Jul 3, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 13 in Ordinary Time
Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
Gospel Matthew 9:1-8
“A feeling of awe came over the crowd when they saw this, and they praised God for giving such power to men”. That’s true. We must have the feeling of awe when we think about the effect of incarnation. We must have the feeling of awe when we think about the sacrament of Eucharist. We must have the feeling of awe when we think about other sacraments. The people around Jesus at that time thought about Jesus only as a man and they were surprised by the power of that man. Jesus is God. But when God became man, the man got such power. The power to become sons and daughters of God. The power to receive the forgiveness of sins as it has happened to the paralytic man. The power to become healed by the presence of God. The power to live in the presence of God. Before this power we must feel awe. We must be grateful. We must stand in awe each moment of our life. Let’s reflect: Do I stand with awe before the mystery of incarnation?
Jul 2, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Thomas, Apostle – Feast
Gospel John 20:24-29
“My Lord and my God!” This is the perfect confession of faith by St. Thomas, the Apostle of India. This confession was the result of a personal desire for a personal experience with the Risen Christ. This confession was the result of a determination to have a direct experience with the resurrection. This confession is the result of the magnanimous love of Jesus Christ to fulfil the personal desire of His disciple. This confession is the result of the mercy of God reaching out to man who longs for an experience with God. Even more, it created the occasion to find a place for the rest of the humanity who did not have the direct experience of the Risen Christ. “Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe”. Thomas's confession, “My Lord and my God!” is a multifaceted expression of faith that encapsulates the journey from desire to belief. It underscores the importance of personal desire and determination in seeking divine truth, the magnanimous love of Jesus in addressing individual needs, and the merciful nature of God in reaching out to those who earnestly seek Him. This confession remains a powerful testament to the transformative impact of personal encounters with Jesus in the journey of faith. Let’s reflect: Am I happy in confessing without seeing Jesus that He is “My Lord and my God”?
Jul 1, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 13 in Ordinary Time
Gospel Matthew 8:23-27
“Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat”. This happens in our life. Crises come without warning like a storm over our project and plans. Sometimes it’s so violent that the effects of these crises break right into our life. “But he was asleep”. And we feel that Jesus is asleep. There is no sign of Him in the midst of our crises. So, we try to wake Him up by our repeated prayers and requests. But His question will be, “Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?”. We must not be worried with crises or challenges. Believe that Jesus is with us. Let’s reflect: How much am I convinced about the presence of Jesus in my life?
Jun 30, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 13 in Ordinary Time
Gospel Matthew 8:18-22
In this Gospel passage we see two encounters with Jesus. First we must see the context of these encounters. Great crowds were around Jesus and He decided to go to the other side. Then these two persons come to follow Jesus. In these conversation, Jesus explains two important principles of following Jesus. The follower of Jesus cannot expect any earthly consolation. Even foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. We cannot expect that others understand us, others pamper us, others help us. No, the follower of Jesus Christ will be in a situation where there is no space to lay one’s head. Just hanging between earth and sky in a cross. That is the call of the follower of Christ. The second principle also follows the first. We have to leave the rest of ourselves behind to follow Jesus. We cannot stay around our surroundings and our things. That’s also a sort of staying in our comfort zones. We must be ready to leave the big crowd and go to the other side with Jesus. Let’s reflect: Are we ready to leave our comfort zones to follow Jesus Christ?
Jun 30, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 5:21-43
“Jesus went with him”. This is a verse which we read and just pass by. But do we really recognize what does this mean? This is the absolute statement of God’s love. God came to us. God became man to accompany us, to live with us, to walk with us. So Jesus went with Jairus to heal his little daughter. Jesus could have healed the little daughter without going with him like in the case of the servant of another officer. But here Jesus is going with him. On the way the people wer around him and this woman sufferring from a haemorrhage touched him. She was healed. The faith of this woman heales her. This shows how much Jesus is full of love to heal us. Then Jesus continues his walk to the house of Jairus and faces the news of the death of daughter of Jairus. That father was devastated. He left his daughter in search of Jesus and in his absence his daughter died. The gospel says, “But Jesus had overheard this remark of theirs and he said to the official, ‘Do not be afraid; only have faith.’” This is the love of God. He overhears and acts. This love of God is that which accomapnies us always. Let’s reflect: Do I recognize the love of Jesus who walks with me?
Jun 29, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – Solemnity
Gospel – Matthew 16:13-19
“Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God”. This is the testimony of the Prince of the Apostoles, St. Peter. This speaking up gives us the real testimony about the person of Jesus Christ. This testimony is personal and at the same time, it is the testimony of all Apostles. This is personal because he is answering a personal question of Jesus. ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ The said about the different answers which are prelavent in the society. Then Jesus asked a very personal question, ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ To this Simon Peter made this answer. So this a very personal answer which he felt in his life, in each moment of his life with Jesus. At the same time, it was an answer as the first of the Apostles. This we can understand from the response of Jesus. “Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven”. This is because it was a revelation of the Father to Simon Peter as the first of the Apostles. The revelation by the Father to Simon Peter in a personal experience so that he can be testify the truth everywhere. The trutha that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. Let’s reflect: How much I am devoted to the revelation given to St. Peter?
