Aug 10, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Clare, Virgin
Friday of week 18 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Philippians 3:8-14
“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”. This intimate relationship with Jesus Christ comes from the understand the fundamental truth of Christian faith. It’s the encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. Everything becomes rubbish when you meet Him. That is why St. Paul is saying that nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus. If our encounter leads to knowing Jesus Christ that will change everything. This knowledge of Jesus Christ relativizes everything. Everything else is rubbish when we give prime importance to the person of Jesus Christ. We can give prime importance to Jesus Christ when we are able to know Him. To know Him, we must need the attitude of St. Paul. “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”. The only desire of St. Paul is to know Christ, the power of his resurrection and to share the sufferings of Jesus. This desire is not just about knowledge but to be part of the sufferings of Jesus. This is the perfection that comes through faith. Be part of the sufferings of Jesus with the faith in the power of His resurrection. Let’s reflect: Is the desire to share the sufferings of Christ, part of my desire to know Jesus Christ?
Aug 9, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Laurence, Deacon, Martyr – Feast
First reading – 2 Corinthians 9:6-10
“God loves a cheerful giver”. Yes, because He is a cheerful giver. St. Paul in his letter is explaining how cheerful God is as a giver. “And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works”. There is no limit for the blessings of God. And He sends all what we need for ourselves in every possible circumstance. The two words important in this phrase are “all we need” and “in every possible circumstance”. Not only, but also there is not limit. How beautiful is God as giver. St. Paul also explains why he gives. He provides us with the seeds we need, that means, all the grace we need. But we must sow the seed which God gives us to produce grains. We must sow the grace which God gives to produce good deeds. Give cheerfully the grace which God gives you and make the harvest of your good deeds a larger one. Let’s reflect: Am I cheerful giver?
Aug 8, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), Virgin, Martyr
Wednesday of week 18 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Hosea 2:16,17,21-22
“I am going to lead her out into the wilderness and speak to her heart”. In this Word of God, we can see the intimacy of God with the people of Israel. It is the intimacy of God with each one of us. God is leading us out into a place where He wants to be alone with us. And He wants to speak to our heart. Speaking to the heart means He wants a place in our heart. There is a very strong bond between God and the people of God. This bond must be experienced in our daily life. This union is compared to a marriage because it shows the commitment of the Lord to the people of God. “I will betroth you to myself for ever, betroth you with integrity and justice, with tenderness and love”. God is commitment in His relationship to us. His relationship with us is characterized with integrity and justice, with tenderness and love. This is the best combination: committed with justice and love, integrity and tenderness. Justice refers to the whoever I am, and love refers to whatever I am. In other words, He loves me as I am. But I will get this love when I go with Him to the wilderness and let Him speak to my heart. Let’s reflect: Am I listening to God who is speaking to my heart?
Aug 7, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Dominic, Priest
Tuesday of week 18 in Ordinary Time
First reading – 1 Corinthians 2:1-10
“Brothers, when I came to you, it was not with any show of oratory or philosophy, but simply to tell you what God had guaranteed”. In these words, we can also understand the life of St. Dominic whose feast we are celebrating today and our mission too. It is not about showing our talents or capacities, but our life is about showing what God had guaranteed to us. When we understand this, our perspective about life change. It’s not anymore about showing how smart I am or how intelligent I am, but it is about how much God can work in me, how much I can be docile to God. When we think that whatever happens in our life is a matter of my capacity, we start also to look down on others. I achieve things in my life because of my capacities. But when I realize that it’s all about what God had guaranteed, I can be more instrumental to God and gentle to others. Let’s reflect: Am I trying to show myself in my actions or am I trying to be an instrument of God?
Aug 7, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 18 in Ordinary Time
Saints Sixtus II, Pope, and his Companions, Martyrs
Saint Cajetan, Priest
First reading – Numbers 11:4-15
“I am not able to carry this nation by myself alone; the weight is too much for me”. Moses is sharing with God his feelings, his disappointment, his distress. He is surrounded by people who are never happy. God gave them manna from heaven. They ate for some days and then started complaining. He is surrounded by people who are very difficult to make happy. He is surrounded by people who forget the graces received from the Lord. He is surrounded by people who always look for those things which are missing. When you are surrounded by such people you feel the pressure and weight of the situation in which you say what Moses said, ““I am not able to carry this nation by myself alone; the weight is too much for me”. This kind of intimacy with God is what we need in our life. This intimacy with God is what we really need to overcome these kinds of challenges in our life. The more intimacy with God you have, easier to overcome the challenges in your life. Let’s reflect: Do I have the intimacy with God to share my distress with God?
