Aug 14, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
First reading – Apocalypse 11:19,12:1-6,10
“The woman brought a male child into the world, the son who was to rule all the nations with an iron sceptre, and the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne, while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had made a place of safety ready”. We are celebrating the Feast of the Assumption, The commemoration of the death of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Dormition, or falling asleep, as it was known in the East) is known as the Assumption because of the tradition that her body did not decay but that she was raised up, body and soul, into heaven. It’s a feast because Mother Mary is our forerunner and with her, we all have a space in heaven. In the First reading we can see the figure of Mother Mary who gave birth to the child who was to rule all the nations and sitting in the throne. But the woman escaped into the desert where God had made a place of safety. This is the point of our reflection: she is in the desert, place of isolation and sufferings. But she has a safe place. She is together with us in the desert of our isolation and suffering. When we are with her, at the same time we are in a safe place because God had made a place of safety for her. So being with Mother Mary is being in a safe place albeit the loneliness and suffering of the desert. Let’s reflect: am I together with Mother Mary in the safe place prepared by God in the midst of the my desert?
Aug 14, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest, Martyr
Monday of week 19 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Deuteronomy 10:12-22
“Circumcise your heart then and be obstinate no longer; for the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords”. Circumcise your heart and not to be obstinate anymore. This is about not being obstinate and let giving the Lord the true place in our life. Not being afraid of anything else and about loving justice. He is never partial and new to be bribed. That is why the Word of God says, “It is he who sees justice done for the orphan and the widow, who loves the stranger and gives him food and clothing”. So, our being not obstinate is welcoming the stranger and giving food and clothing. Welcoming others into our life. It’s a social liberation. In the life of St. Maximilian Koble we see a greater model. He gave his life to a stranger because of what Jesus said. It is you winning over your fear to being side-lined because you are with the God who is God of gods and Lord of lords. Let’s reflect: Am I enjoy the freedom to do justice to the poor and to the stranger?
Aug 12, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
First reading – 1 Kings 19:9,11-13
“And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze”. When Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. In this beginning of the reading, we read that the prophet reached the mountain of God, and he went into the cave and spent the night in it. This is very symbolic. He is in the mountain of the Lord, but he is going into the cave and spending the night there. We must go out of our caves. The caves of our doubts, caves of our fears, caves of our anger: we must go out of these caves and stand on the mountain before the Lord. The Lord comes in a gentle breeze. The gentle breeze of His love and kindness. We must have the courage to come out of our caves and stand in the presence of the Lord who comes in gentleness and kindness. Let’s reflect: Am I ready to come of the caves of my doubts and my fears to be in the presence of the Lord who passes with the gentleness of a breeze?
Aug 11, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of week 18 in Ordinary Time
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious
First reading – Deuteronomy 6:4-13
“Let these words I urge on you today be written on your heart”. There are two important things about the Word of God which is communicated in this verse. The place of the Word of God and the context of the Word of God. The context of the Word of God is today. The today of the Word of God is the present. The Word of God is that which urges today, in the present moment. It’s not something from the past but of the present. It is that which should lead us now. In this moment. And how? It should be written in our heart. The Word of God is not to be just listened or heard. It must be in our heart. It must be written in heart. How can you write in the heart? You can write in the heart only with love. That means we must love the Word of God now. This love for the Word of God will engrave the Word of God in our heart and then it will lead us. Let’s reflect: Do I love the Word of God enough that the Word of God be written in my heart?
Aug 10, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Clare, Virgin
Friday of week 18 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Philippians 3:8-14
“For him I have accepted the loss of everything, and I look on everything as so much rubbish if only I can have Christ and be given a place in him”. This intimate relationship with Jesus Christ comes from the understand the fundamental truth of Christian faith. It’s the encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. Everything becomes rubbish when you meet Him. That is why St. Paul is saying that nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus. If our encounter leads to knowing Jesus Christ that will change everything. This knowledge of Jesus Christ relativizes everything. Everything else is rubbish when we give prime importance to the person of Jesus Christ. We can give prime importance to Jesus Christ when we are able to know Him. To know Him, we must need the attitude of St. Paul. “All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and to share his sufferings by reproducing the pattern of his death”. The only desire of St. Paul is to know Christ, the power of his resurrection and to share the sufferings of Jesus. This desire is not just about knowledge but to be part of the sufferings of Jesus. This is the perfection that comes through faith. Be part of the sufferings of Jesus with the faith in the power of His resurrection. Let’s reflect: Is the desire to share the sufferings of Christ, part of my desire to know Jesus Christ?
