ACTS 8:26-40

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, "Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route." So he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, "Go and join up with that chariot." Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" He replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?" So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. This was the Scripture passage he was reading: Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who will tell of his posterity? For his life is taken from the earth. Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, "I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?" Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him. As they traveled along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?" Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing. Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

JOHN 6:44-51

Jesus said to the crowds: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world."

Jesus is the true bread because he is God’s Word and because he is that whose body and blood are offered in sacrifice for the life of the world. Bread is very important because it is basic; in some countries - when you ask someone “do you have bread” it also means “do you have the means to live.”

There is a distinction between the manna in the desert eaten by our fathers and the bread offered by the Lord. After eating manna, the people were hungry again. But when we eat the bread that Jesus offers, we become completely satisfied. The bread Jesus offers is bread from Heaven — it gives eternal life. Anyone eating it lives forever, meaning he is not destroyed by the problems surrounding him. In the midst of his sufferings and difficulties, he is not crushed because he is confident and certain that Jesus is his rock and salvation and everything will come to pass.

This is quite symbolic of the Eucharist especially when the priest breaks the bread. It symbolizes the body of Jesus broken for us. His body had to die and be pierced with a lance in order to give life to mankind. This is why we live and our spirits can live forever — because of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

View: Prayer Requests

Back to Top

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.

Have a good day!

Best Viewed with Internet Explorer on 800 x 600 Resolution