Jan 17, 2023 | POSITIVE IMPULSES
When we are afraid to face a situation, we also want others to participate in that fear. Then all our perceptions about that situation are interpreted by this fear and our explanations are conditioned by this fear. It’s here we must understand our fear to overcome it. It’s natural to have fears. But it’s important that don’t let your fears take control of you. Find out the fears and verify whether you are controlling the fear, or the fear is controlling you. Have the courage to control your own fear.
Don Giorgio
Jan 16, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Antony, Abbot
Tuesday of week 2 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Hebrews 6:10-20
We “should have a strong encouragement to take a firm grip on the hope that is held out to us. Here we have an anchor for our soul, as sure as it is firm”. The anchor for our soul is the promise of God that He will bless us always. “I will shower blessings on you and give you many descendants”. The promise of God is irrevocable because it is the Word of God. It cannot be altered. That is our strong encouragement. That is our strong hope. That God will shower blessings on us always. Upon this hope we must build our relationship with God. “Our one desire is that every one of you should go on showing the same earnestness to the end, to the perfect fulfilment of our hopes, never growing careless, but imitating those who have the faith and the perseverance to inherit the promises”. So, we must have earnestness to the end in the abovesaid hope. Not hope in anything else but in the promise of God. Then we must not grow careless or easy going. It should be like the anchor, always held tight and firm. There we need the help. The help is in imitating those who have the faith and perseverance. Imitation of saints. Let’s reflect: Are we anchoring our hope earnestly in the promise of God without growing careless?
Jan 16, 2023 | POSITIVE IMPULSES
“You don’t understand”, this is a key phrase we hear from people who wants to put us down, especially when they repeat it. This is a phrase of attack. Never say this. But in case you must say this, think 100 times before. Because it can be that I did not explain something well and that is why the other party did not understand. Then when someone is saying this to you, “You don’t understand”, don’t defend yourself. Because often this phrase is a sign of desperation and impatience. Don’t doubt your capacity of understanding or yourself. Be calm and understand the intention of the person. Then you will see the whole picture. So, whenever you hear this phrase, “You don’t understand”, it is not that you must understand what he or she says, but that you must understand the person who says that.
Don Giorgio
Jan 15, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 2 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Hebrews 5:1-10
The author of the letter is speaking about the liberation of the priesthood from tribe descendance and becomes a vocation. So, no one takes this honor on himself, but each one is called by God. Not only that the priesthood is a call but also, it’s a life to be lived according to the call. The life of Jesus is the best example. Jesus lived his priesthood to the perfection through suffering in obedience. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering. And thus, Jesus became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation. There comes the relevance of following Jesus Christ. In Jesus, our suffering gets a meaning, our obedience gets a meaning, our existence gets a meaning. In Jesus we are liberated and in Jesus our obedience through suffering gets a meaning. Our obedience through suffering becomes a sacrifice. Becomes an act of a high priest in Jesus Christ. Let’s reflect: Are we united with Jesus Christ in our obedience through suffering?
Jan 14, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
First reading – Isaiah 49:3,5-6
“It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth”. From being servant to being the light. This is the transformation we are speaking about. From being servants to being sons and daughters. This is not what we make of ourselves. This is what the Lord does. He who formed you in the womb of your mother, He is the one who is going to do this transformation in me. We must recognize our call and our vocation for this. That is why the Prophet Isaiah is saying: “I am honoured in the eyes of the Lord, my God is my strength”. The God becomes the strength of our life, we move from being servant to being light, from being servants to being sons and daughters. Often, we don’t recognize this potentiality in us. We remain just as servants. We never become light. We live in darkness and those around us also in the same darkness. But our call is to become light, light of the nations. This also has a specific purpose: we become light so that we can bring the love of God to the ends of the earth. Let’s reflect: Do we want to move from being servant to being light by making God our strength?
