Feb 8, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 5 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 7:31-37
“He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle”. This narration is another sign of which speaks a very particular character of His mission. His healings are not just miracles. They are signs by which we can understand that Jesus does not want just to do miracles. He wanted to enter into a personal relationship with the person in need. So, he took him aside in private, away from the crowd. Jesus wanted to be alone with this man. He creates this personal relationship with this man. He could have done the miracle just with His word. But Jesus does that to have this unique personal relationship with this person. Let’s reflect: Jesus wants to take me away from the crowd so that He can create a personal relationship with me.
Feb 8, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 5 in Ordinary Time
Saint Josephine Bakhita, Virgin
International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking 2024
Gospel Mark 7:24-30
“but the house-dogs under the table can eat the children’s scraps.” This is the statement of faith. A faith that can overcome any difficulties in life. A faith that can overcome any prejudice of others in our life. A faith that can overcome any fears in our life. A faith that sees only the grace that works miracles in our life. A faith that has resilience against any disappointments and frustrations in life. A faith that is enriched with hope in the love of God. A faith that never gives up in asking. Let’s reflect. Let’s make our faith in God stronger than any other feelings in our life.
Feb 6, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 5 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 7:14-23
“It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean”. This is so true, and Jesus explains it so well. “For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge – fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean”. This must very clear in our mind to have the clear understanding of what destroys us. It’s not something from outside that destroys us. But it what we keep in our heart. Our heart is the place for God. Our heart is the seat of Holy Spirit. But we can also make our heart the seat of all negativities. Whenever we think negative or bad, we are creating in our heart that which will come out of us and make us unclean. So, it’s imperative to keep our hearts clean and in case we make it dirty, we must make it clean again by the sacrament of confession. It’s not others who destroy us. It is we who destroy ourselves. Let’s reflect: Let’s makes our hearts clean by making it an abode of Holy Spirit.
Feb 5, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saints Paul Miki and his Companions, Martyrs
Tuesday of week 5 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 7:1-13
“You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions”. This is very important observation of Jesus about us. We often given importance to human traditions and not to the commandment of God. This can be seen in every human reaction. We are so worried about what others speak about us and about our actions. We are worried about what others comment about us and about our actions. We are worried about what other think about us and about our actions. But in all these situations, we rarely think about God and His commandments. We look around rather than looking up. By this attitude we make the Word of God null and void in our life. What is important in our life is the Word of God and not the words of men and women around us. Traditions are good and it’s good to follow them. But always the priority must be to the Word of God. Today we celebrate the feast of St. Paul Miki and his companions who did not have no regard for the word of men but only to the Word of God. Let’s reflect: We must be attentive to what God of God says rather than what others say about my actions.
Feb 4, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Agatha, Virgin, Martyr
Monday of week 5 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Luke 9:23-26
“What gain, then, is it for a man to have won the whole world and to have lost or ruined his very self”? This is a very fundamental question. Your self is more than the whole world. Because without your self, how are you going to be part of the whole world you have? But to have your own self, or to save your own self, you must do what Jesus is telling us. We must lose our life for His sake. And how can we lose our life for His sake? We can lose our life when we renounce ourselves and take up our cross every day and follow Jesus. Following Jesus is to love. But this process has two more contents: to renounce ourselves that is by becoming humble so that Jesus can be present in us and taking up our cross which is accepting the sacrifices needed so that Jesus can be present in us. So, we can gain our self by following Jesus. Let’s reflect: Create space for Jesus in our life so that we can gain our self.
