First Reading - Acts 9:31-42
Gospel - John 6:60-69
The first reading demonstrates the spread and growth of the Church in number in the powerful name of Jesus under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Peter represents the face of leadership, performing miraculous signs in the powerful name of Jesus; Aeneas is healed, and Dorcas is resuscitated in the power of the risen Christ, respectively. Consequently, many people are drawn to faith in Jesus, and the Church grew in number and started to spread far from Jerusalem as well, such as in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria.
Today’s Gospel passage explains the reaction of Jesus’ listeners when he unequivocally offered eating and drinking of his Body and Blood as an essential condition for Eternal Life, which would thus begin on earth. Many Jews in the crowd stopped listening to Jesus, and even some of his disciples started murmuring. Jesus challenged them, asking how they would react when they saw his Ascension to Heaven if they found it difficult to accept this doctrine. He clarified that only someone who listened to His words and received them as God’s Revelation, which is “Spirit and Life,” would be in a position to accept them. Jesus Christ requires his disciples to accept his words because it is He Who has spoken them. That is what the supernatural act of Faith involves–that act “whereby, inspired and assisted by the grace of God, we believe that the things which He has revealed are true; not because of the intrinsic truth of the things, viewed by the natural light of reason, but because of the authority of God Himself Who reveals them, and Who can neither be deceived nor deceive” (Vatican I, Dei Filius, Chapter 3). But the Apostles were not scandalized by our Lord’s words. They said that they already had a deep-rooted confidence in Jesus, and hence, they did not want to leave him. What St. Peter says is not just a statement of human solidarity but an expression of genuine supernatural Faith which is the result of the influence of Divine Grace on his soul.
Dear friends, we have heard it often that faith is a gift that we have received from God. Faith can't be dissected nor analyzed like things but it requires a disposition of heart to submit to God's will. The first reading shows that people saw signs performed by Peter in the powerful name of Jesus and they came to believe in Jesus, but those who walked with Jesus and saw him perform many miracles failed to trust in the words of Jesus when he taught about the mystery of the Eucharist. They stepped back and walked away. However, the disciples of Jesus remained with Jesus. We also at times try to comprehend all the mysteries of faith, and failing to understand, we doubt and walk away from faith. In fact, God reveals Himself to us every day; we need to perceive Him with the eyes of faith rather than with the eyes of skepticism. There are many things that can't be understood, and they remain mysterious for us, but our skepticism or disbelief can't solve them but rather complicate them. Let's wear the attitude of the apostles who clung to Jesus in their doubts and fear and pronounced a beautiful sentence: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe." We can overcome our doubts, skepticism, and queries of faith if we are ready to walk with Jesus in spite of them all like the apostles. Let's not walk away from our faith but walk closer to God in faith, come what may.
May the Spirit of the Lord increase our faith.
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