Jan 28, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 4 in Ordinary Time
Gospel - Mark 5:1-20
Jesus is saving this man in the country of Gerasenes from an unclean spirit. This episode is a great mediation for understanding what happen when we are under the possession of unclean spirit, when our mind and heart is not filled the Holy Spirit. This man lived among the tombs – always negative behaviour; no one could secure him – not listen to anyone and does whatever he wants; he broke the chains and fetters – breaking always the rules and norms; he would howl and gash himself with stones – lack of self-esteem and subsequent self-torture. These are signs of the presence of the unclean spirit in that man and these are signs of the absence of the Holy Spirit in us. In this episode we can also see what happens to a person who is filled with unclean spirit. It will happen the same thing what happened to the pigs – rushed down the cliff into the lake. In other words, self-destruction. The unclean spirit or selfishness brings destruction. Let’s reflect: Recognize the absence of the Holy Spirit in our life and welcome Jesus into our life.
Jan 27, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel - Mark 1:21-28
“And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority”. Jesus has authority because He is God. The authority of Jesus is His love for us. He wants to save us. He loves us. That is His authority. He wants to get the unclean spirit out of us. He saves us. It’s important to note that the people are speaking about his teaching. His teaching is His mission. His mission of saving the man from the unclean spirit is His teaching. The teaching of Jesus is not different His action of saving. He saves by making each one of us His own. We belong to Him. The unclean spirit leaves the man because it understood that the man belongs to Jesus Christ. This is what happens with the word of Jesus. We belong to Jesus and when we submit ourselves to His Word, every evil in us disappears. Let’s reflect: When we submit ourselves to the authority of Jesus, we will be cleaned off by His word.
Jan 26, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of week 3 in Ordinary Time
Saint Angela Merici, Virgin
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Gospel – Mark 4:35-41
“Master, do you not care? We are going down!” This is a question we often ask with recognizing the power of the presence of Jesus in our boat. We see more the waves, the problems, the questions. Not the power of Jesus. With the sound and appearance of the waves, the silent presence of Jesus is forgotten. We see the magnitude of the problems in our life which makes lots of noise and commotion which often frightens us. In this fear, we forget the silent presence of Jesus in our life. The clamour of the problems shuts our hearts to the sweet presence of Jesus in our life. The question here is, ‘to what you give importance, to the fears caused by the screams or to the faith caused by the recognition of Jesus in our boat’? This is what Jesus is also saying to the disciples, “Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?”. Let’s reflect. Faith overcomes the clamours of fears with the certainty of the presence of Jesus in our life.
Jan 25, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops
Friday of week 3 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Luke 10:1-9
“Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals”. In the missionary journey there is no need of any physical necessities. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals, so what is there to carry? There is nothing to carry but the faith in the Lord who is assisting us. This statement is always undermined. The missionary spirit rests in completely giving up everything and in completely depending on providence for everything. This is what is important. Completely giving up and completely depending on. This is where we often make conditions for our missionary activities. We are not ready to completely give up and we are not ready to completely depend on the providence of God. But that is where the Grace of God works. But that seems not realistic, but our work is not in the realm of realistic but it’s in the divine realm. Let’s reflect: The more you can give up your earthly assurances, the more you can be sure of divine assistance in your mission of evangelization.
Jan 24, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
The Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Gospel - Mark 16:15-18
“Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation”. Today we are celebrating the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. This feast is a great feast of hope for each one of us. That it’s possible for us to convert cooperating to the grace of God which comes in different ways in our life. This conversion is vital to follow what Jesus commands. We need this conversion to go out to the whole world. We need this conversion to go out of ourselves to the whole world around. We need this conversion to proclaim the Good News. We need this conversion to proclaim the Good News and not the news which we like to proclaim. To have this conversion we must respond to the grace which comes to our life with the question, “What am I to do, Lord?”. Let’s reflect: We must convert by responding to the grace of God so that we can go out of ourselves to preach the Good News.
Jan 23, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop, Doctor
Gospel - John 15:9-17
“A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends”. Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis de Sales who said, “whoever wants to preach effectively must preach with love”. If St. Francis said this about preaching, it is true about every act in our life. Everything done with love is more effective. This is because when we do it with love, we are following the commandment of Jesus. And when we are following the commandment of Jesus, we are remaining in His love. When we remain in His love, it’s His power that’s acting. We become instrument of His love and that is why an act with love is more effective. And whether we are doing an act with love, can be tested by the fact that how much love we are putting in that act. From small amounts of love to total love where you give your life itself for the other. We always have the option how much to love. Let’s reflect: When we do anything with love for the other, we become instruments of God’s love.
