Oct 4, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Francis of Assisi
Friday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Matthew 11:28-30
Today we are celebrating the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. A saint who initiated a specific charism in the church. A saint who showed the richness of Christian poverty. He celebrated life by being poor. How is this possible? Today’s gospel is the answer. “Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.”. St. Francis shouldered the yoke of Christ in a perfect way and learnt from Him. Shouldering the yoke of Christ is accepting Jesus as the only good in life. Those who have a yoke in the shoulders, cannot hold anything else except the yoke. Shouldering His yoke is making Jesus Christ as the only good in our life. When Jesus becomes the only good in your life, you will learn that you only need Him. When you learn that you only need Him, you will leave everything else. That is the Christian poverty. Jesus Christ will become your only possession. If you have problem in leaving something else because you did not yet find out that we need only Jesus Christ. His yoke is easy because He loves you and His burden light because He understands you. Let’s reflect: How much I recognize that I need only Jesus and nothing else?
Don Giorgio
Oct 2, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
“If a man of peace lives there, your peace will rest on him.” These words of Jesus offer a profound revelation. Jesus sends His disciples out with specific instructions: “Whatever house you enter, let your first words be, ‘Peace to this house!’” The disciples are told to offer the blessing of peace as their first act, which is deeply significant. As followers of Jesus Christ, we carry peace—the peace brought by Christ, the peace of redemption, the peace of salvation. This peace is the first gift we can offer anyone, but it’s more than just a simple greeting. Jesus makes it clear that if there is a person of peace in the house, the blessing of peace will rest on them. To receive Christ’s peace, we must ourselves be people of peace—people who seek peace, who pursue reconciliation, who are willing to forgive. Only then can the peace of Christ dwell within us. Let us reflect: Am I someone who seeks peace?
Don Giorgio
Oct 1, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday 2 October 2024
The Holy Guardian Angels
Wednesday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Matthew 18:1-5,10
“Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven”. Today is the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. The Catechism of the Catholic Church proclaims that “from infancy to death human life is surrounded by their (angels’) watchful care and intercession. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life. Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God” (CCC, n. 336). This is a faith in the personal love of God for each person. Each one of us has a guardian angel because each one of us is protected by the personal love of God. The love of God is not a general love, a love for all. But it’s a love for each one of us. It’s a personal love. God’s love for each one is assured by the presence of our Guardian Angel. A devotion to the Guardian Angel is an acceptance of the personal love of God towards you. God is with us always. We must believe in the love of God that take care of us, protect us and guide us. Let’s reflect: Do I maintain a constant devotion to my Guardian Angel?
Don Giorgio
Sep 30, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin, Doctor
Tuesday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
Gospel Matthew 18:1-5
“I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”. Today we are celebrating the Feast of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. And in the Gospel, Jesus is asking us to change and become like little children. Thérèse of Lisieux’s “Little Way” is a spiritual path through which the process which Jesus tells us can be achieved. This “Little Way” is focused on simplicity, humility, and trust in God’s love. She believed holiness could be attained not through grand actions but by performing small, everyday tasks with great love and devotion. Embracing her own limitations, Thérèse encouraged a childlike trust in God, accepting suffering as an opportunity for spiritual growth and offering small sacrifices with joy. Her approach highlights that even the simplest acts, when done with love, can lead to holiness, making this path accessible to anyone. Let’s reflect: Do I offer with joy my small discomforts and pains for my growth in God’s love?
Don Giorgio
Sep 30, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Jerome, Priest, Doctor
Monday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Matthew 13:47-52
“The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds”. The Kingdom of heaven, it’s present part is here and now. It contains all kinds of fishes. The Fisherman collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. The Fisherman decides. This is true with everything we see around. Around us there are lots of good and bad. But the Kingdom of God embraces everything. But Jesus Christ decides what is good and bad. The relationship with Jesus is the criteria to decide what is good and what is bad. This is also same with us. Each one of us have both good and bad in us. The Kingdom of God embraces everything in me, both good and bad. It’s my personal relationship with Jesus that helps me to sort what is good in me and what is bad in me. Let’s reflect: Does my relationship with Jesus help me to sort what is good and what is bad in me?
Don Giorgio
