comes to the disciples’ aid when they need him and allays all their fears.  He is a God who will provide a safe passage for them even in the midst of all the storms they encounter in life.

Life is composed of ups and downs. It is easy to see God’s hand and his working in our lives when everything goes as we plan. However, when the going gets tough and the road is difficult, God seems, to us, to hide himself. It is at times like these when suddenly, without our knowing how, Jesus comes walking on the water towards us, allaying our fears and telling us that HE IS.  He is God with us and for us, God who walks with us and ahead of us. He is God who will never let the storms of our lives overwhelm us. We have only to open our eyes and see, and get rid of the fear that grips us, because we have a God who himself has gone through the storms of life. We have a God who, even in the most difficult moments of his life, continued to believe that the Father was with him. We have a God who has shown us the meaning of trust, confidence, and courage.

Friday, April 17, 2026 - Will you like Jesus dare to become bread for at least one person today?

 

Friday, April 17, 2026 - Will you like Jesus dare to become bread for at least one person today?

To read the texts click on the texts : Acts 5:34-42; Jn 6:1-15

The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand ,with five loaves and two fish, after which 12 baskets are gathered, is the only miracle of Jesus that is narrated by all the four Gospels (Mt 14:13-21; Mk 6:30-44; Lk 9:10-17). Yet, there are significant differences in the narrative in the Gospel of John when compared with the Synoptic Gospels. Only in John are we told that the Passover was near at hand and that it was a boy from whom the barley loaves were acquired for the feeding. In John Jesus “gives thanks” over the bread and distributes it to the people himself. This lends a distinctive Eucharistic touch to the miracle. In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus says the “blessing” and gives the bread to the disciples who distribute it among the people.

When Jesus sees the large crowd, it is he who initiates the miracle by asking Philip the question about the possibility of feeding such a large crowd. This question, however, is asked as a test, which Philip fails. His answer sets limits on what God can do, much like Nicodemus had done. He asserts the impossibility of the situation. Andrew seems not as unbelieving as Philip, yet he, too, thinks that it is impossible to feed so many with the meagre ration that is at their disposal.

John does not explain how the miracle occurred, but states succinctly that the crowd was ordered to sit down and, after Jesus had given thanks over the bread, there was enough and more for the five thousand. By stating that Jesus gave the bread to the people himself, John asserts that the gift of food comes from Jesus, who alone is the bread of life.

Jesus’ words in 6:12, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost”, are unique to the Johannine version of the miracle and make an important connection between this story and the manna story of Exodus 16. In Exod 16:19, Moses asked that the people not leave any extra manna around, but the people disobeyed Moses and the leftover manna “bred worms and became foul” (Exod 16:20). Jesus’ words, in 6:12, seem to caution against a repetition of Exodus 16.

The people who are fed respond to the miracle only at a surface level. They are taken up with the sign and base their faith on it. This sign results in their wanting to make Jesus king. However, Jesus will not trust himself to those who base their faith in him only in the signs that he works.

To ask the question - “How did five loaves and two fish suffice to feed five thousand people? - would be to miss the point. The “how” question cannot be answered, because none of the evangelists narrate “how” it happened. The concentration seems to be on Jesus as the bread of life, able to sate the hunger of all who come to him. The question to Philip, Andrew’s intervention, Jesus ordering that the people sit down, his “giving thanks” and distributing the bread to the people himself, are all indications that John focuses on the preparation for the miracle more than on the miracle itself. The fact that all five thousand people are satisfied and twelve baskets can be gathered after they have eaten their fill, points to the abundance of the miracle and Jesus’ free gift of bread and himself. God, in Jesus, will satisfy every kind of hunger of the people. The hungry and thirsty need not look elsewhere for bread. They have it in abundance in Jesus.

Many of us are still searching for meaning in life. The hunger that some of us experience is not only a physical hunger, but a hunger of mind and heart. We keep looking to satisfy this hunger and at times, try to do so by using means that can only satisfy temporarily.  No matter what questions we may have, Jesus continues to be the answer.