Aug 20, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Pius X, Pope
Monday of week 20 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Judges 2:11-19
In this reading we see the human nature. Again and again man goes away from God after when God had rescued them. When there are troubles in life, people turn to God. God rescues them. Once the troubles are over, we walk in our own ways and forget the way of the Lord. When we forget the Lord and walk in our owns, we welcome again troubles into our life. In the midst of troubles, we call again God for help. He patiently saves us from our troubles and allows us to keep our freedom. With our freedom we try again to walk in our own ways. We must break this circle by trying to walk in the ways of the Lord even when we are not in troubles. Let’s reflect: Am I falling into cycles of being close and being far from God?
Aug 19, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153)
First reading – Isaiah 56:1,6-7
“all who observe the sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain”. Everyone without exception will be brought to the Holy Mountain of the Lord, if the sabbath is observed. The day of the Lord must be observed according to the covenant. This passage begins by admonishing to care for justice and to act with integrity. Our integrity depends on the fact that we acknowledge the presence and care of our Lord in our life. The observation of the day of the Lord is doing justice to what the Lord does in our life. And if we are doing this justice, the Lord says “I will make them joyful in my house of prayer”. We become joyful and we will become His house of prayer, a place God interacts. And we will become a house of prayer for all the peoples. All these start from our right celebration of the day of the Lord, by doing justice to the presence of the Lord in our life. Let’s reflect. Am I doing justice to the presence of the Lord in my life by observing the day of the Lord according to the covenant?
Aug 18, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of week 19 in Ordinary Time
Saint John Eudes, Priest
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
First reading – Joshua 24:14-29
‘It is the Lord our God we choose to serve; it is his voice that we will obey.’ They choose to serve the Lord. It’s not imposed on them. It is their decision to serve the Lord. Based on this decision they listen to His voice and then they will obey. This decision is based upon their gratitude for what the Lord has done to them. Recognition of the intervention of the Lord in their life prompted them to choose the same Lord and to cast away the alien gods among them. They gave their hearts to the Lord the God of Israel. This becomes the covenant which Joshua made for the people. “Then he took a great stone and set it up there, under the oak in the sanctuary of the Lord, and Joshua said to all the people, ‘See! This stone shall be a witness against us because it has heard all the words that the Lord has spoken to us:”. The Crosses in our houses, the Crosses which we wear, are the signs of the covenant of our choice to give our hearts to the Lord. Let’s reflect: Do the cross I wear or I have in my room, remind me of my covenant to the Lord?
Aug 17, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 19 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Joshua 24:1-13
In this narration of Word of God by Joshua we can something very special. How God is taking care of His people! In the Word of God, we read 17 times, “I” in this short passage. In the sense that God is taking care of things very personally. In this we can see how God is accompanying us! How God is preparing His plan for us! How God is preparing guides and leaders in our life! How God is saving us! How God is changing history for us! How God is liberates us! This is the Lord we worship. This is the Lord we must encounter in our life. Let’s reflect: Am I recognizing the personal interventions of the Lord in my life?
Aug 16, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 19 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Joshua 3:7-11,13-17
“Accordingly, when the people struck camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant in front of the people. As soon as the bearers of the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests who carried it touched the waters” the waters stood still, and the people crossed the river. “The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood still on dry ground in mid-Jordan, and all Israel continued to cross dry-shod till the whole nation had finished its crossing of the river”. The priests with the ark of the covenant is a symbol to meditate in our life. When we have the presence of God in the midst of our life by prayers and sacraments, we have the same presence of the priests with the ark of covenant. The waters stand still. The troubles stand still. The difficulties stand still. And we can cross these troubles and difficulties without being affected by none of these. But we must make sure the presence of God in our life through the Word of God. The Word of God takes the place of priests, and prayers and sacraments take the place of the ark of covenant. Then we can cross the Jordan through the dry land. We can cross our troubles and difficulties without being disturbed by these. Let’s reflect: Do I have the presence of God in my life through prayers and sacraments, based on the Word of God?
