Apr 21, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of the 4th week of Eastertide
Gospel John 10:1-10
“I am the gate of the sheepfold”. Yesterday we celebrated the Sunday of the Good Shepherd where we meditated about Jesus being the Good Shepherd. But in this passage, we are finding out another identity of this Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is not only a Shepherd but, in the sheepfold, He is the gate. When all the sheep return to the sheepfold, the Shepherd is not going to get rest as He was travelling with the sheep all day, but He becomes the gate of the sheepfold. This shows how much this Shepherd is connected to His sheep. Practically His life is a life with the sheep. In the sheepfold, He is the gate. He protects the sheep; He protects each one of us from being attacked by the thieves and brigands. He is the Shepherd in the field, and He is the gate in the sheepfold because the sheep belong to Him. There is a personal relationship between the sheep and the Shepherd. There is this personal relationship between Jesus and us. Let’s reflect: Easter is living the personal relationship between Jesus and me.
Apr 20, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
4th Sunday of Easter
Gospel – John 10:11-18
Good Shepherd Sunday
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
The image of Good Shepherd comes from this passage when Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep”. This passage is so beautiful when our relationship with Jesus Christ is explained in a personal relationship with Good Shepherd. A Shepherd who knows me and who is ready to lay down His life for me. Jesus loves me as I am as He knows me. He loves me as a shepherd. The shepherd has a protective love. A protective love which protects me from all my enemies. The love of the Shepherd is special because when the shepherd knows when a sheep is weak, he gives special attention. A shepherd is not judgemental. He loves the sheep as they are. The love of this shepherd is identified with his voice. His words, His voice, is the assurance of His presence. That is Jesus, the good Shepherd. A love which even the death can’t stop. A love which continues forever with Resurrection. Nothing can stop the love of this good Shepherd. Let’s reflect: Easter is recognizing the voice of Jesus, the good shepherd.
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/vocations/documents/20240421-messaggio-61-gm-vocazioni.html
Apr 19, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of the 3rd week of Eastertide
Gospel – John 6:60-69
“It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life”. This statement of Jesus made a great reaction among his disciples. According to the Gospel, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him. What is the reason? The reason is that Jesus said that the flesh has nothing to offer. Many of the disciples of Jesus who were following Him, wanted to see the victory of the flesh. The victory of one of the powers of this world gaining power over the rest. But the victory which Jesus speaks is completely different. This is the victory of the spirit. The victory of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Love. The victory of the flesh is power and strength, it’s about domination and muscle, it’s about command and authority. But the Spirit is about humility and service, it’s about selflessness and meekness, it’s about life and love. Jesus is the source of that. That is what Simon Peter is confessing, “Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.” Easter is recognizing Jesus as the source of Holy Spirit who is the source of life.
Apr 18, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of the 3rd week of Eastertide
Gospel John 6:52-59
“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” This is a very natural question. But the answer of Jesus is this: “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink”. How can we understand this question and this answer? The solution to this dilemma is the resurrection. Resurrection is the reality that resolves the dilemma. Jesus Risen is the bread of life. The flesh of Jesus tortured and crucified and dead is Risen. That is the body of the Risen Christ. This suffering is for us, for our salvation. He shed each drop of blood from His flesh for us. This same body is Risen. This same body has conquered the death. This body is powerful than the death and it became life. It became bread as wished by Jesus Christ himself. In resurrection Jesus Christ becomes the bread of life. In resurrection His flesh becomes real food because in His death on the cross each cell of His body became the reparation of our sins. In resurrection His blood becomes real drink for the same reason. His life is our life. He becomes the bread of life. Let’s reflect: Easter is understanding the process of Jesus Christ becoming the bread of life.
Apr 17, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of the 3rd week of Eastertide
Gospel – John 6:44-51
“No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me…” This is the key to our relationship with Jesus Christ. We must understand our sonship. We are sons and daughter of God the Father. We must understand the Fatherhood of God the Father. Unless we understand the love of God the Father, we cannot come into a relationship with Jesus Christ, the only son of that Father. The filial relationship with God the Father is that keeps us close to Jesus. “They will all be taught by God, and to hear the teaching of the Father, and learn from it, is to come to me”. So, when we are close to the Father, we go to the Son to see the face of the Father. Because no one has seen the Father except the Son. So in Son, we see the face of the Father. Let’s reflect: Easter is seeing the face of God the Father in Jesus Risen.
Apr 16, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of the 3rd week of Eastertide
Gospel – John 6:35-40
“Yes, it is my Father’s will that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and that I shall raise him up on the last day”. The logic of the plan of the redemption for us according to the Will of the Father who is our creator is this: to be part of the life of Jesus Christ the only Son of the Father. Jesus in His words is explicitly saying this. He incarnated himself not to do His own will but to do the will of the Father who sent Him. And what is the will of the Father? The will of the Father is that the Son must not lose anyone whom the Father has given to him. The love of God the Father is so inclusive that He does not want to lose anyone. It’s up to us whether we believe in Him or not. If we believe, we will have a different life. A life in Christ! A life with the life of Christ. That is totally different. The difference lies in the fact that in the life with Christ there is an eternal aspect in everything we do. Let’s reflect: Easter is the life of Christ lived in everyday life.
