Jun 9, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of week 9 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Tobit 12:1,5-15,20
This is a beautiful passage where we can find the importance of praising God and doing good is beautifully stated. Thanking God and helping the needy are equally important. Faith in God must be equally expressed in words and in deeds. Regarding thanking God, we read, “Proclaim before all men the deeds of God as they deserve, and never tire of giving him thanks”, again, “Thank him worthily. Do what is good”. We must give thanks to God in a worthy manner, and we must never get tired of giving thanks. What is the worthful manner of giving thanks to God? It is by doing what is good. We can see the complementarity of prayer and good works in this reading. “So you must know that when you and Sarah were at prayer, it was I who offered your supplications before the glory of the Lord and who read them; so too when you were burying the dead”. We must complement our prayers with our good works, our thanksgiving to God with our alms giving, and our praising of God with helping the needy. Let’s reflect: Do I complement my prayers with doing what is good?
Jun 8, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 9 in Ordinary Time
Saint Ephraem, Deacon, Doctor
First reading – Tobit 11:5-17
In this episode in the life of Tobit and Tobias we can see that the meaning of life. Life is for two things. For praising the Lord and for blessings the others in your life. Praising the Lord because God arranges everything in life for good. We may have difficulties in our life. We may have crisis in our life, but we stick to the Lord, and we praise the Lord, crisis goes away. By trusting in the Lord, we will see that the night goes away, and lights come in. This is why we must praise the Lord always. The second thing which we must do is to bless others. When we bless others, we become instruments of God. Because God is the source of all blessings in our life. So, when we bless someone, we become the channel of His love and grace. Let’s reflect: Am I praising God and blessing others enough?
Jun 7, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Corpus Christi – Solemnity
First reading – Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16
The discourse of Moses to the People of God is exactly the whole history of Salvation. God wants to be with His people. God liberates us. God feeds us. God leads us. Also, God wants that we are humble enough to establish our relationship with Him. When God feeds us, it’s a sign. It’s a symbol. It shows how much we are dependent on Him. It shows what is important in our life. It indicates how we should make decisions in our life. Our life is a life dependent on God. Dependent not in the sense of subordination but in the sense of a relationship. God wants to show His love and we must accept that love with an open heart. That means in humility. Only the pride of heart closes our heart to God. Our heart is to be open to God. The love of God comes down from heaven as the manna, the bread to be eaten. The love of God which wants to disappear into us so that we can live, we can act, and we can survive. It’s the humility that lets God to act like that. Let’s reflect: Am I humble enough to welcome the gift of God’s love which comes to us in the form of bread?
Jun 7, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 9 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Tobit 3:1-11,16-17
In this reading we see that Faith is not something subjective which is like an idea in the mind of a person. Faith is a relation with God. With God who interacts with us. It is a relationship between God who wants to interact with us, and we who need that interaction. Our life experiences make us to come to our own conclusion and decisions. But in those conclusions and decisions, if the relationship with God is lacking, it’s going to be bad. But if in those conclusions and decisions, there is place for this relationship with God, we can identify Raphael in the episodes of our life. Let’s reflect: Does my relationship with God can be verified in all episodes of my life?
Jun 5, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 9 in Ordinary Time
Saint Norbert, Bishop
First reading – Tobit 2:9-14
Tobit is faced with two challenges. Overzealous about being just to the point of doubting others is the first one. The second one is to answer the question of the misfortunes in his life in relation to his good works. Overzealous to point of doubting others is an imposition over others. Be zealous to trust others and not to doubt others. The question of the misfortunes in his life is to be differentiated from the good works. The misfortunes happens but we must not relate it to the good works. Misfortunes occur from natural causes. Good works are inspired by grace. Good works are expression of our good heart. Let’s reflect: Am I able to disassociate the good works from the misfortunes in my life?
