Third Sunday of Easter

(04/19/2026) Gospel Reading: John 6:22-29

 

“Labor for the Food Which Endures to Eternal Life”

 

Lord Jesus, open the Scriptures to us;

make our hearts burn while you speak to us.

 

From the desk of Fr. Leo

     Did you ever feel really, really discouraged? Maybe you wanted to walk away from Church and never come back because you felt as if God let you down. Or you wanted to run away from home because of angry words or a member of your family was really mean to you. Maybe you decided you were going to quit your job or quit school because you felt you were treated so unfairly. We've all had those experiences. Maybe we have actually walked away. Wouldn't it be interesting if a stranger started walking along with you, gave you a chance to talk about what you were feeling, and then explained why things happened as they did? You begin to see things more clearly. You invite the stranger to stop along the way for something to eat. Bread usually shows up on the table first; the stranger takes the bread, says a blessing, breaks the bread then hands you a piece. Suddenly you realize it is Jesus you are talking to. He smiles and then disappears. He doesn't say goodbye, He doesn't get up and leave. It's as if He is still there but He can no longer be seen.

     In this weekend's Gospel, St. Luke tells us of two disciples who had put all their hopes in Jesus and when Jesus was put to death, they thought it was all torn away from them. They had heard that Jesus had risen, but they didn't believe it. Jesus' conversation with them and the breaking of the bread made them realize Jesus really was alive; their hopes returned.

     Can you imagine anything like this happening to yourself or to anyone else? St. Luke in this weekend's Gospel, is telling us it happens all the time, especially when we come to Mass. Jesus does not desert us in our disappointments and discouragements. But we do not recognize Him. He might come as a stranger; He might speak to us through a book we are reading or through a friend or just in the quiet of our hearts. He especially speaks to us through His Word in the Scriptures. He nourishes and blesses us in many ways. Too frequently, we forget about the many ways He blesses us because all we can think about are the things that worry us or bother us. Especially He nourishes us in the Eucharist. We do not know whether Jesus celebrated a Eucharist for these two disciples when they sat down at table to eat. But St. Luke wants us to think of the gift of the Eucharist when He describes what Jesus did as He sat at table with the two disciples.

     May we meet our Lord each week in the Eucharist and grow in our love for Him. And may we always know that the Lord is with us, helping us along life's paths. Even though we do not see Him, he assured us He is with us and we believe in Him.

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Meditation: What do you most hunger for - wealth, peace, health, love, the good life? Jesus addressed this issue with those who sought him after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. Were they simply hungry for things which satisfy the body or for that which satisfies the heart and soul? Jesus echoes the question posed by the prophet Isaiah: "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy" (Isaiah 55:2)? There are two kinds of hunger - physical and spiritual. Only God can satisfy the hunger in our heart and soul - the hunger for truth, for life, and for love.

Jesus also spoke about the works of God and what we must do to be doing the works of God, namely to believe in God' Son whom he has sent into the world. Jesus offers a new relationship with God which issues in a new kind of life: A life of love and service, and the forgiveness of others which corresponds to God's mercy and kindness; a life of holiness and purity which corresponds to God's holiness; and a life of submission and trust which corresponds to the wisdom of God. This is the work which Jesus directs us to and enables us to perform in the power of the Holy Spirit. Do you hunger for the bread which comes down from heaven and thirst for the words of everlasting life?

Lord Jesus, you alone can satisfy the deepest longing and hunger in our hearts. May I always hunger for the imperishable bread, that I may be satisfied in you alone as the True Bread of Heaven. Nourish and strengthen me that I may serve you with great joy, generosity, and zeal all the days of my life

read more at: http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org

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