20260423 FAITH IS DRAWN BY LOVE AND TRUTH
23 April 2026, Thursday, 3rd Week of Easter
First reading | Acts 8:26-40 |
Philip baptizes a eunuch
The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, ‘Be ready to set out at noon along the road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza, the desert road.’ So he set off on his journey. Now it happened that an Ethiopian had been on pilgrimage to Jerusalem; he was a eunuch and an officer at the court of the kandake, or queen, of Ethiopia, and was in fact her chief treasurer. He was now on his way home; and as he sat in his chariot he was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and meet that chariot.’ When Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ ‘How can I’ he replied ‘unless I have someone to guide me?’ So he invited Philip to get in and sit by his side. Now the passage of scripture he was reading was this:
Like a sheep that is led to the slaughter-house,
like a lamb that is dumb in front of its shearers,
like these he never opens his mouth.
He has been humiliated and has no one to defend him.
Who will ever talk about his descendants,
since his life on earth has been cut short!
The eunuch turned to Philip and said, ‘Tell me, is the prophet referring to himself or someone else?’ Starting, therefore, with this text of scripture Philip proceeded to explain the Good News of Jesus to him.
Further along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘Look, there is some water here; is there anything to stop me being baptised?’ He ordered the chariot to stop, then Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water and Philip baptised him. But after they had come up out of the water again Philip was taken away by the Spirit of the Lord, and the eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Philip found that he had reached Azotus and continued his journey proclaiming the Good News in every town as far as Caesarea.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 65(66):8-9,16-17,20 |
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
O peoples, bless our God,
let the voice of his praise resound,
of the God who gave life to our souls
and kept our feet from stumbling.
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Come and hear, all who fear God.
I will tell what he did for my soul:
to him I cried aloud,
with high praise ready on my tongue.
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Blessed be God
who did not reject my prayer
nor withhold his love from me.
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord, who hung for us upon the tree,
has risen from the tomb.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn6:51 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven,
says the Lord.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 6:44-51 |
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven
Jesus said to the crowd:
‘No one can come to me
unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me,
and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They will all be taught by God,
and to hear the teaching of the Father,
and learn from it,
is to come to me.
Not that anybody has seen the Father,
except the one who comes from God:
he has seen the Father.
I tell you most solemnly,
everybody who believes has eternal life.
‘I am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate the manna in the desert
and they are dead;
but this is the bread that comes down from heaven,
so that a man may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,
for the life of the world.’
FAITH IS DRAWN BY LOVE AND TRUTH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 8:26-40; PS 65:8-9, 16-17, 20; JOHN 6:44-51]
What does it take for a person to come to faith in God or in Christ? Very often, we think it is through reason alone. Most of us try to convert others to the faith by explaining and arguing with them. This was how the Jews reasoned out in today’s Gospel. They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?'” (Jn 6:42)
The truth is that we cannot come to faith simply through rational arguments alone. Otherwise, no faith is needed if proofs suffice. It does not mean the rational aspect of faith is not important. But it only goes so far as to show that what we believe is not against reason. It is similar to a man or a woman who falls in love. Surely, it cannot be based on logic and reasoning alone that we choose to love someone. Precisely, the word that we use is “falling in love.” This means that when we love someone, it goes beyond reason. Still, reasons are important to establish that our act of love is not simply based on fleeting emotions but are rooted in truth that exceeds the human mind to comprehend. It shows that our faith is not subjective, irrational and capricious.
Accordingly, St John used a very important word to describe the process of conversion. It begins with being drawn to God. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me, and I will raise him up at the last day.” So the beginning of any conversion process is always the initiative of God, not of man. It is God who calls and invites us to share in His love and life. This is called grace. It is an attraction. Thus, it is futile trying to force someone into baptism or accepting Christ if that person is not drawn. Can we force someone to love us or marry someone without love? Today’s Scripture readings offer us an integral perspective in considering a person’s call to God.
How does He draw us by grace to Him? We are drawn through beauty. This beauty is not necessarily external beauty but an inner beauty that is manifested in love and truth. When it is an attraction, it is difficult to resist. If it were merely human reasoning, we can always find ways to reject, just like the Jews and the religious leaders who refused to accept Christ. Similarly, the desire for God is planted by Him in each one of us, even for non-Christians, because they, too, are also drawn by love and truth, by being created in His image and likeness. Beauty is also seen in wisdom. Some of us are attracted to intelligent people, good speakers, or those who are dynamic and are able to enthral us. We feel enlightened by their wisdom.
There are two ways a person comes to God, just as he or she comes to find a friend or a partner in life. In human relationships, we are drawn to someone because of love. We fall in love with a man or a woman because of his or her love for us. To fall in love is to be drawn by love. To be drawn to someone is to be attracted. The most difficult thing to resist in life is love. Human beings, although rational creatures, are moved not by ideas and ideology as much as love. The appeal to the heart is more effective than the head. So when we are loved, we naturally respond with goodness and kindness. Love is always a mutual exchange. Sometimes we fall in love with the virtues of someone, because we are attracted to their love, compassion and gentleness.
