Daily Readings - Fri Apr 20 2018

First Reading - Acts 9.1-20

¹Now Saul, still breathing threats and beatings against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest²and he petitioned him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that, if he found any men or women belonging to this Way, he could lead them as prisoners to Jerusalem³And as he made the journey, it happened that he was approaching Damascus. And suddenly, a light from heaven shone around him⁴And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?⁵And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goad.⁶And he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do you want me to do?⁷And the Lord said to him, "Rise up and go into the city, and there you will be told what you ought to do." Now the men who were accompanying him were standing stupefied, hearing indeed a voice, but seeing no one⁸Then Saul rose up from the ground. And upon opening his eyes, he saw nothing. So leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus⁹And in that place, he was without sight for three days, and he neither ate nor drank¹⁰Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias!" And he said, "Here I am, Lord.¹¹And the Lord said to him: "Rise up and go into the street that is called Straight, and seek, in the house of Judas, the one named Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying.¹²(And Paul saw a man named Ananias entering and imposing hands upon him, so that he might receive his sight.¹³But Ananias responded: "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem¹⁴And he has authority here from the leaders of the priests to bind all who invoke your name.¹⁵Then the Lord said to him: "Go, for this one is an instrument chosen by me to convey my name before nations and kings and the sons of Israel¹⁶For I will reveal to him how much he must suffer on behalf of my name.¹⁷And Ananias departed. And he entered the house. And laying his hands upon him, he said: "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, he who appeared to you on the way by which you arrived, sent me so that you would receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.¹⁸And immediately, it was as if scales had fallen from his eyes, and he received his sight. And rising up, he was baptized¹⁹And when he had taken a meal, he was strengthened. Now he was with the disciples who were at Damascus for some days²⁰And he was continuously preaching Jesus in the synagogues: that he is the Son of God

Gospel - John 6.52-59

John

Chapter 6

⁵²Therefore, the Jews debated among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?⁵³And so, Jesus said to them: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you⁵⁴Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day⁵⁵For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink⁵⁶Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him⁵⁷Just as the living Father has sent me and I live because of the Father, so also whoever eats me, the same shall live because of me⁵⁸This is the bread that descends from heaven. It is not like the manna that your fathers ate, for they died. Whoever eats this bread shall live forever.⁵⁹He said these things when he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum

Sermon

The readings today present us with profound moments of transformation and spiritual truth. In the first reading from Acts, we witness the dramatic conversion of Saul, a fierce persecutor of Christians, who encounters the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. This moment of divine intervention transforms Saul into Paul, a zealous apostle for Christ. The reading highlights the power of God’s grace to change even the hardest of hearts and the importance of obedience to God’s call. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of the necessity of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, a teaching that puzzled many of his listeners. He explains that this is not merely a symbolic act but a deeply spiritual one, where we receive eternal life and abide in him. The connection between these two readings lies in their emphasis on transformation and the necessity of faith. Saul’s conversion is a vivid example of how God can bring light to those in darkness, while Jesus’ words in the Gospel remind us that true life comes from union with him. Just as Saul was called to a new way of life, we are invited to embrace the life-giving presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Both readings challenge us to open our hearts to God’s grace and to trust in his plan, even when it seems difficult or mysterious. In our daily lives, these readings call us to reflect on our own journey of faith. Are there areas where we, like Saul, need to let go of our own understanding and surrender to God’s will? How do we respond to the invitation to deepen our union with Christ through the Eucharist? Let us pray for the courage to follow God’s call, even when it leads us into unknown territory, and for the grace to truly abide in Christ, that we may live as his disciples in the world.