Taught by God

COMMON people are easily drawn to Jesus and are more expressive of their faith. They join processions, pray while touching holy images, or approach the altar on their knees. On the other hand, the more sophisticated who find it hard to believe, and some others, prefer to talk about God rather than talk to God in prayer.

Faith in Jesus is not the fruit of sheer human effort; it is a grace of God. It is the Father who draws men and women to Jesus and, ultimately, to himself. Jesus says that this has already been prophesied: “They shall all be taught by God.” The words refer to only one specific text (cf Is 54:13), but the reference is true of the prophets in general.

“No one can come to me” is intended to show that “coming to Jesus” is not a matter of one’s own “knowledge” and possibilities. Faith and salvation have their radical reference to God who calls a person to do what one cannot do by oneself.

Gospel • 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.”

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2019,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.