Jun 25, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 12 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Matthew 7:15-20
“You will be able to tell them by their fruits”. This is a very simple teaching which can be verified by the nature around us. From the fruits we can know which is the tree, not only the tree but also the health of the tree. If the tree is healthy, it produces good fruits. Also if the fruits are good, we can call it a good tree. So it’s about the kind and quality of the tree. It’s important to be a good kind of tree and to produce good quality fruit. By baptism we are all good kind of trees bearing within us the life of Christ. Now we have the challenge to produce good fruits which are good actions. We get the energy to produce good actions by cooperating with the graces given through sacraments and through our spiritual life. Our good actions, our good words, our good thoughts, our good temperament are signs that we are producing good fruits. But if we are praying a lot and at the same time we are getting iritated for everything, that means I am not cooperating with the grace. Concrete good actions are the real good fruits which must come from us. Real actions of love and charity. Let’s reflect: Am I producing good fruits by my concrete actions of love?
Jun 25, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 12 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Matthew 7:6,12-14
“So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets”. This is the golden rule. We want that others treat us good and we are not ready to do that. We must treat others as we would like them to treat us means we must everyone good. Because we want that everyone treats us good. But there is an important point to note in this. This is not a claim that everyone must treat us good. It only suggests how we must behave. Based on this we cannot say that we treat them well and they also should treat us well. We treat them well because we want that they also treat us well. Whether they treat us well or not is not to be considered in this command of Jesus. We must treat everyone well. That is the narrow road leads to life because that is the way of the cross in which there is life. Let’s reflect: Do I claim that others must treat me well because I treat them well or I treat them well without any claims?
Jun 24, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Gospel – Luke 1:57-66,80
“The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished”. In the birth of St. John the Baptist we can see how God makes His plan work in all circumstances. Zachariah and Elizabeth were old, but the plan of God worked. Zachariah was doubtful about the plan, but the plan of God worked through a very visible sign in Zachariah himself. The family members wanted to name the child after the family, but the plan of God worked. When God has a plan, everything falls into its order. And what we must do is to follow the plan like Zachariah. He asked for a writing-tablet to explain the plan of God to other, to write the name given to the child by God. Often, we don’t have the patience to ask for writing-table to explain the Word of God. It’s important that the people around us understand the Word of God. Don’t get annoyed, irritated, have the patience to explain those around you the Word of God. Let’s reflect: Do I have the patience to explain the Word of God to others?
Jun 23, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 4:35-41
“And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again”. The disciples wanted to cross over to the other side. Jesus was sleeping in the boat. But He was present. His presence will save but the disciples did not have enough faith to recognize that. The waves frightened them. In that troublesome boat, Jesus could sleep because He had faith in His Father. But the disciples couldn’t. They thought that they are going down. But it will not happen because Jesus is there. In our daily life situations also there can be moments in which we think that we are going down. But do not be frightened. Jesus is with us. His presence with us has the saving power. Trust in Him. Let’s reflect: Do I get frightened when there are moments of going down or I look towards the presence of Jesus in our life?
Jun 22, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of week 11 in Ordinary Time
Saints John Fisher, Bishop, and Thomas More, Martyrs
Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Gospel Matthew 6:24-34
“So do not worry; do not say, “What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed?” It is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’ This is the way of life which the Gospel is asking of us. Setting our heart on the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And not to worry about other things because it will be given to us. God has a plan for each one of us. This plan of God will unfold as the flowers growing in the fields. They sprout and grow into beautiful flowers in so far as they are attached to the ground. The same the birds of the sky. They will find their food as long as they are in the sky. We also will find our necessities, in so far as we are grounded in the will of God. If we follow the will of God, there is no need for worry. Each day, the Lord will take care of us. And not even worry about tomorrow, because today is the will of God, and we are called to live the will of God today in its fullness. Often the worry is the sign that we are not trusting enough. We must trust and avoid worries. Let’s reflect. Is your worry about tomorrow is the result of your lack of trust in the Lord?
