Oct 29, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
First reading – Exodus 22:20-26
“…they will surely cry out to me and be sure I shall hear their cry… If he cries to me, I will listen, for I am full of pity”. This is a very important phrase in the Bible. This Word of God asks for always justice and kindness. Whenever we are dealing with others, this Word of God must be in our mind. Every time when we are harsh with others this Word of God must come to our mind. We have our reasons to be harsh with others. But whatever is the reason, the Lord God hears the cry of others. The Lord God is full of pity and that is what we must keep in our mind when we deal with others. Whoever I am dealing with, the Lord is full of pity for him. So, I also must be full of pity with him or her. If I am not full of pity, and the Lord is, I am not acting according to the will of the Lord. We must be empathetic to the people. We must see the real pain and suffering of others. Because we also face sufferings in our life. And the sufferings of others must be given the same value. “You must not molest the stranger or oppress him, for you lived as strangers in the land of Egypt”. This is the Word of God. So, the suffering of each person is very important as my suffering is. Let’s reflect: Do I see the difficulties of each person I meet and treat him or her with compassion?
Oct 27, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles – Feast
First reading – Ephesians 2:19-22
Today we are celebrating the feast of two great Apostles, Simon the Zealot and Jude, the patron saint of lost and desperate causes. The reading helps us to understand how much close we are to the apostles and what is our identity. The Apostles and prophets are the foundations of the building of which Christ Jesus is the main cornerstone. We are part of this building; we are part of the God’s household. As every part of the building is aligned on the cornerstone, we all grow into one holy temple in the Lord. We are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit. We all are being built into one house. Let’s reflect: Do I recognize that I am a part of the holy temple where God lives in the Spirit?
Oct 26, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 29 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Romans 7:18-25
“In my inmost self I dearly love God’s Law, but I can see that my body follows a different law that battles against the law which my reason dictates”. How correct is what St. Paul says! How many times we have resolutions in our life not to do this thing or that thing? And how many times we repeated the same thing! This law that I follow is my selfishness. And the law which my inmost self, filled with the grace of baptism and confirmation, wants to follow is the love of God. My desire to follow my selfishness is strong and enslaving. And the desire of the inner self to follow the love of God is subtle and liberating. Since the former is strong and enslaving, we often become a prisoner of that law. And St. Paul saw that Jesus Christ is only liberator from this prison. The moment we call and confide to Jesus Christ we can be liberated from this prison. The desire to call Jesus Christ comes from the subtle but liberating presence of the Holy Spirit in our heart. This Holy Spirit is the result of our Baptism. Let’s reflect: Do I call Jesus Christ when I am driven to sin?
Oct 26, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 29 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Romans 6:19-23
“Now, however, you have been set free from sin…” This is the real effect of salvation. We are set free. We are liberated. We are liberated from our past. We are liberated from our sins. Our sanctification is our liberation. Our freedom to choose God and to walk with God in life. That life is eternal. The sin after this liberation is to ignore the possibility of walking with God to eternal life. When we ignore this possibility of being at the service of this love of God, we sin. When we do accept this possibility of serving the love of God we walk into the path of sanctification. This is our choice with our liberty gained for us by the Christ Jesus our Lord. This interiority, this intimate relationship with Jesus Christ is our liberty. Let’s reflect: Do I recognize the liberty gained for me by Christ Jesus our Lord?
Oct 24, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 29 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Romans 6:12-18
“you should make every part of your body into a weapon fighting on the side of God”. This explains the reason for having the grace of God. The grace of God helps us to make everything in us to be an instrument of God’s plan. What we have, our talents, our capacities, everything must be instruments of God’s plan. We must not let our selfishness use our talents or our capacities. When we let that happen in us, our talents and capacities will become an unholy weapon inside us fighting against us. Whereas, when we become instrument of God’s grace, we let ourselves living in the life of Jesus Christ. We will be freed from the slavery of our selfishness, and we become servants of the love of God. So, let us make sure that all we have, and what we are, are at the service of God’s grace. Let’s reflect: Am I willfully trying to make everything in me, an instrument of God’s grace?
