Basic HTML Version
T
HURSDAY
IN
THE
O
CTAVE OF
E
ASTER
Acts of the Apostles 8:26-40
Psalm 31:3 66:8-9, 16-17, 20
John 6:44-51
S
UMMARY
Jesus said to the crowds: “No one can come to me
unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise
him up on the last day…” Christ tells us in this gospel,
“whoever believes in me has eternal life” and…”the
bread I give is my Flesh for the life of the world.”
This is a very powerful and overwhelming statement which is the basis of Chris-
tian theology. Christ died so that our souls may live in eternity.
R
EFLECTION
The concept of eternal life is overwhelming to us as frail human beings. Yet we
believe in the Creator’s love of us and of His only Begotten Son who died for us.
This gospel tells us that Jesus gave His life so that we may live and those who
eat of His flesh will not die. We experience the death of our earthly body but we
believe we will have eternal life. I think the following story is a good explana-
tion.
Frank Pastore, was a former major-league baseball pitcher for several teams. He
severely injured his elbow and left baseball, devoting his life to Christian preach-
ing via a popular radio show here in the Los Angeles area. He passed away last
year in December from a motorcycle accident. Shortly before his death, in what
would be his last radio broadcast, he shared these thoughts with his listeners:
“Isn’t it interesting that secular science is addressing the question, ‘Does man
have a soul? Is there such a thing as immaterial reality?’ And it’s couched in the
category of ‘is there life after death?’”
Knowing he rode a motorcycle he added...”at any minute I could be spread out
all over the 210 (Freeway); but that’s not me, that my body parts. That key dis-
tinction undergirds the entire Judeo-Christian worldview and also your pursuit of
reality.”