Apr 20, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
Saint Anselm of Canterbury, Bishop, Doctor
First reading – Acts 5:34-42
“glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name”. This is the point of real witness. The point of real following of Christ. When suffering humiliation for the sake of the name of Jesus becomes an honour, everything changes in our life. Suffering humiliation because we are obliged is one thing. Suffering humiliation because we have no choice is one thing. Suffering humiliation because we have certain advantages is one thing. Suffering humiliation because it’s joyful to have the honour of suffering humiliation is totally another dimension. There is the joy of heart or gladness of heart and then there is the honour of mind or intellect. And both because of the humiliation for the sake of his name, not for some mistakes, not for some defects, not for some shortcomings, but because of his name. Let’s reflect: Do I consider suffering humiliation for the sake of name of Jesus Christ as both gladness and honour?
Apr 20, 2023 | NEWS
A very peculiar tradition in Cochem is
is Knipp Monday – a holiday for every Cochem resident.
Once a year, one week after Easter Monday, all the eggs and other goodies left over from Easter are packed into a backpack along with a picnic blanket and off they go to a meadow slope behind the Reichsburg. There one makes oneself comfortable on the meadow, meets young and old and it is eaten in sociable being together, drunk, laughed and played music.
According to legend, on this day over 300 years ago, a young castle servant and his sweetheart wanted to meet in the village of Faid.
On his way there the servant discovered on a meadow
(today’s Knippwiese) heavily armed French troops. He crept up unnoticed and learned that an attack on the Imperial Castle was planned. He ran back as fast as he could and informed the Burgrave, who had his men prepared for defense. Thus the attack was averted the next morning and the surprised enemies were driven away.
Out of sheer gratitude, the lord of the castle henceforth appointed
the Monday after “White Sunday” to a holiday in Cochem.
Yes, and because our residents all celebrated Knipp Monday on the meadow – but now can no longer go there – we celebrated it in our house.
Sister M.Felicitas
Apr 19, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
First reading – Acts 5:27-33
“Obedience to God comes before obedience to men”. This principle makes all the difference in our life. This principle which should be a vision of life and mission of life. The principle comes from the personal experience of Peter and the apostles who witnessed the action of God in their life and in the life of the People of God. The action of God which dominates all other human actions. The action of God which completely overwhelms the human plans. Human plan wanted to bury Jesus Christ forever, but He is Risen. From this profound experience of God taking control of the humanity, Peter and disciples arrived at this principle. Obedience to God comes before obedience to men. From this principle to the vision and to the mission. Many times, we don’t come to this principle, neither to this vision nor to the mission because we miss the fundamental experience of God’s power in our life. We miss the real experience of God’s action in our life. Let’s reflect: Do I recognize the power of God’s action in my life to make the mission out of the phrase of St. Peter: Obedience to God comes before obedience to men?
Apr 18, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
First reading – Acts 5:17-26
This episode of liberating the apostles at night from the prison can be understood in the light of the liberation which Jesus Christ brought to us with His resurrection. The goal was securely locked, and the guards were vigilantly watching at the gates. But the apostles were liberated. Material restrictions are not anymore restrictions for this liberation. This liberation is above that. And they were liberated for a specific purpose. “Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new Life”. To go to the Temple and to speak about this new Life. Life liberated from the prison and Life to be in the Temple. This is the life with Jesus Risen is offering us. Life liberated from the prison of darkness and sin. Life destined to be in the Temple of God. Let’s reflect: Am I recognizing the Life offered by the Risen Christ to be out of prison of my darkness and to be in the Temple?
Apr 17, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
First reading – Acts 4:32-37
Today’s reading also deepens the commitment to the call of being a community around Jesus Risen. The whole group of believers was united heart and soul. No one claimed for his own use anything that had, as everything they owned was held in common. This unity of heart and soul because they were following Jesus Christ who was Crucified and Risen. The concrete example of this unity is having things in common and not claiming something for one’s own us. What I have become what we have. “I” disappears and “We” appears. Because in Jesus Christ there is no space of “I” and there is only space for “We”. That is why Barnabas, the Levite of Cypriot origin, who had a piece of land, sold it and brough the money and presented it to the apostles. What he had, disappeared and it became something the community has. This giving up and assuming the identity of the body of Christ is the transformation which the faith in Jesus demands. Let’s reflect: Are we ready to transform our “I” into the “We” that belongs to the body of Risen Christ?
