Faith Daily | 21 April 2021

PRAYER of the DAY - EASTER THREE

Gracious Father,

who in your great mercy made glad the disciples

with the sight of the risen Lord:

give us such awareness of his presence with us

that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life,

and serve you continually in righteousness and truth;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

GOSPEL for the Day: John 6: 35-40

Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.'

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by Alison Dorman

The theme of bread continues as Jesus proclaims another of his ‘I am” statements. ‘I am the bread of life ‘. Jesus says that his listeners have seen but not believed. The actions of ‘coming’ and ‘believing’ are ones that we need to take. We have the benefit of history and the faith of many generations of believers to call on. The disciples had the benefit of seeing in real life. But that was not enough. It takes a movement of the spirit towards making a move and ‘coming’ into the presence of Jesus the Christ, who always has been, is with us now and always will be. I find that this is a continual movement that I need to take every day.

Many of us in Australia are blessed that we have never had to hunger for what sustains our body. I hope that many of us have experienced that hunger that comes from not living in the daily presence of Christ, for that is part of being truly human. Doubt is part of the human condition and only by a conscious movement towards who and what we know brings Life and Peace.

Feeding on the Bread of Life in Holy Communion is one very symbolic way that we can do this but not the only way. Jesus is present in the bread and wine. That presence is available to us in all circumstances of our life even when we forget to seek it. A continual ‘coming’ and a desire to ‘believe’ even when it is challenging leads us to Life here and now and into eternity. What a wonderful Grace that is.

FINAL PRAYER: Noorie Cassim “Bread of Tomorrow”

Oh people, you shall not drown in your tears

But tears shall bathe your wounds.

Oh people, you shall not die from hunger

But hunger shall feed your souls.

Oh people, you are not weak in your suffering

But strong and brave with knowing.

Oh people, if you have known struggle

Only then are you capable of loving.

Oh people, be aware of the love you have

Let not your tears submerge it

Let not your hunger eat it

Let not your suffering destroy it-

Oh people, bitterness does not replace a grain of love:

Let us be awake in our love.

Amen