Beloved in Christ,
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven" (John 6: 51). Living bread! Yes, Jesus likens himself to bread, a living one at that. Like manna of old, bread sustains the life of God's people as they become weak due to the wear and tear of existence. But the bread, in this case, has spiritual life in it because its origin is divine; it is a living bread that came from heaven, from God. It is the source of life since its origin is heaven. Jesus, the living bread, sustains our life on this earth. Spiritual nourishment is what the Lord's Prayer means when we ask God to give us this day. We pray daily to him to provide us with our sustaining bread. This daily need for spiritual nourishment reminds us of the importance of our spiritual practice. Jesus, the living bread is a beautiful truth! Jesus is the bread that nourishes and sustains our spiritual life. Life takes its toll on us; it drains and empties us. We do need the living bread to replenish and renew us.
The word of God, the living word of the Bible, also sustains us "for the life of the world" (Jn 6: 51).. This Sunday, in our walk through the mass series, we will focus on the liturgy of the word. We started with the introductory rites, which Gloria concluded. The word of God feeds and nourishes us. Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, respectively, we, too, are called to eat the word of the Lord (Jer. 15: 16, Ez 3: 1). Like the food that Elijah was given to strengthen him through the journey (1 Kg 19: 7), the liturgy of the word also serves as food for our soul as it traverses through life in the world. The readings at mass are based on a three-year cycle, which echoes the three-year reading cycle in the Jewish religion. A three-year cycle reading consists of the Old Testament text, the Psalms, the New Testament epistles, and the Gospel. These readings span the length and breadth of the Bible, and if a Catholic were to attend mass for three consecutive years, they would have covered almost all of the Bible. Let's take a biblical walk through the liturgy of the word that includes the readings, homily, creed, and intercessory prayers.
Last week, we had an hour of Eucharistic Adoration as reparation for the secular world's blasphemy and indifference toward the Last Supper, the Sacred Mysteries. I am thankful for the attendance of many. For those unable to attend, I encourage you to make your eucharistic reparation at any of our parish's multiple and almost daily expositions of the Blessed Sacrament from Monday to Friday. Jesus awaits you in the Tabernacle as well. Step into church at random times to adore the Living Bread. You will get to know Jesus better by these pious acts.
The solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary highlights liturgical celebration this week. There will be a vigil mass on Wednesday and masses during the day on Thursday. Please see the bulletin for details.
Tomorrow, Monday, August 12, is my birthday. I will celebrate it with a presentation on Prayer in the Parish Hall at 7 p.m. I will share my personal experience of Prayer with you. You are invited! Bring a friend with you, especially someone interested in knowing more about the Catholic faith.
In Christ,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven" (John 6: 51). Living bread! Yes, Jesus likens himself to bread, a living one at that. Like manna of old, bread sustains the life of God's people as they become weak due to the wear and tear of existence. But the bread, in this case, has spiritual life in it because its origin is divine; it is a living bread that came from heaven, from God. It is the source of life since its origin is heaven. Jesus, the living bread, sustains our life on this earth. Spiritual nourishment is what the Lord's Prayer means when we ask God to give us this day. We pray daily to him to provide us with our sustaining bread. This daily need for spiritual nourishment reminds us of the importance of our spiritual practice. Jesus, the living bread is a beautiful truth! Jesus is the bread that nourishes and sustains our spiritual life. Life takes its toll on us; it drains and empties us. We do need the living bread to replenish and renew us.
The word of God, the living word of the Bible, also sustains us "for the life of the world" (Jn 6: 51).. This Sunday, in our walk through the mass series, we will focus on the liturgy of the word. We started with the introductory rites, which Gloria concluded. The word of God feeds and nourishes us. Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, respectively, we, too, are called to eat the word of the Lord (Jer. 15: 16, Ez 3: 1). Like the food that Elijah was given to strengthen him through the journey (1 Kg 19: 7), the liturgy of the word also serves as food for our soul as it traverses through life in the world. The readings at mass are based on a three-year cycle, which echoes the three-year reading cycle in the Jewish religion. A three-year cycle reading consists of the Old Testament text, the Psalms, the New Testament epistles, and the Gospel. These readings span the length and breadth of the Bible, and if a Catholic were to attend mass for three consecutive years, they would have covered almost all of the Bible. Let's take a biblical walk through the liturgy of the word that includes the readings, homily, creed, and intercessory prayers.
Last week, we had an hour of Eucharistic Adoration as reparation for the secular world's blasphemy and indifference toward the Last Supper, the Sacred Mysteries. I am thankful for the attendance of many. For those unable to attend, I encourage you to make your eucharistic reparation at any of our parish's multiple and almost daily expositions of the Blessed Sacrament from Monday to Friday. Jesus awaits you in the Tabernacle as well. Step into church at random times to adore the Living Bread. You will get to know Jesus better by these pious acts.
The solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary highlights liturgical celebration this week. There will be a vigil mass on Wednesday and masses during the day on Thursday. Please see the bulletin for details.
Tomorrow, Monday, August 12, is my birthday. I will celebrate it with a presentation on Prayer in the Parish Hall at 7 p.m. I will share my personal experience of Prayer with you. You are invited! Bring a friend with you, especially someone interested in knowing more about the Catholic faith.
In Christ,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
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