Dec 4, 2022 | DAILY BREAD
2nd Sunday of Advent
Gospel – Matthew 3:1-12
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’” John the Baptist feels the presence of God nearby. And that is why he said, “Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.” First, what we need is to feel the presence of God nearby us. Then we think about preparing the way of the Lord. Secondly, we see the lifestyle of John the Baptist who calls for the preparation of the way for the Lord. “This man, John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.” The preparation for the Lord begins in ourselves, when we leave the superficial and when we underline the essentials. We don’t run to conform ourselves to the standards of the world around us but we become what attracts the world to repent. And thirdly, humility makes the final step in the preparation. “but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” With humility we can become the instruments of the Holy Spirit. We purify ourselves the Holy Spirit. Let’s reflect: Advent is the time to feel the nearness of the Lord and to prepare His way with our lifestyle and with our humility.
Dec 3, 2022 | POSITIVE IMPULSES
We can build our relationships based on our rights or duties. But it’s better to build it over our duties than our rights. Unfortunately often our rights try to dictate the conditions of our relationship. And our relationships become disparity relationships where we may feel superiority. Becomes more a practical adjustment rather than a relationship. Whereas if we build a relationship based upon our duties to relate, to communicate, to share, something totally different comes out. A relationship of parity and equality.
Don Giorgio
Dec 3, 2022 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Francis Xavier, Priest
on Saturday of the 1st week of Advent
Gospel – Matthew 9:35-10:1,5,6-8
“Go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel… You received without charge, give without charge’”. Jesus came to us and made us His disciples without charge. He took us with our weakness and defects. He shared His authority with us, to go to the lost sheep. The condition of someone around us as lost, is where our mission starts. To look around to understand who is lost, who is crying, who is desperate, who is depressed, is the first step. Often, we don’t see the lost. We see those who come to the Church and are active in different realities of the Church. But be sure, our mission begins where one around us, feels lost. After understanding that this person feels lost or is lost, we must give him or her back the sense of life, his or her dignity, the meaning of life. And this giving back becomes a giving back without charge when this giving is sharing, when this giving is without pretension, as a service. Let’s reflect: Advent is the time to make all our giving a sharing in serving the other.
Dec 2, 2022 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of the 1st week of Advent
Gospel – Matthew 9:27-31
“As Jesus went on his way two blind men followed him shouting, ‘Take pity on us, Son of David.’ And when Jesus reached the house, the blind men came up with him and he said to them,” . This is a beautiful scene. Two blind man following Jesus. These two blind men following until Jesus reached the house. Very challenging – keep shouting to somebody without knowing and following blindly someone without knowing. But they continued. They did not see Him, but they continued. They did not hear any reply for their shouting, but they continued. The darkness in their eyes, nor the silence in their ears stopped them. They keep following and shouting. The unanswered prayers are invitation to keep going, keep following, keep shouting. They met him at the house where Jesus is. Let’s reflect: Advent is the time to keep following and calling Jesus even when we don’t see any answers.
Dec 1, 2022 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of the 1st week of Advent
Gospel – Matthew 7:21,24-27
“It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Because the one who only calls “Lord, Lord,” keeps Lord away and goes to Him in case of necessity. One who only calls “Lord, Lord,” wants that the Lord blesses whatever he does. One who only calls “Lord, Lord,” listens only to himself. What God wants is a different thing. God wants that His Word be incarnated in our life. He wants that your life be constructed according to His Word. He wanted that His Word becomes the rock of my life upon which I construct. His Word becomes my life. Then we will recognize that the call “Lord, Lord,” is superficial if the Word of God is not becoming a reality in my life. Where my life becomes part of His Word. Then the call “Lord, Lord,” is substituted by “Yes, Yes, Lord”. Let’s reflect: Is the Word of God becoming a reality in my life or I just keep the Word of God away by just calling “Lord, Lord,”?
