Gospel: April 24, 2026
April 24, 2026 (Friday)
3rd Week of Easter
Psalter: Week 3 (White/Red)
St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest & martyr
Ps 117:1bc, 2
Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
1st Reading: Acts 9:1-20*
Gospel: John 6:52-59
The Jews were arguing among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. My flesh is really food, and my blood is truly drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood, live in me, and I in them. Just as the Father, who is life, sent me, and I have life from the Father, so whoever eats me will have life from me. This is the bread from heaven; not like that of your ancestors, who ate and later died. Those who eat this bread will live forever.”
Jesus spoke in this way in Capernaum when he taught them in the synagogue.
Reflection:
To embody Christ’s self-giving love
Jesus boldly proclaims, “Truly, I say to you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.” This teaching, though challenging for many to accept, underscores the profound truth of Christ’s sacrificial love. Jesus becomes the source of eternal life by offering his body and blood, inviting us into a deep, life-giving union with him.
This passage emphasizes the significance of the Eucharist, where we partake in Christ’s body and blood as a tangible expression of our faith and communion with Him. It challenges us to view the Eucharist not merely as a ritual but as a transformative encounter with the living Christ who sustains and nourishes us.
Furthermore, we are called to embody Christ’s self-giving love—witnessing his presence and sharing his sacrificial love with a world yearning for hope and renewal.
