Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Thursday of the third week of Easter, May 8, 2025

Delivered by Samy Ivan Gunarsa from the Parish of Saint Mary of All the Nations in the Diocese of Bogor, Indonesia. Acts of the Apostles 8: 26-40; Rs psalm 66: 8-9.16-17.20; John 6: 44-51.THE SWEET BREAD OF THE LORD The title for our meditation today is:The Sweet Bread of The Lord. The teaching of Jesus on the Bread of Life isexpressed profoundly in the Gospel of John. That fourth Gospel in tbe bibleelaborates in detail the teaching on the Lord Jesus as the bread of life and itoffers its deep theological meaning. In essence, Jesus Christ is the source ofgoodness and salvation for our lives both in the world and in the eternal life. There was a 14 years old sweet andpretty girl in the village who sold sweet bread from door to door. Her voicesounded always familiar when she said: "Sweeeeet breaaaad"repeatedly. She sold sweet bread every day to make some profit from the onlybusiness of her widow mother. Her other two younger siblings also did the samework. Together they work to make a living for the family. Usually all the bread were sold out. Obviouslythe villagers liked sweet bread for breafast or snack, but they also seemedinterested for something else. They sympathized with the girl who bore thename"Sweet Girl" even though it was not her real name. The sweet andpretty girl sold sweet bread that expected to sustain the life of her family. With regards to the "bread oflife" in the teaching of Jesus Christ, sweetness would be somethingextraordinary. The sweet bread of that sweet girl is something of this world.It will eventually disappear and not anymore found for our breakfast or snack. Itlasts only for a moment. However, the Bread of life of Jesus Christ will not belost. Its sweetness remains because the Lord remains as the giver of life toall creatures now and in the future.  Philip, a disciple of Jesus and one ofthe deacons of the early Church had eaten the firsthand Living Bread of JesusChrist. The Lord Jesus says in the today's Gospel reading the followingstatement: “I am the bread of life that has come down from heaven; whoever eatsthis bread will live forever." Philip had lived with this bread, untilwhen he met the eunuch from Ethiopia, explained the contents of the scripturesto him and baptized him. Philip had moved from Jesus Christ tothe streets, edges, and corners of life by bringing the grace of the bread oflife of Jesus Christ. He went together with other apostles, disciples,followers of Christ, and includes you and me. The Ethiopian eunuch moved from theoutskirts or corners of life to get to the bread of life, Jesus Christ, theSavior of the world. Many other people, maybe around you noware moving also towards the center namely our Lord Jesus Christ. It iswonderful that when they are going to Jesus, they meet Jesus Christ in you andme. They no longer need to look for other forms and types of bread, but onlythe Bread of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ.Let us pray. In the name of theFather ... Lord Jesus Christ, make us sweet and wonderful bread, because Youlive in us, and we will bring it wherever we go, so that our neighbor can cometo You, through us. Hail Mary full of grace ... In the name of the Father ...