19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B, Year II)

Community Word:Belief in Jesus Christ, our Living Bread, leads us to eternal life.

Theme: Our belief in the Living Bread allows us to listen and learn from our Father.

Promise:“They shall all be taught by God.”(Jn 6:45b)

Reflection:
Some people perceive God by the way they experience their earthly father. In our world today, it is not easy to think of God as the Father whom we can trust and surrender our personal situations to. There are people who experience broken families, of parents being absorbed in work commitments and have no more time for their families.For some, personal communication lines are eroded due to the negative effect of media. There are those who experience overly authoritarian fathers, fathers who lack affection, or fathers who are absent from their families.

But, as written in the gospel of Matthew, the truth is “…no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him,” (Mt 11:27). God is revealed as the Father who expressed His supreme love by giving His own Son for the salvation of humanity. Jesus, the Living Bread, came down from heaven and introduced the Father to us by His teachings and His works that conveyed the love of God. Thus, we have our theme this week:Our belief in the Living Bread allows us to listen and learn from our Father.

We can fully see the benevolent face of God in Jesus, the Begotten Son. He does not merely represent the Father, but presents Him to us in their oneness and mutual indwelling. His words and deeds comes from the Father. In Jesus we are able to have a glimpse of the character and qualities of a loving Father. God the Father communicates to us through His word, loving us totally, providing for us abundantly, correcting us compassionately, forgiving us unconditionally and offering us the ultimate gift of eternal life in His kingdom. By His grace, He calls us His children. We become heirs of heaven when we are spiritually transformed through repentance, baptism and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul tells us, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God,”(Rm 8:14).

God’s desire is to fill His house with His children. When He sent Jesus to the world, He was tasked to pave the way and lead everyone to His heavenly home for all eternity. Jesus is not merely a guiding light that illuminates the way, He Himself is the Way. He does not only teach us the truth about the Father, He is Truth Himself. He is not simply a model of righteous life, He is Life Himself. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life that brings us to Eternal Life. The end of our human quest of the Father is Jesus Christ. God the Father is always in our life, giving us His Spirit, His Word and His teachings through Jesus. To learn from the Son is to learn about the Father and, as His devoted children, we are called to listen and obey His will. We are blessed because our heavenly Father truly cares for us. As the promise for this week tells us, “They shall all be taught by God,” (Jn 6:45b).

Prayer:
Precious Father, we thank Youbecause You revealed Yourself in the person of Jesus, our Living Bread and the expression of Your infinite love, grace and mercy. Thank You for unveiling Your character to us by the Spirit through Your Word, Jesus Christ. You are truly one true God. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1.How do you describe your relationship with your earthly father? Do you see God the Father as you see your earthly father?

2.Share a personal experience when you felt closest to God and His love. How did you feel?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
Aug 12, 2018 (Sun)-1Kgs 19:4-8/Ps 34:2-9/Eph 4:30-5:2/Jn 6:41-51
Aug 13, 2018 (Mon) -Ez 1:2-5, 24-28/Ps 148:1, 2, 11, 12-14/Mt 17:22-27
Aug 14, 2018 (Tue)-Ez 2:8-3:4/Ps 119:14,24,72,103,111,131/Mt 18:1-5,10,12-14
Aug 15, 2018 (Wed) -1Chr 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2/Ps 132:6-7, 9, 10, 13, 14/1Cor 15:54-87/Lk 11:27-28
Aug 16, 2018 (Thu) -Ez 12:1-12/Ps 78:56-57, 58, 59, 61, 62/Mt 18:21-19:1
Aug 17, 2018 (Fri) – Ez 16:1-15, 60, 63/Is 12:2-6/Mt 19:3:121
Aug 18, 2018 (Sat) -Ez18:1-10, 13, 30-32/Ps 51:12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19/Mt 19:13-15

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”