Gospel Reading for May 06, 2025 – John 6: 30-35
TRIED AND TESTED
The crowd said to Jesus: “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses. who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” So they said to Jesus, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
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For those of us who are serious about living, we know that there is a certain hunger and thirst that cannot be satisfied with just food and drinks. For life to have REAL MEANING, we need to satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst. Many of us, at a certain point in life ask ourselves if our life has a purpose and what the purpose would be. When going into higher education, we try to choose a career that we think will help us fulfill that purpose or what is simply called a VOCATION. Our existence has to go hand in hand with our VOCATION for our life to have REAL MEANING. It is this kind of life that leads to eternity.
Jesus’ teachings are TRIED AND TESTED in the midst of adversities, especially of the evil one. When we truly follow Jesus’ teachings, we are like the wise man who built his house on the rock which heavy rains, floods and strong winds could not destroy because it is very well founded (Matthew 7: 24-25). Why not? Jesus is the Son of God, and God is the Alpha and Omega. No one can be better or stronger than God.
Let us ponder on this beautiful song written by Danilo Isidro, SJ and Nemesio S. Que, SJ, ANG KALULUWA KO’Y NAUUHAW –
Katulad ng lupang tigang,
walang tubig, ako’y nauuhaw.
O Diyos, hangad kitang tunay.
Sa Iyo, ako’y nauuhaw!
Kaya ika’y minamasdan
doon sa iyong dalanginan.
Nang makita kong lubusan
lakas mo’t kaluwalhatian.
Ang kaluluwa ko’y nauuhaw
sa iyo, O Panginoon ko!
Ang kaluluwa ko’y nauuhaw
sa iyo, O Panginoon ko!
Ang kagandahang loob mo
higit sa buhay sa mundo.
Kaya ako’y magpupuri.
Ngalan mo’y aking sasambitin.
Ang kaluluwa ko’y nauuhaw
sa iyo, O Panginoon ko!
Ang kaluluwa ko’y nauuhaw
sa iyo, O Panginoon ko!
