Oct 19, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 28 in Ordinary Time
Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, priests, and their Companions, Martyrs
Saint Paul of the Cross, Priest
First reading – Romans 3:21-30
The justice of God always existed but with the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the same justice is made know to everyone. It is the same justice of God that comes through faith to everyone without distinction. Each person must be made just because each one sins. Each one is under the justice of God. The justice of God is executed through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the only son of God. God wanted that in Jesus Christ, each person comes to reconciliation with Him. This reconciliation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. “He justifies everyone who believes in Jesus”. This process is through faith and not by doing something the law tells us to do. This process is open to all without any distinction. In Jesus Christ we are reconciled to God after being washed away our sins in the blood of Jesus. Let’s reflect: Am I grateful for the reconciliation available for me by faith in Jesus Christ?
Oct 17, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Luke, Evangelist – Feast
First reading – 2 Timothy 4:10-17
“But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear”. Today we are celebrating the feast of St. Luke who testified the life of Christ and the early Church in a unique way. In the words of St. Paul, we can understand the reason for that. In the missionary journey of St. Paul, only Luke remained with him. In the difficulties of the missionary journey, Paul found comfort in the presence of the Lord and this also Luke experienced. Paul felt that the Lord stood with him and gave him power so that Paul become an instrument for the spreading the gospel. In the same way Luke also became an instrument in spreading the gospel. So, in the moments of difficulties in our life, when we feel the presence of the Lord at our side and when we feel that the Lord gives us power, we become the instruments of proclamation of gospel. Let’s reflect: Do I feel the Lord at my side in my difficulties so that I can become an instrument of His message?
Oct 16, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop, Martyr
Tuesday of week 28 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Philippians 3:17-4:1
“For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body”. This is the foundation of life. Our homeland is in heaven, and we wait for Jesus Christ. Whatever we do here, and we have here, we are going to leave what we have. That means it’s temporary. What we have is temporary and we are waiting for Jesus Christ. We await Him because He is going to transform us in the way He resurrected. In His resurrection we are going to be transformed or changed. We become like Him in resurrection. So, Jesus Christ becomes our foundation. Let’s reflect: Is Jesus Christ foundation of my life?
Oct 15, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 28 in Ordinary Time
Saint Hedwig, Religious
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin
First reading – Romans 1:1-7
“Through him we received grace and our apostolic mission to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations in honour of his name”. This Word of God shows how much our personal relationship with Jesus is important in our life. It’s through Jesus Christ we have received grace. All what we have received is through His grace. And we have received the grace for what? It is for the mission. But also, the mission we received from Him. The mission is to preach the obedience of faith to everyone in honour of His name. The obedience of faith is that obedience which the faith requests. The faith requests the obedience to completely trust in the God who loves you. And this obedience of faith must be preached to each one without distinction. This is challenging because we cannot see everyone in the same way. So, we must start seeing everyone in the same dignity to preach the obedience of faith to everyone in honour of His name. Let’s reflect: Am I able to see everyone with the same dignity to preach the obedience of faith to everyone in honour of the name of Jesus Christ?
Oct 14, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
St Teresa of Ávila (1515 – 1582)
First reading – Isaiah 25:6-10
In the reading of today, we listen to the messianic joy as prophesied by Prophet Isaiah. The joy is expressed in the form of a banquet. The banquet is prepared by the Lord. The Lord prepares the banquet for all peoples. No one is excluded. The Lord prepares the banquet for all everyone. The food is of the finest quality including the wines. But more than the food there is something to be happy about. The Lord removes the sorrows of all peoples and destroy Death for ever. This points to the eternal life. But this messianic joy is something which starts here. How is that joy possible here? The Lord destroyed the Death by giving us the capacity to love. Death is the absence of love. Whenever we can love, there is this messianic joy. When we can love, the mourning veil is removed. When we can love, we can wipe away the tears from the cheeks. When we can love, we can take away the shame. We can love because the Lord has saved us. We can love because Lord is our hope. We can love because Lord is with us. Let’s reflect: Am I trying to give the messianic joy to those around me by loving them?
