Reflection for April 24 Saturday of the Third Week of Easter: John 6:60-69

Gospel: John 6:60-69

Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 

It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” 

As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

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Reflection:

How is your faith in Jesus right now? Is it still solid as a rock or feeble as a sand castle? 

After extensively telling His followers that He is the Bread of Life and anyone that drinks His blood and eats His bread would never anymore thirst or hunger. It was now time to weigh up the disciples faith on Jesus. Unfortunately many did not believe the Bread of Life discourse of Jesus. So they went back to their old lives, therefore they disconnected themselves from actively following Jesus. 

If we are made to choose between Jesus and the trappings of this world. Many of us would also choose to be with this world rather than to be with Jesus. Why? What does this world offer us that we love it more than we love our God? This world offers us temporal power, wealth, influence and the like. 

Why is it that many of us have chosen to embrace worldliness? Perhaps we have not yet experienced the power of Jesus in our lives. Otherwise if we have already felt the power of God in our lives. We would surely leave behind all forms of worldliness and sin for God. 

Would it be possible to have the best of both sides (We follow God and we follow also this world). No, we have to choose which one we want to embrace. It’s either we embrace this  temporal world or we embrace our infinite God. The righteous choice is always to be with God and never to be with this world. 

What would it benefit you if you gain all the power and riches of this temporal world but you don’t have God?  Nothing except emptiness and more emptiness. – Marino J. Dasmarinas