Daily Reflection – 5/16/2024
Sacred Scripture
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.” Jesus said to him, “Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all.” For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.” So when he had washed their feet [and] put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” (John 13:1-15)
Reflection
Think of the manna in the wilderness which sustained the Israelites on their pilgrimage to the Promised Land. As life giving as it was, it was still a mere symbol of the true sustenance that we find in Christ.
Today, our scripture reminds us that the bread which Jesus offers is not food as we know it, but a true spiritual food that surpasses time and space—for it is the very life of God. This is the true bread which alone can satiate the hunger within our hearts.
There’s a deep beauty in the consistency of Jesus that we must never forget. His promises endure, His faithfulness is everlasting—that is a stability we can anchor our lives upon. Just as the Israelites looked to heaven for their daily bread, we are invited to look to Jesus, our eternal sustenance, not just for today, but forever.
I’m reminded of a recent meditation—I thought about how often do we truly live as if we believe that “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst”? These are not just poetic words. They’re a profound call to an active truth in our lives, a tether that secures us to the love of Christ.
They summon us to a life built around that belief.
Imagine if we lived everyday living that reality—if His divine promise was not just a beacon in times of trouble, but a guiding star that directs our everyday existence. Would our world not radiate with His love?
That reflection also unveils a fundamental truth—the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in us through the gift of baptism transforms us into living temples. In bearing Jesus within, we are called to see Him in our neighbors, to love them profoundly, recognizing His presence in every soul we encounter. Such an understanding would indeed alter the fabric of our interactions, infusing them with divine grace. It would be a direct contradiction to the world that we have become.
The love emanating from Jesus the Christ should pull us toward the will of God. The will that chose to send His Son into the world as redeeming love—a love that wants nothing more than to unite us with Him for eternity. For isn’t this the essence of life? Daily nourishment—both physical and spiritual—with Christ as our ultimate provision.
When you awaken to the reality of Christ alive in you, what fear can you harbor? What earthly want could overshadow the gift of eternal life? In truth, you and I should stand in awe and kneel with thanksgiving.
Christ is living in us, nourishing us, abiding in us through triumphs and trials with infinite love. Is there truly anything more we could desire?
To love Jesus and to follow Him necessitates a renewal of commitment—a commitment that is revitalized not just each morning but continually as the hours unfold. We are called to become tabernacles of the living God—a sacred space for the divine Presence to dwell.
Could anything fill you more?
Prayer of The Day
“Lord Jesus, your love conquers all and never fails. Help me to love others freely, with heart-felt compassion, kindness and goodness. Where there is injury, may I sow peace rather than strife.”
Daily Note
Jesus didn’t die for us because we deserved it. He didn’t die for us because we had somehow earned God’s grace and love. There is nothing that you or I have ever done that has made us deserving of a relationship with God. Instead, as the Bible tells us, he died for us even when we were far off and lost from God.
The fact that you and I constantly make a mess of our lives is not any reason for God to withdraw his love from us. Jesus didn’t set conditions on his love. He never said that we need to do something first in order for him to love us. He never waited until we had proved ourselves worthy of love. Jesus’ love was absolutely unconditional.
Allow the saving Sacrifice of the Son of God to enter more deeply into your life than ever before.
