Apr 15, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of the 3rd week of Eastertide
Gospel John 6:30-35
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst”. This is Jesus Christ, the second person of Trinity who reveals His identity. He is the bread of life because He gives life. Because He gave His life for us. That is why He is the bread of life. He gave His life to become bread for us so that we will never be hungry. This is the love of God. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ made this miracle possible. God becoming bread for us. In the Cross Jesus gave up everything so that He can become everything for us in resurrection. This is the joy of resurrection. We must approach Him. We must go to Him, and we must believe that He is our bread, He is our life. Let’s reflect: Easter is going to Jesus who is the bread of life.
Apr 14, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of the 3rd week of Eastertide
Gospel John 6:22-29
“Do not work for food that cannot last, but work for food that endures to eternal life, the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you, for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.” Whatever we are doing we must have this phrase of Jesus in our mind. That we must live with the view of eternal life. Whatever we do must have a reference to the eternal life. Otherwise, we will miss the main point. When Jesus said this, they asked him, “What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?”. And Jesus answered them, “This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent”. Believing in Jesus Christ is that we must do. Here we can understand that believing is something active. It’s not static. Believing is dynamic. It must be present always. Our belief in Jesus Christ must define our every action and thought. That is the dynamic faith we must have. Let’s reflect: Easter is having a dynamic faith in Jesus Christ which reshapes all our activities.
Apr 13, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
3rd Sunday of Easter
Gospel - Luke 24:35-48
“‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’” These words of Risen Christ is always so relevant in our lives. Because we are always very much agitated about many things, and we have doubts about many things. Those happening in our life and those happening in the Church and even those happening in the world. And what is most interesting in this episode is that they are talking about the Jesus Risen and He is appearing before them. And when He appears, they get agitated and have doubts. Actually, it must be just contrary. That’s we are! But see how Jesus wants to convince us. He suffered for us. He died for us. He is Risen. He is amid us. Still, He wants to convince us. Let’s grow in faith. Let’s acknowledge His presence and embrace Him. Let’s reflect: Easter is growing above our doubts about the resurrection of Christ.
Apr 13, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
Saint Martin I, Pope, Martyr
Gospel – John 6:16-21
The appearance of Jesus walking on the lake is rich with lot of points to meditate in this Eastertide. The disciples were going alone. They were rowing. But the wind was strong, and the sea was getting rough. Then Jesus appeared to them. The direction from which Jesus appears is very significative. Even though they left Jesus behind and going to a new destination, Jesus is coming from the direction to which they are heading. Along with this, the disciples saw Him walking over a sea which was rough. Then Jesus speaks, “It is I. Do not be afraid”. And as soon as Jesus entered the boat, they reached the destination. This is the love of the Risen Lord. You are rowing alone on a rough sea trying to make to your destination. But Jesus is coming towards you to say to you, “It is I, Do not be afraid”. The moment you recognize Him, you reached your destination. Let’s reflect: Easter is listening to Jesus speaking to us who are rowing on a rough sea, “It is I. Do not be afraid”.
Apr 11, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
St Zeno of Verona
Gospel - John 6:1-15
Today’s reading is about the feeding of the five thousand. Whenever we read this in the Easter time, this miracle has a different flavor. Because we can read this episode with the joy of resurrection. Jesus seeing the crowds approaching him, the first thing is saying to the disciples, “Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?” The disciples saw the impossibilities. Jesus asked the disciples to make the people sit down. There was plenty of grass there. He multiplied the bread. He made everyone satisfied. He wanted that nothing gets wasted. The leftovers were collected. People seeing everything wanted to make him the king. We read, “Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back to the hills by himself.” In Easter, we find the way Jesus conqueror the world. It’s by the death and resurrection and not by the acclamation of the people. The plan of God is different from the plan of man. At the same time, God sees the necessities of man, for example in this case, the need for bread. Let’s reflect: Easter is recognizing the way of God in our salvation.
Apr 10, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Stanislaus, Bishop, Martyr
Thursday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
Gospel – John 3:31-36
“though all who do accept his testimony are attesting the truthfulness of God, since he whom God has sent speaks God’s own words”. God sent the Word of God. In Jesus Christ we can find the truthfulness of God. The truthfulness of God is that Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to him. So, in the Son we can find the eternal life. But if we refuse to believe in the Son, we will not have the possibility of having His life. The Truthfulness of God which is manifested in Jesus Christ becomes a reality in us with our faith in Jesus Christ. In order to be born from heaven we have to accept the one who descended from heaven. So, we participate in the life of Jesus Christ through our faith. And when we participate truly we will understand the love of God the Father for us. Let’s reflect: Easter is understanding the truthfulness of God manifested in the Son.
