Apr 27, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
5th Sunday of Easter
Gospel John 15:1-8
“I am the vine, you are the branches”. In this chapter of St. John, Jesus teaches us the relationship between Him and each one of us. And also the relationship between each one of us to the Father. We are the branches of Jesus the vine. Each one of us is totally dependent on the vine as each one of us is a branch of Him. The branches live because they get the sap from the vine. The life of Christ we get from Him is the sap for our life, when we are united to Him. Jesus in His resurrection became the true vine for all of us. If we are united to Him we can produce plenty of fruits. If not, we are useless in the sense of producing fruits which Jesus wishes. The fruits of which the branches of the Jesus, the true vine, are the acts of love and charity towards others. If we are not united to Christ, we cannot be the continuation of the action of Christ. We will do things but it will not be the continuation of the actions of Christ. Only with the actions of Christ, we can be glory to God the Father. This is what Jesus says, “It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples”. Let’s reflect: Easter is being united to Jesus Christ, the true vine.
Apr 26, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of the 4th week of Eastertide
Gospel John 14:7-14
“The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work”. The relationship between the Son and the Father is very important to understand the Resurrection. Because as Jesus says, it’s the “Father, living in me, who is doing this work”. Resurrection happens because, Jesus is God, He is the second person of the Holy Trinity. And the Father is in Him. “‘To have seen me is to have seen the Father, so how can you say, “Let us see the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” This is why our faith in Jesus Christ is very important. We believe in Jesus Christ, so that we are connected to the Father through Him. And this connection to God the Father happens in our belief in Jesus Christ. The more we can enter into a interpersonal relationship with Jesus Christ, the more we become part of His life. And we can do the works of Jesus Christ, to be the testimony of God the Father. Let’s reflect: Easter is understanding that Jesus Christ is in the Father and the Father is in Jesus Christ.
Apr 26, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of the 4th week of Eastertide
Gospel John 14:1-6
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me… I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”. This is one of most comforting words of Jesus. Because our hearts are troubled when we don’t know the way. Because our hearts are troubled when we don’t know the truth. Because our hearts are troubled when we know when we don’t feel like living. In all these moments, troublesome and dark, with lots of questions and doubts the affirmation of Jesus comes with a definite answer: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”. If we listen to Him, we will know that Jesus is the Way to walk. We follow Him. He is the light. Just follow His footsteps. When we let Him interfere in our life, we will know that He is the Truth. He is the Truth of our faith. The True face of God the Father. When we let Him take complete control of our life, we will feel that His life is our life. This is our life united with Him in the Church and in the sacraments. Let’s reflect: Easter is letting Jesus be the Way, the Truth and the Life of my life.
Apr 24, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Mark, Evangelist – Feast
Gospel Mark 16:15-20
“Jesus showed himself to the Eleven and said to them: ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation’”. Today we are celebrating the Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist. There is an intrinsic connection between being a disciple and being a missionary. There is an intrinsic connection between the Risen Christ and the fact of being sent. The experience of Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the vocation to be the witness, the testimony of the Risen Lord. That is what we can read in the Word of God today. Jesus showed himself to the Apostles and said, “Go out to the whole world” and “proclaim the Good News to all creation”. So, this going out to the whole world and the proclamation of the Good News to all creation spring from the witnessing of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you witness the Risen Lord, it’s for being a testimony of that experience to the whole world. Because the Good News to all creation is the resurrection of Jesus Christ who won His victory over death. So, Jesus the Second Person of the Holy Trinity became man and defeated the enemy of the humanity, the death. And everyone is invited to be part of this life of Jesus Risen. This is the Good News. Let’s reflect: Easter is proclaiming of the Good News after encountering the Risen Christ.
Apr 23, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of the 4th week of Eastertide
Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest, Martyr
Gospel John 12:44-50
“I, the light, have come into the world, so that whoever believes in me need not stay in the dark any more”. This is so clear a message from Jesus Christ who came to save us. He is the light. He came to the world so that anyone who believes in Him needs not stay in the darkness. We must recognize this truth of Jesus Christ that He is the light. This comes from the fact that we see in Jesus Christ the face of the Father. “Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me, sees the one who sent me”. In Jesus we may forget to see the face of the Father, we fail to believe Him as God. Then we cannot embrace Him as the light. This seeing of the face of the Father in Jesus Christ happens when we listen to the Words of Jesus as the Words which will give eternal life. So the Word of God is the eyeopener to see Jesus Christ as the light which saves us from the darkness. Let’s reflect: Easter is seeing Jesus Christ as the light which keeps me away from darkness.
Apr 22, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of the 4th week of Eastertide
Saint George, Martyr
Gospel – John 10:22-30
“The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me. The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone, and no one can steal from the Father. The Father and I are one”. In this passage we can find the whole dynamics of our relationship with God. Jesus became the Good Shepherd so that He can lead us to His Father. To be with the Father is the desire of Son. God the Father has given each one of us to Jesus, so the Jesus the Good Shepherd leads each one of us to the Father. When we understand the Jesus is the Good Shepherd, we will listen to His voice. And then we will follow Him. And He will give us eternal life and we will never be lost. Because we receive the life of the Good Shepherd and in His life we get the Eternal life and we will never be lost or no one can steal us from Him. This bond of relationship is what we have in our relationship with the Good Shepherd. And this dynamism begins from the unity between the Father and the Son. The will of Father to save us coincides with the will of the Son to give His life to save us. Let’s reflect: Easter is recognizing the voice of the Good Shepherd and following Him.
