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April 2026

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Reflection for April 23, 2026

Drawn by the Father, Fed by the Son

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” (John 6:44)

At first glance, this verse can seem unsettling. It raises the question: Is our faith merely a passive reaction? Do we have no choice?

The Catholic tradition understands this “drawing” not as a violent tug on a puppet string, but as the gentle, irresistible allure of Love itself. Think of how a parent draws a small child to take a first step—not by force, but by a smile, an outstretched hand, a look of delight. The Father places within our hearts a restlessness, a hunger that nothing in this world can satisfy. That very hunger is His drawing.

But note what Jesus says next: “Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me” (v. 45). We must listen and learn. This is our part: the quieting of our hearts, the opening of Scripture, the reception of the sacraments. We are not robots; we are beloved children who must turn our gaze toward the One who calls us.

And where does this drawing lead? To the Eucharist.

Jesus makes the stunning claim: “I am the bread of life… the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (vv. 48, 51).

The manna in the desert was a shadow. It kept the Israelites alive for a day, but they eventually died. Jesus offers something radically new: not bread for the body, but Bread for the soul. Not temporary fuel, but eternal life. This is the great scandal and the great gift of our Catholic faith—that the same God who drew us from nothing now stoops to become our food.

A Prayer for Today:
Lord Jesus, I believe that the Father is even now drawing me toward You. Give me ears to hear His voice in the quiet of my day. Remove the hardness of my heart that resists Your pull. And when I receive You in the Eucharist, let me not receive bread alone, but the very source of eternal life. Amen.

For Reflection:
Where do I feel the Father’s “drawing” most clearly in my life right now—in joy, in sorrow, in quiet, in need? Am I listening?