Oct 6, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Our Lady of the Rosary
Saturday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Acts 1:12-14
“All these joined in continuous prayer, together with several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus,”. Today we are celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Rosary is more than a prayer. It’s the way of life. It’s the life with Mother Mary whom we see in the reading staying with the Apostles and others in prayer. Rosary reminds that Mother Mary is with us as she was with Jesus Christ. In Baptism we received the life of Jesus Christ. So, Mother Mary is accompanying us, who have the life of her son. She accompanies us in our journey. In order to understand this mystery, we go through the mysteries of the Rosary to see how she was with Jesus Christ. Rosary connects the moments in the history of salvation with our personal history. Rosary connects the events in the life of Christ with the events in our life. Life becomes a rosary as rosary brings to the life of Christ with Mother Mary. Let’s reflect: Am I reciting the Rosary to lead a life with Mother Mary?
Oct 5, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
Saint Bruno, Priest
First reading – Baruch 1:15-22
The prophet is recognizing what happens to us when we sin and move away from the Lord. When we disobey the Lord, we are not listening to His voice in our heart, but we are following alien voices. God is our creator and liberator. His voice is deep in our heart. Listening to Him and following Him is like living in a land where milk and honey flow. But following alien voices we desert ourselves from the good to which we are called to. What is important is to recognize when we disobey the Lord. “Integrity belongs to the Lord our God”. The Lord always wants the best for us. He wants that we are always in the land flowing milk and honey. So, we can always run to Him to be part of His integrity by listening to His voice. Let’s reflect: Do I recognize when I don’t listen to the voice of the Lord?
Oct 4, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
Saint Faustina Kowalska, Religious
First reading – Nehemiah 8:1-12
“Do not be sad: the joy of the Lord is your stronghold”. Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly and read the book from early morning till noon. The presence of the Law of the Lord is very enriching. The people of God listen to the reading of the Law with reverence. When Ezra opened the book all the people stood up, raised their hands, and answered, “Amen! Amen”. Then they bowed down and, face to the ground, prostrated themselves before the Lord. The gesture of the People of God is very indicative. It’s complete submission even before it’s being read. What comes from the Word of God, they are ready to accept. That is what we see in their gesture of prostration even before the reading. Then Ezra read from the Law of God, translating and giving the sense, so that the people understood what was read. From this, people started weeping. To this Ezra says, don’t be sad. The Joy of the Lord is your stronghold. The Lord is happy with you. The Lord loves you. Be happy and don’t be sad. Let’s reflect: What is my attitude towards the Word of God?
Oct 4, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Francis of Assisi
Wednesday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Galatians 6:14-18
“The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” The words of St. Paul who lived this profound union with Jesus Christ we can see also in the life of St. Francis of Assisi. As St. Paul says this profound experience can be achieved only by becoming altogether a new creature. It cannot be achieved by making some adjustments and some adaptations. A radical and complete transformation which results in becoming a new creature. This is necessary because the effect of incarnation is not some adjustments or adaptations but a radical new beginning. In order to personalize that reality, we must also become a new creation. This essence of this becoming new creation is recognizing the value of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Cross of Jesus Christ becomes the parameter to see, to evaluate and to access every other reality in our life. The world around me will be relativized according to the Cross of Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s reflect: Is the Cross of Christ my parameter to see the world around me?
Oct 2, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Zechariah 8:20-23
“Come, let us go and entreat the favour of the Lord, and seek the Lord of Hosts; I am going myself.” Our daily journey is a journey to entreat the favour of the Lord and seek the Lord. It’s not a journey to seek our selfish interests. It’s a journey to the know the will of God. We walk to implore the favour of the Lord. The favour of the Lord is the love of God which accompanies us. But we must use our daily journey to understand this love of God and the favour of our Lord. And from finding the love of God we move to seek the will of the Lord. We must seek that because, normally we are always following our plans and projects. Only when we recognize the love of God, we will be motivated to seek the plan of God. Let’s reflect: Am I recognizing the love of God to seek the plan of God?
