Jan 17, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Antony, Abbot
Wednesday of week 2 in Ordinary Time
Gospel - Matthew 19:16-26
“But when the young man heard these words, he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth”. Today we are celebrating the feast of St. Antony, the originator of the monastic life. Born in Egypt, he listened to the words of the Gospel and gave all his belongings to the poor. He went to the wilderness and began a life of penitence, living in absolute poverty, praying, meditating, and living by manual work. Why he sold everything and went to the desert? Because he understood the words of Jesus we read in the Gospel of today. ‘If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ Giving up everything one has makes the disposition to welcome Jesus into his or her life The young man went away sad because he cannot think about something bigger than his wealth. More than that, he lacks faith because the greatest challenge in selling everything we have is our thought about after the sales. When I have nothing, how do I live? This fear can be overcome only in the total faith in the Lord. Because what we can gain from selling everything, we have will enable us to enter into a relationship with Jesus. This relationship relativizes everything. Let’s reflect: The faith in Jesus must help us to overcome our fear in selling everything to follow Him.
Jan 15, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 2 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 2:23-28
“One sabbath day, Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples began to pick ears of corn as they went along”. The Pharisees are seeing Jesus but seeing the disciples’ picking ears of corn. Here we can see how the presence of Jesus is affecting two groups of people. The presence of Jesus is opening the mind of the disciples to understand the true meaning of Sabbath. That is to be with the Lord. At the same time, the presence of Jesus is making the Pharisees to close themselves to the light of Sabbath. They are closing themselves in their own interpretations and also wants to close others in it. And Jesus pronounces these words of liberation: ‘The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath’. Any relationship with God is a relationship that liberates man and woman as sons and daughters of God. Let’s reflect: The relationship with God must open our hearts to see the light of the Word of God.
Jan 14, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 2 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 2:18-22
“‘Why is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’”. We are surrounded by comparisons in our life. The Pharisees are comparing the disciples of John and the disciples of Jesus. But the world of Jesus is without comparison. Because there is nothing to compare with the presence of Jesus. His presence is unique. His presence cannot be compared to anything. If we are trying to compare the presence of Jesus with anything, it will be like putting the new wine into old wineskins. The wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins too. In order to welcome the presence of Jesus in our life, we need to have new paradigms and approaches. Because the presence of Jesus is unparalleled and so unique. Our old concepts and ideas need to to be substituted with the new ones. The new one which thinks according to the Gospel. Let’s reflect: The presence of Jesus requires new paradigm to acknowledge Him.
Jan 13, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Hilary, Bishop, Doctor
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Gospel – Mark 2:13-17
Our attention to the first part of this gospel we see how God interact with us. “Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them”. Jesus went out to the shore of the lake. Jesus goes out to the lake. Then all the people came to him. Then he taught them. Then the second part: Jesus seeing Levi sitting by the customs house. Jesus went to him and talked to him. “he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him”. Jesus said that and Levi got up and followed him. We see Jesus going out to the lake and Jesus going up to Levi. Jesus always comes to us and guides us. The people listened. Levi followed Him. We are also called to listen to Jesus and to follow Him. Let’s reflect: Jesus always takes the initiative to come to me.
Jan 13, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel – John 1:35-42“As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God.’ Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus”. In these verses we can see the real mission of John the Baptist. He was called to be the forerunner of the Messiah. And John is doing exactly that. He is indicating his disciples who is Messiah, who is the Lamb of God. And the disciples, as soon as they heard it, they immediately followed Jesus. They left their teacher. John the Baptist was ready to be an instrument of the plan of God. He was ready to cease to exist once his role is done. And the disciples were ready to follow Jesus immediately. This is discipleship. Being an instrument of the plan of God and not to search for its glory but to withdraw when the mission is done. The other characteristic which is evident in today’s gospel is the readiness to follow Jesus. Immediately when you know that who is Jesus, leave everything behind and follow him. Whatever project on which we are working, whatever ideas we have, the moment we recognize who is Jesus, we must renounce everything behind and follow Him. Let’s reflect: To follow Jesus, I must recognize Him by listening to the Word of the Church and then I must leave everything behind to follow Him.
Jan 11, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 1 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 2:1-12
“Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven”. There are so many details in this gospel passage to meditate. But on this verse, we concentrate. The first thought goes to the Word of God which says, “Seeing their faith”. Jesus is seeing not only the paralytic man, but also, He is also seeing the faith of the persons who are lowering the paralytic man. Others are not seeing them, but Jesus is seeing. Jesus is seeing their faith though others are not seeing them. So, when we do something for others because of our faith in Jesus, He sees it. Then the second thought is about how Jesus is addressing the paralytic man, “My child”. Jesus is addressing his with the love of the Father. Jesus is considering him as His child. Again, then whom was they carrying? They were carrying to Jesus, a person whom Jesus considers as son. In faith we see all things in a different way. In faith, we understand Jesus. Nothing can stop us. We move towards Jesus because we are carrying someone important for Jesus, we are doing something important for Jesus. Let’s reflect: Our faith must motivate us to do all things as an act focused on Jesus.