How, then, are we drawn by the love of God? For Christians, we are drawn explicitly to Christ, whom we have encountered as our Lord and Saviour. Christ is the love and compassion of God in His mercy for sinners, the poor and the marginalised. It was the life and the death of Jesus that convinced us of God’s love and mercy. So if we want to draw anyone to the Lord, more than just arguing on doctrines, it is more profitable and less antagonistic if we travel the route of love, sharing with others what the Lord means to us and how He has given us meaning and hope in life. Above all, it is in our Christian way of life, our love, compassion, generosity to serve humbly, and forgiveness that will convince non-believers that Christ is real. Only love attracts, not words! Love cannot be forced and compelled. It remains an invitation.
But we are also drawn by truth. Many come to Jesus not only because of His love but because of His Word. He is seen as the Teacher of Truth because He is the Wisdom and Word of God. He teaches with authority and with conviction. This was the case for the Ethiopian. He was hungry for the Truth and was disposed to learn. He must have been a man of faith, considering that he travelled all the way from Africa near Egypt to worship at Jerusalem. To be sure, he was a gentile convert to Judaism. He was a man who wanted to know more and more about God. Hence, he was reading the Scriptures. Not only was he interested to find out more, he was also docile and humble to learn.
But being drawn requires a response as well. The challenge of our times is the loss of the disposition to love. We are living in a dysfunctional society. There is so much corruption and manipulation. Because of scandals, trust is lacking today. People are suspicious of each other. The openness to love is lacking because we are afraid of being cheated and betrayed. So many never receive any real love or have any good friends because they are not receptive to each other. Just as they do not trust human beings, many also do not trust God with their lives because they have never really experienced His love. To love, we need to surrender ourselves, mind and heart. This calls for trust, vulnerability, and it means risks.
Another challenge in our times is that the disposition to learn and discover the truth is absent. In a climate of relativism, everyone is right. This explains why the world is becoming increasingly individualistic. Pride is the obstacle to faith. Man will not believe anything unless it is proven to him. Unless he is satisfied with the explanation, he will not believe. But Jesus demands faith. He said, “I tell you most solemnly, everybody who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the desert, and they are dead; but this is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that a man may eat it and not die.”
Consequently, we need to consider whether we are preparing our disposition to be hearers of the Word. If we are not disposed, we cannot hear the Word of God. We have the example of Philip the deacon, who made full use of love and truth to help the Ethiopian come to faith in Jesus. He approached the Ethiopian, offering his help to interpret the Scriptures that he heard him reading. The gentle and non-invasive approach of Philip helped the Ethiopian to open up to his invitation. He seized the opportunity to speak to him about Jesus because the text that the Ethiopian was reading permitted him to show that Jesus was the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah. His explanation made sense completely to the Ethiopian, and immediately, he asked for baptism.
Ultimately, the Church cannot do without the works of compassion. For this reason, the real dialogue at the end of the day is a dialogue with life and with the poor, the ‘Asian’ way of evangelisation. No amount of preaching can change the world. As how it was for many in Asia, the conversion of the faithful to Christ came via the missionaries who evangelised through the way of love, compassion, respect and mutual understanding that touched the lives of people. Only love and compassion can truly touch the hearts of people. In fact, it is often the most effective way today in sharing our faith with others.
But it is equally important that for faith to grow or for someone to be drawn to God, there must be a preacher or a disciple who can attract others to the Lord. In the Gospel, Jesus made it clear, “They will all be taught by God, and to hear the teaching of the Father, and learn from it, is to come to me. Not that anybody has seen the Father, except the one who comes from God: he has seen the Father.” Obviously, no one can teach another about God unless he has first seen Him or encountered him. Only Jesus can teach and lead us to God because He comes from God. If Philip could convert the Ethiopian, it was because he was full of faith, and he himself was completely docile to the Holy Spirit. Thus, without passionate and docile preachers and teachers led by the Holy Spirit, we can never draw others to Christ and His Church.
Truly, if the Church is dead, it is because we lack Christians who are deeply connected with the Lord and sensitive to the Holy Spirit. We need to be convicted in the truth about Jesus as the Son of God, with a corresponding compassion for the poor. Only those who have encountered the Lord and remain docile and attentive to His movements can respond quickly to the needs of our times. Only in those who are humble could He continue to work in our lives. We read that the Ethiopian “never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.” He must have been so happy — those who are filled with joy will always share their joy with others, like this Eunuch, who was transformed by joy to witness for Christ to his own people. So we must learn from Philip not to cling to our comfort zone but to be docile to the Holy Spirit and go wherever He sends us.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
