First Reading: (Acts 8:1–8)
Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 66)
Response: Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
Gospel: (John 6:35–40)
Reflection:
Today’s Gospel gives us one of the most powerful assurances from Jesus: “I am the Bread of Life… whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” This is not just a comforting statement, it is a divine promise. Jesus reveals both the heart of God and the path to salvation. At the center of this message is the truth that God desires all to be saved. He does not will that anyone be lost. He created us for life, for eternal communion with Him, not for destruction. And so Jesus says clearly, “This is the will of my Father, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”
But even though God desires everyone to be saved, salvation is not automatic. It requires a response. Jesus makes it clear: we must come to Him. He invites, He calls, He opens the door, but He does not force us. To be saved, we must make a movement toward Christ.
First, we come to Jesus through faith. To believe in Him is the foundation of everything. We must believe that He is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the one who gives eternal life. This belief is not just intellectual; it is personal. It means entrusting our lives to Him. Without faith, there is no real coming to Jesus.
Second, we come to Him through the Eucharist. Jesus is not only to be believed; He is to be received. He tells us that unless we eat His body and drink His blood, we have no life in us. The Eucharist is not optional, it is essential. When we receive Him in the Eucharist, we are united with Him, nourished by Him, and strengthened for eternal life.
Third, we come to Jesus through His Word. He speaks to us, and we must listen. When we read and meditate on Scripture, we come to know His will. His Word guides us, corrects us, and protects us from error. Without the Word of God, we become spiritually weak and easily misled. But with it, we walk in truth.
Fourth, we come to Jesus through repentance. We cannot cling to sin and at the same time walk toward Christ. Repentance is necessary. It is not a punishment but a turning back, a realignment of our lives with God. Jesus says He will never reject anyone who comes to Him. The tragedy is not that Jesus rejects people, but that people refuse to come. No one in hell will be able to say that they went to Jesus and were turned away. Rather, it will be that they chose not to go. Through the sacrament of confession, we return to Him, and every time we do, He receives us with mercy.
Finally, we come to Jesus through prayer. Prayer is how we build a relationship with Him. It is how we speak to Him, listen to Him, and walk with Him daily. Through prayer, He gives us the grace to overcome temptation and to remain faithful.
My friends, Jesus assures us today: “I will not cast out anyone who comes to me.” That means no matter your past, no matter your sins, no matter how far you may have gone, you are not beyond His mercy. His arms are open. The only question is whether you will come.
So the message today is simple and urgent: let's go to Jesus, go to Him with faith. Receive Him in the Eucharist. Go to through His Word. To Him in repentance, in prayer. And if we truly come to Him, He gives us a promise that no one else can give, eternal life. And on the last day, He Himself will raise us up.
Amen.
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