Feb 21, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Peter's Chair – Feast
Gospel – Matthew 16:13-19
“Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church”. Today is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. This feast has been celebrated in Rome since at least the fourth century. It signifies the unity of the Church founded upon the Apostles. The unity of the Church is based on the faith which St. Peter professed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. This solid faith is the foundation of the unity in the Church. And this is professed by St. Peter. This profession of faith is the result of an intellectual analysis or an intuition. It comes as the revelation by the Father. The Father revealed this to St. Peter. This is why the Apostles are united in faith around St. Peter. This revelation which is a relationship with the Father is that which makes St. Peter a rock upon which Jesus builds His Church. Let’s reflect: Lent is the time to be united as the Church of Christ in the faith which St. Peter professed.
Feb 20, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of the 1st week of Lent
Saint Peter Damian, Bishop, Doctor
Gospel - Luke 11:29-32
“…there is something greater than Jonah here.” Jesus is referring to the blindness of our eyes and deafness of our ears to the truth of Gospel. The Pharisees were asking for signs even though the greatest sign was present in their midst. The people of Nineveh just repented without asking for signs or without seeing miracles. They just heard the preaching of a stranger in their country, and they repented. Then Queen of the South, just heard about the wisdom of Solomon and came from the ends of the earth. She travelled all the way to hear Solomon. The people of Nineveh heard directly from Jonah and the Queen of the South just heard from someone. But in our case, Jesus is present in our midst. Sometimes we don’t recognize him. We just ignore the Word of God looking for signs or for excuses. We want to see what we want to see. And what God wants that we see. Let’s reflect: Lent is the time to see Jesus Christ present in our midst without looking for signs which we want to see.
Feb 19, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of the 1st week of Lent
Gospel – Matthew 6:7-15
“In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Saying this Jesus taught the prayer, “Our Father”. After teaching the prayer Jesus said, “Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.” So the prayer “Our Father” is in between these two teachings of Jesus. It shows what should be our attitude when we pray “Our Father”. The first is total trust in the Lord which is not expressed in words but expressed in confiding totally in the hands of God our Father who knows what we need before we ask Him. Then the second is our capacity to forgive others who did damage to you, who did harm to you, who did insult you, who hates you. This forgiveness towards others is what our prayer should be based on. So, complete trust in the Father and complete peace with others. Let’s reflect: Lent is the time to grow in the trust upon God our Father and in peace with others.
Feb 18, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of the 1st week of Lent
Gospel – Matthew 25:31-46
““I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.” This is the greatest gift we have received from Jesus. The great revelation from the incarnation of the second person of the Holy Trinity. We know how we can really serve God. How we can truly serve Jesus. That is by serving one of the least of the brothers around me. That is by serving the one in need. And it also makes us understand that whenever I am not serving one who is in need, I am ignoring Jesus. In other words, Jesus is present in anyone in need. Anything we do to the one in need is done to Jesus. Anything we are not doing to the one in need, is ignoring Jesus present in that person. This is what we must learn and practice. To see the face of Jesus in a person who is in need and reach out to that person. Also it’s important to note one more thing in this passage. All these persons who are in need are not asking for help. The one who helps, recognizes the need and go to them. Recognizing the need and going to them and sharing what you have is that makes the difference. Let’s reflect: Lent is the time to recognize the needs of others and to share what we have with them.
Feb 17, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
1st Sunday of Lent
Gospel – Mark 1:12-15
“The Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness, and he remained there for forty days, and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and the angels looked after him”. Jesus was led into the wilderness and there he remained for forty days. This is very significant and symbolic. The wilderness in the bible is a place of encounter with God. The People of God was accompanied by God in the wilderness and encountered God in the wilderness. They were in the desert for forty years. In those years, they were constantly tempted to betray the true God and they betrayed. The result of betrayal was destruction of themselves. In the Gospel, in the person of Jesus Christ, the new Israel is writing the New Testament. In the wilderness Jesus was in profound communion with God and he overcame the temptations as a man. In Jesus, the redemption is there. We are called to follow Jesus. In the desert, He was with wild beasts, but the angels looked after Him. This shows the assistance of grace in our life. In the wilderness of our spiritual journey, we will be with wild beasts but angels will take care of us. Let’s reflect: Lent is the time to be in communion with God to over temptations in life.
Feb 16, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Gospel – Luke 5:27-32
“Jesus said to them in reply, ‘It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.’ This is a very core of Jesus’ message of love, mercy, and redemption. His mission is to be with everyone who is in need especially who are aware of their own failings and in need of God’s grace. And He wants to be with those who are in need because He wants to take care of them. He wants to lead them to their own renewal. He wants them to repent and find the presence of God in them. God’s love is open to all, and it calls to repent and to transform. The word of Jesus emphasizes the importance of compassion over condemnation and seeks to restore each person to a right relationship with God. The call to repentance is fundamentally about turning towards God, recognizing His presence and sovereignty in our lives. Let’s reflect: Lent is recognizing the presence of Jesus in our life which invites us to repent.
