Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
Encountering Christ in Word and Sacrament
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
Luke presents the conversion of the treasurer of the queen of Ethiopia in very close parallel with that of the disciples of Emmaus. The latter had listened to Christ’s explanation of the Scriptures about himself, and then recognised and really encountered the living, Risen Lord in the breaking of bread, in the Eucharist. The Ethiopian had the Scriptures explained to him about the lamb that was slain and the good news of the resurrection. Then, he asked to be baptised so that he could encounter the Risen Lord.
In the Gospel, Christ speaks again of himself as the bread of life to be accepted in faith and promises to give the bread of his own flesh in the Eucharist for the life of the world, for eternal life.
Opening Prayer
Father,
You draw all people to you
who believe in your Son, Jesus Christ.
Faith Lord, faith it is that we need.
Give it to us, we pray you,
a living faith that we can encounter today
Jesus Christ, your Son,
in your Word that you speak to us,
in the bread that you offer us,
and in the food that we can give
and can be to one another,
in Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
First Reading
Philip and the Eunuch
An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip:
“Go south, toward the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert road.”
So he got up and set out.
Now, an Ethiopian happened to be passing through that area. He was an official responsible for the Queen of the Ethiopians’ treasury. He had traveled to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage
and was now heading home. He was sitting in his chariot, reading the prophet Isaiah.
The Spirit said to Philip:
“Go and join up with that chariot.”
Philip ran up and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah; then he asked:
“Do you really understand what you are reading?”
The Ethiopian responded:
“How can I, unless someone explains it to me?”
He then invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.
This was the passage of Scripture he was reading:
He was led like a sheep to be slaughtered;
like a lamb that is dumb before the shearer,
he did not open his mouth.
He was humbled
and deprived of his rights.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For he was uprooted from the earth.
The official asked Philip:
“Tell me, please, does the prophet speak of himself or of someone else?”
Then Philip began to share the Good News of Jesus using this text of Scripture as his starting point.
As they traveled down the road, they reached a spot with some water. Then the Ethiopian official said:
“Look, here is water; what is there to prevent me from being baptized?” [[
And Philip said:
‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’
And he said in reply:
‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’
Then he ordered the chariot to stop. Both Philip and the Ethiopian went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The Ethiopian saw him no more, but he continued on his way full of joy.
Philip found himself in Azotus, and he traveled through all the towns to share the Good News until he reached Caesarea.
Responsorial Psalm
R.(1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Bless our God, you peoples,
loudly sound his praise;
He has given life to our souls,
and has not let our feet slip.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
When I appealed to him in words,
praise was on the tip of my tongue.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise him up on the last day.
It has been written in the Prophets: They shall all be taught by God. So whoever listens and learns from my Father comes to me.
For no one has seen the Father except the one who comes from God; he has seen the Father.
Truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Although your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, they died.
Here you have the bread from heaven, so that you may eat of it and not die.
I am the living bread from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever. The bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
Prayers of the Faithful
– Lord, let your Word and your person be so much alive in us that we want to let all those around us share in them, we pray:
– Lord, let the Eucharist make our communities alive in the spirit of service and justice, we pray:
– Lord, let us become enthusiastic in love and sharing, like the early Christians, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, we want to live,
live to the full
and without limits or boundaries.
Give us the bread of life, we pray you,
that we may know and love and live,
that we may give ourselves
with him who gave himself
as flesh for the life of the world,
and be raised up with him on the last day
to live with you, forever and ever.
Prayer after Communion
God of the living,
you have given us the bread of life,
that we may eat it and not die.
All thanks be given to you, Father,
but make our faith strong and deep
that your Son is with us,
that in him, the world can live,
a life worth living, a life of hope,
of justice and dignity and love,
a life that lasts, forever and ever.
Blessing
To live, to be alive, to be vibrant with life, that is how we and our communities should be if the Lord is really alive among us. Some early Christian communities called themselves “Hoi zõntes,” “those who are alive.” Shouldn’t we all be? May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Teachability
How wonderful it is to be taught by God, if possible, every moment of our lives! But the truth is, God is indeed, teaching us every moment; only that we fail to learn. If only we nurture within us the trait of teachability can we recognize the teachings of God that come our way. This teachability is all about an attitude of openness, vulnerability, as defines John Maxwell, a leadership expert:
“Teachability is not so much about competence and mental capacity as it is about attitude. It is the desire to listen, learn, and apply. It is the hunger to discover and grow. It is the willingness to learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
In other words, it is the vulnerable openness to the movements of Grace. Such teachability brings us to God as well.
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John 6: 44-51
Jesus, the Bread of Life: Our Daily Nourishment
In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks boldly: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:48). He recalls the manna God provided in the desert, yet offers something far greater—himself. Just as bread sustains our bodies, Jesus alone nourishes our souls. He is not a side dish for life’s emergencies, but the main course for every day.
Pope Francis reminds us that only Jesus can fill the deepest hunger of our hearts. “He alone forgives us, strengthens us to love and to forgive, and helps us feel loved—even when others let us down.” When we try to handle life on our own and call on Jesus only in crisis, we treat him as optional. But the Bread of Life is essential.
Sometimes we prefer a distant God, one who doesn’t “interfere.” But Christ became flesh to be close to us—to walk with us, to feed us with his Word and his very Body. He wants to be present not just in church, but at our dinner tables, in our daily struggles, and in our family life.
Imagine if each day, before we eat, we invite Jesus to join us. A simple prayer at mealtime can welcome his presence into our homes and hearts. He becomes our strength, our peace, our joy.
The Eucharist is more than a ritual—it’s an invitation to become like Christ. To “eat his flesh” means to live in such close friendship with Jesus that our lives begin to reflect his love, his mercy, his way.
May Mary, who carried the Word made flesh, help us keep Jesus at the centre of our lives. Let us make him our daily bread—not just something extra on the side, but the source of everything we do.