Be drawn to God

Acts 8:26-40, Jn 6:44-51. One does not make open the Word and understand it. Just as no one can come to Christ unless one is drawn by the Father, no one understands the Scriptures unless the understanding is given. The Ethiopian official in today's first reading was drawn to understand the Scripture by the power of the Holy Spirit. God drew the curious Ethiopian toward faith, before he met Philip on the highway from Gaza to Jerusalem. This wealthy Ethiopian civil servant was a God-fearing Gentile who believed in Israel’s God and was called to a deeper understanding of life, through the Book of the prophet Isaiah. Philip also speaks of his own experience, as explained in today's Gospel.

Philip testified before the Ethiopian official, essentially the very action that God Himself had taken, in order to bring us all into salvation intended for us. Philip has heard the testimony and saw the actions of Christ as He reveals Himself as the Bread of Life, the Lamb of God and as the Saviour of the whole world. Through His crucifixion, the Lord unites us to His death by sharing in His Body and Blood, for at the moment of the consecration at every celebration of the Holy Mass, the same sacrifice at Calvary is re-enacted through the authority Christ had given to His priests. Today, we are reminded the most important tenets of our faith. We must do what we can to bring the Good News and the truth of God to all nations and peoples. If we do not show our faith through our exemplary lives, how can we convince others to believe in Him. Let us reflect on these, and spend some time to think of how we can make ourselves ever more attuned and be closer to God, through all our actions in life.

May God continue to guide our ways and strengthen us always in our faith! Amen!! Good morning and have a pleasant day!!!