In 2017, I went on a solo retreat for the first time, and something started to shift in me. On this retreat, I was accompanied by a spiritual directress, Sr. Sharon. She handed me a prayer guide sheet with different themes for each day. Day one was titled “Praying over Spirituality of Rest: Come and Rest in My Stillness” with Psalm 46:10 as the Scripture passage.

For three straight days, Sr. Sharon asked me to keep praying over the first theme. I was anxious at first because the control freak in me wanted to move forward to the next theme, as if checking a to-do list. But during our morning dialogues, she reminded me that I was not “fatherless.” My deep fear of lack of control came from my deep wound of abandonment.

Coming home from the retreat, I brought with me this truth: I am not Fatherless. I have a Father in heaven who holds me in the palm of His hands, who claimed me and entrusted me to His Son.

And what a relief—a rest for my weariness, a balm for my aching, tired soul. Rinabelle Papalid (ms.rinabelle@gmail.com)

Reflect:

What keeps you anxious all the time? Have you brought this to your Heavenly Father?

Dearest God, help me trust in Your fatherly love and care for me. Amen.

Saint Donan, pray for us.

Even though Saul and a large number of other men were intent on destroying the infant Church, there were also many others who were as equally intent on building it up. Philip is one of the latter. He seems to have had quite a spectacular ministry through which many would have been converted. No one and nothing could hinder the spread of the Gospel.

¹ There broke out a severe persecution of the church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles. ² Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him. ³ Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment. ⁴ Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. ⁵ Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. ⁶ With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured. 8 There was great joy in that city.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7

R: Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

¹ Shout joyfully to God, all you on earth, ² sing praise to the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise. ³ Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!” (R) ⁴ “Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing praise to your name!” ⁵ Come and see the works of God, his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam. (R) ⁶ He has changed the sea into dry land; through the river they passed on foot; therefore, let us rejoice in him. ⁷ He rules by his might forever. (R)

Gospel | John 6:35-40

Jesus assures the disciples that He is the Bread of Life. This rather mystical title has many meanings, but at the heart of them all is the truth and reality of the Eucharist. Our true hunger is a spiritual one and can only be satisfied when we accept the truths of the Gospel. This act of faith is celebrated and affirmed every time we receive Jesus in communion at Mass.

Gospel Acclamation

Everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day, says the Lord.

³⁵ Jesus said to crowds, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. ³⁶ But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe. ³⁷ Everything that theFather gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, ³⁸ because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”

Reflect:

Are you spiritually hungry? How does Jesus satiate your hunger?

Read the Bible in one year! Read 1 KINGS 1 - 2 today.

Conversion is a curious thing. What is it that brings about a 180-degree turnaround in one’s life?

The life of Saul (later called “Paul” after his conversion) in today’s First Reading offers us a clue. Saul was a murderer of Christians. He hated them with passion. We see in the First Reading that “Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison” (Acts 8:3).

But then something happened. In the next chapter, while on the road to Damascus on his way to persecute Christians, he was thrown to the ground by a bright light and he heard a voice declaring, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Surprised, he asked to whom the voice belonged. In response, he heard, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5). Saul was a different man after that encounter.

It was not clear if Saul actually saw the Risen Jesus. But what’s clear is this: conversion is not a product of vision but of conviction. Jesus Himself said in the Gospel, “You have seen me and still you do not believe.”

The dictionary defines conviction as “a formal declaration that someone is guilty of a criminal offense, made by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in a court of law.” Secondly, “a firmly held belief or opinion.”

Conviction, therefore, means two things: an acceptance of one’s fault and a commitment to undo one’s error.

This explains his 180-degree change from Saul, the persecutor of Christians, to Paul, the missionary of Christ. This explains the conversion of Paul. He was convicted of his error of persecuting Christians and this led him to the conviction to give his life for Christianity’s sake. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:

Are you hoping for a conversion? Do not ask for a vision. Ask rather for the humility to be convicted of your error and build on a conviction to be a better version of yourself.

“I was once lost, but now I am found . . . was blind but now I see.” Amen.

Today, I pray for: ___________________________________