Apr 6, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
5th Sunday of Lent
Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 125 (126); Philippians 3:8-14
St. Paul is ready to give up everything to know Jesus Christ: “For him I have accepted the loss of everything, and I look on everything as so much rubbish if only I can have Christ and be given a place in him… All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and to share his sufferings by reproducing the pattern of his death.” This Lenten confession strikes at the heart of the Christian journey. It is not merely about giving things up, but about gaining the One who gives life. Paul’s words invite us to re-evaluate our attachments, our ambitions, even our sense of self, in light of the surpassing worth of Christ. To know Him—crucified and risen—is to discover a love that transforms, a purpose that endures, and a hope that never fades. It’s a profound encounter with the person of Christ. Encounter with one who delivers us from the bondages. He is the one who is making a road in the wilderness, so that I can walk in the midst of my troubles. He is the one who is putting water in the wilderness so that I can drink when I am tried in my journey. Let’s reflect: Lent is to know Christ and what He had done in my life.
Don Giorgio
Apr 5, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of the 4th week of Lent
First reading Jeremiah 11:18-20
On this Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent, the words of the Prophet Jeremiah stir within us a deeper awareness of the spiritual battle we face. Evil does not always come in obvious forms—it often lurks in the shadows, seeking to destroy what is good, holy, and true within us. Yet, like Jeremiah, we are not left defenseless. The Lord, through His word, opens our eyes to the hidden plots of these destructive forces. Lent is the season when we renew our commitment to the cause of the Lord, allowing His truth to expose the lies we have believed, the habits we must surrender, and the distractions that pull us away from Him. In this sacred time, we are called not only to recognize the presence of evil but also to stand firm in the light of God's will, trusting that He who sees all will guard our hearts and vindicate our faithfulness. Let’s reflect: Lent is confirming ourselves to the cause of Lord as He opened my eyes to evil plots in my life.
Don Giorgio
Apr 4, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of the 4th week of Lent
First reading Wisdom 2:1,12-22
On this Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent, the reading from the Book of Wisdom exposes the inner logic of the godless—their cynical view of life, their rejection of the afterlife, and their deep resentment toward the righteous. The virtuous man, by simply living with integrity and proclaiming his trust in God, becomes an unwelcome reminder of a truth they wish to ignore. His very presence is a rebuke, and so they plot his downfall, thinking to silence what disturbs their conscience. Yet their plan is rooted in blindness, for they cannot perceive the hidden wisdom of God or the enduring promise prepared for those who remain faithful. Lent invites us to recognize this same spiritual battle in our own time—between a world often indifferent or hostile to faith and those who quietly witness to God’s truth. This Lent is our moment to choose the path of the just, to stand firm in hope even when misunderstood or rejected, and to let the Cross of Christ—once a symbol of shame—be our source of strength and final victory. Let’s reflect: Lent is to overcome the challenges of the godless by riaffirming the faith in the love of God.
Don Giorgio
Apr 2, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of the 4th week of Lent
First reading Exodus 32:7-14
By today’s reading we are invited to pause and look honestly at the state of our hearts. The reading from Exodus reminds us how easily the human heart strays, seeking security or satisfaction in what is tangible, controllable, or familiar—golden calves of our own making. This temptation is not foreign to us. These idols may be subtle: success, comfort, self-image, or even certain relationships. We are prone to shaping false gods that suit our desires: the idol of success that demands constant performance, the idol of control that fears surrender, the idol of pleasure that numbs our spiritual hunger, or the idol of self that resists any form of conversion. These idols are not merely external distractions—they dwell deep within us, subtly taking God’s place in our priorities, affections, and decisions. Lent is a grace-filled opportunity to name these idols with humility and courage, to recognize how they have distorted our vision and hardened our hearts. Lent invites us to name these false gods, to recognize where we have traded truth for illusion, and to let them go. In doing so, we make space again for the God who does not abandon His people, who calls us back not to punish but to restore. Lent is restoring God’s place in our life by removing the idols we created in our heart.
Don Giorgio
Apr 1, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of the 4th week of Lent
First reading Isaiah 49:8-15
On this Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, the words of Isaiah echo with tender power: “I will never forget you.” As we journey through Lent, we are invited to fix our eyes on the future promised by God—a future not marked by uncertainty, but by the “favourable time,” the “day of salvation.” This day is not distant or abstract; it is made visible and real in the Cross of Christ. In Jesus’ self-giving love, we see the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy—a God who remembers us even when we forget Him, who binds Himself to us with an unbreakable promise of mercy. The Cross is not simply a symbol of suffering, but the definitive revelation of divine love—a love so deep, so enduring, that God declares, “I will never forget you.” Lent, then, becomes our time to embrace this love anew, to return to the heart of God who, in the suffering and resurrection of Jesus, says to each of us: “You are not forgotten. You are mine”. Lent calls us to receive that love with open hearts, to trust that even in our brokenness, we are not forgotten but eternally held in the compassionate gaze of the Father. Lent is believing that I will never be forgotten by God.
Don Giorgio
Mar 31, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of the 4th week of Lent
First reading Ezekiel 47:1-9,12
The reading from Ezekiel 47 on this Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent presents a striking image of the mercy of God flowing like a river from the Temple—gentle at first, then deep and strong, bringing life wherever it goes. This living water is a symbol of God’s grace that never runs dry, a mercy that seeks not only to cleanse but to renew and transform. As we journey through Lent, we are invited to step into this river, to open the dry and hardened places of our hearts to its healing flow. Lent is a sacred season of encounter—where God's mercy meets our weakness and bears fruit. Like the trees growing along the riverbanks in the prophet’s vision, whose leaves never wither and whose fruit is plentiful, we too can become sources of nourishment, consolation, and love for others when we are rooted in God’s mercy. Every prayer offered, every sin confessed, every act of charity becomes a channel through which this divine water flows through us and beyond us. The more we allow this mercy to penetrate our lives, the more we will find ourselves transformed into instruments of peace, agents of compassion, and signs of hope in a thirsty world. Let’s reflect: Lent is opening up of our heart to the boundless mercy of God.
Don Giorgio
