Sep 25, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 25 in Ordinary Time
Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs
Gospel – Luke 9:7-9
“And he was anxious to see Jesus”. From where the anxiousness of Herod does the tetrarch comes from. It comes from his guilt feeling for what he had done to John the Baptist. It comes from the news what some people were saying, “that John had risen from the dead”. So, his curiosity is not for knowing Jesus. But to see how the John is Risen, the Risen John. The reason to know Jesus can be many in our life. What we must do is to purify our intention of following Jesus. Our intention to follow Jesus must not be a curiosity but love to Him. Often, our intentions can be contaminated. Then we must purify our intentions. Let’s reflect: Do I follow Jesus?
Don Giorgio
Sep 24, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 25 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Luke 9:1-6
“Take nothing for the journey”. Because it’s a journey of Grace. The journey to proclaim the Good News is a journey of Grace. It is neither your staff nor haversack that will give you the sufficient support for your mission. It will be the Grace that will make the difference. The money or the spare tunic are not the adapt resources for the mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. It’s the Grace of God. It is the Grace which you received from Jesus Christ. It’s your personal relationship with Jesus that gave you this Grace. We all have the same mission as baptized faithful. We are called to proclaim the Good News, wherever we have. Don’t think about anything else. Don’t focus on anything else—simply trust in God’s grace and nurture your relationship with Jesus. Then you will be a great missionary. Let’s reflect: In proclaiming the Good News, do I trust in the Grace, or do I rely on other things?
Don Giorgio
Sep 24, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 25 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Luke 8:19-21
When Jesus said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice”. He is also referring to what they were doing at that moment. Mother Mary came to see Him, but she was standing outside and waiting to see you. This happens when you listen to the Word of God and put it into practice. You listen to the Word of God and learn to stand outside for the Lord. You listen to the Word of God and learn to wait for the Lord. When you listen to the Word of God and put it into practice, it will not be anymore, who you are that determines your actions, but it will be the Word of God that determines your actions. Often, we want to practice the Word of God as who we are. But that is not the right way to practice the Word of God. We must become what the Word of God asks us. And not to practice the Word of God as we are. Let the Word of God, model you. And not to practice the Word of God, as a model. Let’s reflect: How do I practice the Word of God, as who I am or as whom I want to become?
Don Giorgio
Sep 22, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), Priest
Monday of week 25 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Matthew 16:24-27
“Anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it”. Following Jesus is not only renouncing oneself and taking up his cross but also there is something equally important. That is what is explained in this sentence. Anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. The first part of this sentence is about the renouncing and taking up the cross. That is what happens in losing the life for the sake of Jesus Christ. But here He makes a promise. Those who lose their life for His sake will find it. That means, after losing our life, we must search for it and we must find it. Jesus promises that we will find it. Where? We will find the life in the person of Jesus Christ. It’s our personal relationship of Jesus that this life is found. Sacramentally we do it in Baptism, in the Holy Communion. But this must become personalized in our personal relationship with Jesus. Many times, what happens in our Christian life is that, we renounce ourselves and take our cross but we fail to encounter the life in the our personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus, this Person, must remodel you. Let’s reflect: How much my sacrifices improve my personal relationship with Jesus?
Don Giorgio
Sep 21, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 9:30-37
“But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him”. This is the situation of the disciples to whom Jesus himself was explaining the things. The reason we can find out in the following passage of the Gospel. “They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest”. This is the reason that they did not understand before the discourse of Jesus about His passion, death and resurrection. They had in their mind, the theme of the greatest and Jesus was speaking about becoming the least. When we have in our mind, thoughts about carrier, power, positions, we will not be able to understand the plan of God or the Word of God. Not only that we will not understand but also, we will be afraid to clarify. What is this fear? This fear is about the answer if you ask clarification. This fear is about the truth whether it will be contrary to my thoughts about being great. The fear of being in contradiction with my concepts of power or position. That is why Jesus puts a child in their front to be the model. Let’s reflect: Are my thoughts about power and position hinder my understanding of the Word of God and generates fear of knowing the truth?
Don Giorgio
Sep 20, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist – Feast
Gospel – Matthew 9:9-13
We are celebrating the feast of St. Matthew. Everything started in the life of Matthew with this call of Jesus, “Follow me”. He got up and followed Him. Life is changed but nothing dramatic. Call and response. This happens when you listen to the call of Jesus with your heart and then your heart responds. Matthew was sitting by the customs house. Jesus was passing by and saw him. Then He called him. Matthew understood the sweetness of the call of Jesus. He understood the mercy filled in that call. He felt the love of Jesus He understood that there is space for him in the life of Jesus. He believed in Jesus. Now from the call, “follow me”, he will not be sitting at the customs house, but he will be following Jesus. Jesus becomes his way and his life. The Gospel of St. Matthew is its testament. When we listen to the call of Jesus, we can find the way in Jesus. Jesus becomes our way and our life when we let the Word of God go into our heart. Don’t put any filters to the Word of God. Just let it go into you. Let’s reflect: Do I let the Word of God change my life?
Don Giorgio
