Jan 24, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
The Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
First reading – Acts 22:3-16
“The light had been so dazzling that I was blind, and my companions had to take me by the hand; and so I came to Damascus.” This is what St. Paul is saying about his first encounter with Jesus Christ. The light which made Paul completely blind. Everything Paul thought and seen until that moment is gone. He is going to see everything in a new way. Until now he was guided by his studies and his strict observances of the law. But that all became darkness by this dazzling light. The dazzling light of the encounter with Jesus Christ. It is not anymore, the law that is guiding him but the person of Jesus Christ. From the top of the horse to the ground by the bright light. From the top of his convictions to the reality of incarnation of Jesus. Everything becomes new in Jesus. The effect of the dazzling light brings the light of Jesus Christ to the life of Paul. And he accepted it totally. When the light of Christ comes to our life, we must start seeing things in our life in a different way. We will be thinking of freedom and liberation. Let’s reflect: how far we let the light of Christ change our way of seeing things in our life?
Jan 23, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop, Doctor
on Tuesday of week 3 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Hebrews 10:1-10
The Law is just a signpost indicating the way of the Lord. It does have the capacity to save us. That is what the author of the Letter to Hebrews is saying, “Since the Law has no more than a reflection of these realities, and no finished picture of them, it is quite incapable of bringing the worshippers to perfection, with the same sacrifices repeatedly offered year after year”. So in Jesus Christ, the law is substituted by His person, by Himself. He wants to share His life so that we are not anymore subject to the law which cannot save us but to His love which can save us. “He is abolishing the first sort to replace it with the second. And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.” Law suggests for external observance and Love suggests for internal adherence. Jesus Christ offers Himself so that each of us can be united to His body. “You who wanted no sacrifice or oblation, prepared a body for me.” We become his members and we are saved. We are saved in Him. This interior unity with Jesus Christ is that which makes the difference. Let’s reflect: How far I am united to the body of Christ?
Jan 22, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 3 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Hebrews 9:15,24-28
“Since men only die once, and after that comes judgement, so Christ, too, offers himself only once to take the faults of many on himself, and when he appears a second time, it will not be to deal with sin but to reward with salvation those who are waiting for him.” The author clearly speaks about the redemption offered to us by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ offered himself in the cross to cancel our sins. “…his death took place to cancel the sins that infringed the earlier covenant.” When humanity disobeyed God, our relationship with our Creator got altered by our wrong choice. Jesus Christ by His sacrifice he redeemed us once and for all. His choice corrected all our wrong choices. Now in Him, we make the right choices. We follow Him to relate ourselves with God. The redemption which we got is not to be found in a man-made sanctuary but in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the sacrifice which is eternal. By His sacrifice, for us each moment is a moment of redemption in so far as we relate ourselves to Jesus Christ. Let’s reflect: am I making this moment, a redemptive moment by my relation to Jesus Christ?
Jan 21, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday of the Word of God
First reading – Isaiah 8:23-9:3
“The people that walked in darkness has seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shone”. That is the Word of God incarnated. The Word in the beginning created Light. The same Word by incarnation becomes light to all those in the darkness and all those live in a land of deep shadow. The Word of God has brought the light of grace, the light of forgiveness, the light of being sons and daughters of God to us. The Word of God becomes the light where we walk. Wherever we are, the light accompanies us. Nothing can make shadow over me. No obstacles, no problems, no hurdles can cause shadow for me. Because irrespective of the circumstances and situations, there is light. Only one condition, we must open our eyes. If we close our eyes and say that we don’t see light. No one can help us. When we let the light of the Word of God come to our life, our gladness greater and make our joy increase. Even in small things we will joy and gladness. Moreover, the Word of God will break the yoke that is weighing on us, yoke of our pride, our ego, our jealousy. Let’s reflect: Are my eyes open to see the light of the Word of God?
Jan 20, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Agnes, Virgin, Martyr
on Saturday of week 2 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Hebrews 9:2-3,11-14
In Jesus Christ, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies become one. He is the perfect space where the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies meet. He offered the perfect sacrifice. And why He did that? He did that for us, for each one of us. He offered himself as a perfect sacrifice to God through the eternal Spirit which can purify our inner self from dead action so that we do our service to the living God. Here we understand the importance of His sacrifice. It’s not with the blood of goats and bull calves, but with his own blood He won an eternal redemption for us. Since it’s His own blood, and as He assumed our nature, it is not anymore, a purification of our outward lives, but it’s the purification of our inner lives, a purification in our inner self from dead actions, actions which spread darkness. This purification enables us to do our service to the living God, a service which lights up the live of others. When you are sitting before Jesus in the tabernacle, this purification realizes itself, when you are participating in the Holy Eucharist, this purification becomes a reality. Let’s reflect: The blood of Jesus Christ makes a purification of our inner self as He participated in our nature through His incarnation.
