Nov 2, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 30 in Ordinary Time
Saint Martin de Porres, Religious
First reading – Romans 9:1-5
“I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood”. St. Paul is ready to do the maximum sacrifice to help his brothers. This is one of the moments which we can understand the principle of incarnation. Creator becoming a creature. Every difficult to understand. Like what St. Paul is saying, he is ready to be cut off from Christ. How can one think about something like that? But out of love for humanity, God became man. The love of God for us is the most important reality on earth. The logic of St. Paul is like this: God out of his love for the humanity decided to become a mortal man giving up His glory. If that is the criteria for love, I also must give up the most glorious thing in my life, my relationship to Christ, to show my love for my brothers. The faith in Jesus Christ is measured by the sacrifice made of love for the other. Let’s reflect: Am I just proud to be Christian or do I want to act like a Christian?
Nov 1, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
All Souls
First reading – Wisdom 3:1-9
Today we are praying for all the departed souls. “The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, no torment shall ever touch them. In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die, their going looked like a disaster, their leaving us, like annihilation; but they are in peace”. The main message of this day is our belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and in Him, the resurrection of all the dead. Because in Jesus Christ, we find our resurrection. This is what the author of the book of Wisdom is speaking. The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, no torment shall ever touch them. Those who have no faith, the death looks like they are disappeared into nothing. But in reality, they are in peace. This truth is what we are celebrating. We extend our love to our dead beyond the death with our prayers and the Holy Mass and participate in the redemptive action of the Jesus Christ which is being continued in the Church. Let’s reflect: Do I believe in the capacity of my love to go beyond the reality of death?
Oct 31, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
All Saints – Solemnity
First reading – Apocalypse 7:2-4,9-14
“After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands”. There is place for people from every nation, every race, every tribe, and every language. Today is the feast of All Saints. Saints from every nation, every race, every tribe, and every language. The servants of God who are happy to be in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb. They had temptations, they had challenges, they had defects, they had weaknesses. But they went through it. They did not give up. They overcame it. Then they washed their robes white again in the blood of Jesus Christ. They submitted themselves to the grace of the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Among them there are people whom we know also. That is joyful. They are standing before the Lord and interceding for us. Let’s reflect: Are we thankful for the multitude of saints interceding for us?
Oct 30, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 30 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Romans 8:18-25
“but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God”. The hope of being freed, that is what the entire creation is waiting. To be freed to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God. This is the redemption which Jesus Christ gained for us. We do not enjoy our freedom because we are captives to sin and selfishness. Our liberty is hindered by our wrong choices. From this state, we need the liberation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The faith in the liberation achieved by Jesus Christ is our hope. This liberation gives us the freedom to enjoy the joy of being the children of God. This redemptive act of Jesus Christ is active in our life through the action of sacraments. The grace of the sacraments gives us the freedom and glory of the children of God. Let’s reflect: Do I enjoy the freedom and glory of the children of God with my sacramental life?
Oct 29, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 30 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Romans 8:12-17
“it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God”. This reading from the letter to Romans brings out the big difference between the living the life of the Holy Spirit we received in the sacraments and the living the life of our selfishness. The former liberates us and the latter enslaves us. The former gives us the dignity of son and daughters. The latter takes away our dignity as sons and daughter. The former brings the joy, and the latter brings fear. Living the life of the Holy Spirit is accepting our reality as sons and daughters of Christ. And we can relate to God as our Father. This is beautiful. And also this gives us the strength to share in the sufferings of the only Son of God. Let’s reflect: Do I feel the spirit of a son or a daughter in my relationship to God the Father?
