The Catholic Calendar for Saturday, May 6, 2006
Saturday of the Third Week of Easter

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Acts 9:31-42
Psalm 116:12-17
John 6:60-69

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

"This saying is hard . . ."

Human minds are small. They like things packaged neatly. They like all the loose ends bound together. And they like things to make the sort of sense we think they ought to make.

Jesus is once again telling us to abandon our preconceptions about God -- they are getting in the way. "The words I have spoken are spirit and life." This is even harder to understand. But if we do understand that Jesus is fully present in the inspired word of God and that this same word of God throughout the ages has led countless to heaven, we begin to make out His meaning.

Sometimes we must give up the right to know. It isn't a right at all. Think of how many things about the world at your fingertips you do not know. Thus you'll begin to understand how distant the world of the Spirit is.

Jesus is saying simply, "Trust me." In the picture of the Divine Mercy, the chief message is "Jesus, I trust in You." When our busy brains get in the way, when we are struggling to understand and make sense of things beyond us, remember that simple prayer. If that is not enough, pray through Psalm 131, "I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me," and allow yourself to ease back into God's arms. Trust Jesus, His word is not empty, He will save.

- JuandelaCruz
(sriddle415 at yahoo dot com)