Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 27, 2023
Jesus said to the crowds:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.”
Reflection
Two years ago, my husband and I fell pregnant for a fourth time. We had desperately hoped and prayed for this little life to be held safely in our arms, loved and cherished, to make a wondrous impact on our world. But our vision was not meant to be.
The imagery of today’s gospel, the upcoming Easter holiday, and the emergence of the spring season all leave me reflecting on the promise of new life—but also experiences of death.
Recently we saw a little bud of an unknown flower popping up through a fine dusting of snow. I found myself wondering if it would fall victim to another late spring freeze or would the snow melt and nourish it into the vibrancy of a full bloom?
As Jesus says in today’s gospel, whoever takes the time to listen can be observant and open their hearts and minds to God’s grace. How? This season, we need look no further than the vivid splotches of spring color that we catch in our peripheral vision. In them, we have the opportunity to notice (or ignore) the subtle teachings of God.
Two years later, my husband and I are still traversing the long and arduous road to keep our hearts open and learn the lessons God has placed lovingly around us. I continue to notice all of the flower buds and wonder why some life is destined for this world when another life isn’t.
One of the lessons I have learned is that life is precious and miraculous, even if it is fleeting. Our child, whom many never knew existed, is now known in the sharing of our story with you. By our remaining open to God’s lessons, despite the sorrow, and you, dear reader, being present here today, our child makes a wondrous and awesome impact on our world.
Prayer
All-powerful God, you are near to us and hear us when we pray. Enliven us with your Spirit, the fire of your love. Through our baptism, we share in the life of your son, Jesus the Christ. Sustain your life within us by drawing us often to eat his body and drink his blood in the new and
everlasting covenant that gives us eternal life. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Zita is a popular Italian saint whose extreme popularity far outstrips her humble life.
Zita was born around the year 1212 in the Tuscan region of northern Italy. To help out her impoverished family, Zita took a position in the household of a wealthy landowner. Zita was not always treated with kindness and respect, and she was often overburdened with work from her employers and the other servants who worked with her.
Despite the ill-treatment, Zita remained patient and kind towards all her coworkers. Through her persistent charity, Zita managed to persevere in a Christ-like joy. Her witness inspired her employers to become more devoted Christians. Zita went to Mass each morning, which gave her the energy to persevere in love, even in the midst of pain.
One commonly told anecdote about Zita recounts the presence of angels at her work station in the kitchen. Zita left her work one morning to care for a family in need. Other servants in the kitchen, hoping to get her in trouble, reported to the Fatinelli family that Zita had left her post, accusing her of shirking her work and being lazy. When Zita's employers came down to the kitchen to investigate, they found angels in the kitchen, baking the bread in Zita's place.
Zita died on April 27, 1272. She had lived to be sixty years old. The Fatinelli family immediately started praying to Zita and invoking her aid. Through their intercession, Zita became a widely invoked saint. Over 150 miracles were credited to her before Zita was canonized in 1696.
In 1580, Zita's body was exhumed and found to be incorrupt. Since then, it has been on display for veneration at the Basilica in Lucca. For centuries, families have baked a loaf of bread on St. Zita's feast. You can participate in this tradition by baking one of the bread recipes for St. Zita's day with your family or friends.
St. Zita, patron saint of household workers and finding lost keys—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Zita is available for use under a Creative Commons license. Last accessed February 21, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
