Could you imagine going to Mass on Sunday to be greeted by an announcement from the pulpit that Mass was canceled because Jesus was tired of being ignored? What if Jesus informed the Pope that He was sick and tired of half the world's Catholics staying home on Sundays and therefore He would stop humbling Himself to become eucharistic bread and wine until further notice? This would be shocking to us.
We expect Jesus to continue to submit Himself to our whims day after day without complaint. He must always be immediately available in case we need Him. Yet many of us – Catholics, Christians, and millions of others – hold ourselves to a different standard. Do we allow ourselves to worship Him only when (or even if) it suits our schedule? Do we consider serving Him only if it doesn't disrupt our plans? We may think of ourselves as being good believers. However, we may simply be rejecting Jesus (see Heb 6:6). We may actually be His enemies (Phil 3:18ff).
Against this backdrop, Jesus' assurance that He will never reject anyone who comes to Him (Jn 6:37) is even more astonishing. Who is this Jesus? How can He love so loyally without even a promise of gaining anything in return? He is Love (1 Jn 4:8) and love never quits (1 Cor 13:8). He so desires your love. Give Him the gift of your love, and bring Him great joy by leading many others to love Him in return.
| PRAYER: | Jesus, pour out Your love in my heart (Rm 5:5) so that I will never reject You but constantly worship You. |
| PROMISE: | "I Myself am the Bread of Life. No one who comes to Me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in Me shall ever thirst." –Jn 6:35 |
| PRAISE: | St. Anselm worked tirelessly for the Church, endured exiles for his faith in Jesus, and promoted truth until his death at age eighty. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College