Dec 25, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Stephen, the first Martyr
First reading – Acts 6:8-10,7:54-59
“They found they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom, and because it was the Spirit that prompted what he said. They were infuriated when they heard this and ground their teeth at him”. They wanted to be better than Stephen. But they cannot. Because Stephen was prompted by the Holy Spirit. The promptings of the Spirit infuriated them because their intention was not to know the truth but to outsmart Stephen. This is what when we don’t want to listen to the Holy Spirit and when we want to be better than the others. Holy Spirit makes use of the person the Spirit wants to use. In our search for truth, it is not that we must be the best. The search for the truth consists in two things, one, the humility to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit through others and then the docility to become the instrument of the Holy Spirit itself. Let’s reflect: How much I listen when the Holy Spirit prompts through others?
Dec 25, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Christmas Day – Midnight Mass
First reading – Isaiah 9:1-7
Second reading – Titus 2:11-14
Gospel – Luke 2:1-14
“you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’ This is the sign of Christmas. This sign is given by the angle after saying, “Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you”. The savior to save the world is a child because it is Jesus, God became man. And He is born in the worst situations. God will be there in all situations. Let’s reflect: Do I Jesus Christ in our circumstances as Savior?
Dec 23, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
4th Sunday of Advent
First reading – 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16
The Word of God through the Prophet Nathan is a summary of the Plan of God for our salvation. God wants to create a place for all of us where there can be personal relationship between God and each one of us. “I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again.” God want to plant us, and nothing will disturb us. “I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House”. No enemies can touch us and the Lord is promising that He will make us a house. How did He make the house? He made the house by coming down to stay with us. With Him, the House is built in our personal relationship with Jesus in the Church. Let’s reflect: How much I recognize what God did to have a personal relationship with me?
Dec 23, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
First reading – Malachi 3:1-4,23-24
Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? The Lord is sending His messenger to prepare His way. This is show that Lord is coming as He is. Incarnation does not mean that there is any transformation in God. This is the same God. We must not forget the transcendental dimension of the Lord when we are celebrating His incarnation. Jesus is born in the manger, but He is the second person of the Holy Trinity. He is God. The transcendental dimension of the Lord is to be celebrated with awe and wonder through the symbols and signs available in our liturgy and in our traditions. Our internal preparation is the center of this: Let’s reflect: Do I prepare myself to welcome the transcendental dimension present in the mystery of Incarnation?
Dec 21, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
First reading – 1 Samuel 1:24-28
“There she left him, for the Lord”. This is so profound. This is the model of a beautiful relationship between God and man. Read the prayer of Hannah the mother of Samuel, “This is the child I prayed for, and the Lord granted me what I asked him. Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is made over to the Lord.” She asked for this child and the Lord granted it. But she leaves the child for the Lord. This freedom of exchange is the liberty of the sons and daughters of God. To be fully for God or to abandon completely for the Lord, this freedom is the one which our faith should give us. The freedom to abandon ourselves for the Lord as He is the creator. This is the freedom of the second person of the Holy Trinity when He incarnated to save us. The freedom to abandon ourselves to the Lord. He can decide my future, my life and my being. Let’s reflect: Do I have the freedom to abandon myself to the Lord?
