ACTS 8: 26 – 40

In those days: An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert road. And he rose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, “Do you understand what you are   reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless some one guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this: “As a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken up from the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “Please, about whom does the prophet say this, about himself or about some one else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news of Jesus. And as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptised?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptised him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing on he preached the gospel to all the towns till he came to Caesarea.

The Word of the Lord.

 
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 66: 8 – 9, 16 – 17, 20 (R.) 1

R/.  Cry out with joy to God, all the   earth.
Or:   
Alleluia.

O peoples, bless our God;
let the voice of his praise resound,
of the God who gave life to our souls
and kept our feet from stumbling. R/.

Come and hear, all who fear God;
I will tell what he did for my soul.
To him I cried aloud,
with exaltation ready on my tongue. R/.

Blest be God, who did not reject my prayer,
nor withhold from me his merciful love. R/.
 
 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION 
John 6: 51

Alleluia.
I am the living bread which came down from heaven, says the Lord; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever.
Alleluia.

 
GOSPEL
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven.”
JOHN 6: 44 – 51

At that time: Jesus said to the crowds, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven,  that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
China 18 Kubvumbi – April;

Vhiki yechitatu yokuMuka kwaJesu

Chiverengo chokutanga:
Mabasa 8,26-40

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku raMabasa Avapositori
26Mutumwa waMwari akati kuna Firipi, “Simuka
uende kumaodzanyemba kunzira inodzika kuGaza
ichibva kuJerusaremu.” Nzira iyi inzira yomurenje.
27Akasimuka akaenda. Hoyo muEtiopia muyuniki
aiva gurukota raKandasi, mambokadzi wavaEtiopia, aiva mukuru mukuru wezvoupfumi hwake
hwose, akanga auya kuJerusaremu kuzonamata.
28 Akanga achidzokera agere mungoro yake achiverenga bhuku romuporofita Isaya.
29 Mweya akati kuna Firipi, “Enda undobatana
nengoro iyo.” 30 Firipi akamhanyira kwaari akamunzwa achiverenga Isaya muporofita. Akabvunza
kuti, “Muri kunzwisisa here zvamuri kuverenga.”
31 Iye akati, “Ndingagonzwisisa sei kusatoti mumwe
anditsanangurira.” Akakumbirisa Firipi kuti
akwire agare naye. 32 Zvino ndima yaMagwaro
Matsvene yaaiverenga ndeiyi.
“Sehwai iri kuendwa nayo kundouraiwa,
kana sehwayana iri pamuveuri wayo,
haana kumboti muromo bufu.
33Mukuninipiswa ikoku haana kuitirwa
zvaaikodzera,
Ndiani angatsanangure nezvechizvarwa chake
nokuti upenyu hwake hwakabviswa panyika.”
34Muyuniki akati kuna Firipi, “Nditaurirewo kuti
muporofita uyu ari kutaura nezvani, nezvake here
kana kuti nezvomumwewo?” 35 Ipapo Firipi akatangisa kutaura achibvira pandima iyi yaMagwaro
Matsvene, akamutaurira zveShoko Rakanaka
rezvaJesu. 36Pavaifamba kudaro munzira vakasvika
pane mvura. Muyuniki akati, “Tarisa uone pano
pane mvura. Chingandirambidze kuombekwa
chii?” 37 Firipi akati, “Kana uchitenda nemwoyo
wose unogona kuombekwa.” Iye akapindura achiti,
“Ndinotenda kuti Jesu Kristu Mwanakomana
waMwari.” 38Muyuniki akati, ngoro imiswe. Vose
vari vaviri vakapinda mumvura, iye Firipi nomuyuniki, akabva amuombeka. 39Pavakabuda mumvura Mweya waTenzi wakabvisa
Firipi ipapo. Muyuniki haana kuzomuonazve. Asi
akaenda rwendo rwake achifara zvikuru. 40 Firipi
akazoonekwa ava kuAzotusi, maaipfuura namo
aiparidza Shoko Rakanaka, mumaguta ose,
kudzamara kusvika kuKesaria.
Shoko raTenzi.

Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:
Nziyo 66,8-9.16-17.20. (D – 1)

(D) – Pururudzirai Mwari, imi nyika yose.
8 Rumbidzai Mwari wedu imi marudzi avanhu,
mhururu yokumurumbidza ngainzwike.
9 Akatichengeta tiri vapenyu,
haana kurega tsoka dzedu dzichitsvedzemuka.
(D) – Pururudzirai Mwari, imi nyika yose.
16 Uyai munzwe imi munotya Mwari,
ndikutaurirei zvaakandiitira.
17 Ndakachema kwaari,
ndikamurumbidza norurimi rwangu.
(D) – Pururudzirai Mwari, imi nyika yose.
20 Mwari ngaarumbidzwe,
nokuti haana kuramba munamato wangu,
kana kurega mwoyochena wake kwandiri.
(D) – Pururudzirai Mwari, imi nyika yose.

Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:
Johani 6,51

Areruya, Areruya. Tenzi anoti: Ini ndini
chingwa chipenyu, chakaburuka kubva kudenga.
Munhu wose anodya chingwa ichi, achararama
nokusingaperi. Areruya.

Shoko Rakanaka: Johani 6,44-51

Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naJohani
43 Jesu akati kugungano ravanhu,
44 Hapana angauye kwandiri, kana Baba
vakandituma vasina kutomukweva. Iniwo
ndichazomumutsa nezuva rokupedzisira.
45Zvakanyorwa muvaporofita kuti, ‘Vose
vachadzidziswa naMwari.’
Munhu wose anoteerera Baba,
nokudzidza kwavari anouya kwandiri.
46 Hazvirevi kuti pana akamboona Baba,
kusiya iye akabva kuna Mwari, ndiye akaona
Baba.
47Chokwadi chaizvo ndinoti kwamuri,
anotenda anoupenyu husingaperi.
48Ndini chingwa choupenyu.
49Madzitateguru enyu akadya mana murenje
asi vakafa.
50 Ichi ndicho chingwa chakaburuka chichibva
kudenga, chokuti anenge achidya haazofa
51 Ini ndini chingwa chipenyu,
chakaburuka kubva kudenga.
Munhu wose anodya chingwa ichi,
achararama nokusingaperi.
Chingwa chandichapa kuti chive upenyu
hwapasi pose, inyama yangu pachangu.”
Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi

GOSPEL REFLECTION: The Flesh of Our Lord
April 18, 2024

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.” (John 6:51)

Jesus was starting to stir up the emotions of some within the crowd. They began to ridicule Him because He had said that He was the “bread that had come down from heaven.” Thus, many of those who had sought Jesus out in hopes of another miraculous free meal began to murmur among themselves and ridicule Him. As a result, Jesus began to speak even more clearly and shockingly. He then went even further and said that He is not only the “living bread that came down from heaven” but that those who want to “live forever” must also eat His “Flesh.”

How would you have reacted to such a statement if you were among those within the crowd? Consider the fact that you would have recently seen, with your own eyes, the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Therefore, you would have realized that Jesus was someone special, to say the least. But how would you have reacted to this statement of Jesus, “and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world,” if you had heard it spoken at that time? Most likely, your reaction would have been the same reaction that you have right now to the teaching of the Most Holy Eucharist.

Many who heard Jesus speak this way may have thought it was a bit of an unusual thing to say. Some would have reacted strongly, while others would have reacted with indifference. But some would have had an entirely different reaction. Some would have heard Jesus speak these new and shocking words, would have realized that they did not fully understand what He meant, but would have believed deeply on account of the gift of faith. Somehow they would have known, in the depths of their consciences, that they did indeed need to eat the Flesh of Him Who came down from Heaven since He was indeed the Bread of Life.

Believing in the Eucharist, in the fact that these tangible and visible gifts of the Sacred Host and the Precious Blood are, in fact, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of the Eternal Son of God, can only happen through the interior and transforming gift of faith. How else can you believe such a teaching? How else could you believe that these words in today’s Gospel have come true? And that the reception of the Most Holy Eucharist is the pathway to eternal life? The gift of faith in the Most Holy Eucharist is the one and only way to understand, accept and deeply believe what our Lord has spoken in this Holy Gospel.

Reflect, today, upon Jesus speaking these most holy words for the first time: “…the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.” As you prayerfully reflect upon these words, ponder how deeply you believe them. How deep is your faith in the Most Holy Eucharist? The Eucharist is the fulfillment of this passage, and our divine Lord invites you to not only believe in His holy words but to allow this truth to transform you in ways beyond what you could ever imagine.

PRAYER:
My Eucharistic Lord, You are truly the Bread of Life, and all those who eat Your Flesh and drink Your Blood will inherit eternal life. I do believe this, dear Lord. I believe that the Most Holy Eucharist is You, Your Soul and Divinity, given to me so that I can share in Your holy life. Give me the grace I need to deepen my faith in the Most Holy Eucharist so that I will be drawn more fully into the joys of Your Eternal Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.