Jun 15, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 4:26-34
Jesus here is using two parables to explain the Kingdom of God. The man throws seed on the land. “Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know”. And when the crop is ready, he starts to reap. This shows one aspect of the Kingdom of God. We can meditate this aspect of the Kingdom of God in relation to different spiritual realities. The best example is the Grace of God. The receive the sacraments and these sacraments continue to work, day and night in us. We don’t know how. But it works and the different good deeds sprout from that. Then Jesus speaks about the mustard seed which is one of the smallest of all seeds on earth. But it grows into the biggest shrub of them all. Our small deeds inspired by the grace will produce big results since our small deeds are part of the Kingdom of God. Let’s reflect: How much can I relate my good deeds inspired by grace to the Kingdom of God?
Jun 14, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of week 10 in Ordinary Time
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Gospel – Matthew 5:33-37
“All you need say is “Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”. This is an important teaching of Jesus Christ that we must keep in our mind always. Don’t try to adjust ourselves in our response to evil or to good. We must not try to mix the evil with the good or vice versa just to adapt to our selfish interests. This is not about seeing positive. It’s about the intention which we have when we deal with the right and wrong. We must not twist things to adapt. We must say ‘yes’ as ‘yes’. Not to manipulate because we want to please someone, or we want to put also our selfish interests. Also, it’s a question of justice. Justice to good. When we manipulate good, it becomes evil. We need grace and mercy to follow always the good but that does not mean that we must manipulate the good. We ask for grace and do the good. And, we ask for mercy when we go wrong. And not to justify the wrong as right. Let’s reflect: Do I recognize the moments in which I manipulate good to adapt to my selfishness?
Jun 13, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 10 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Matthew 5:27-32
“If your right eye should cause you to sin, tear it out and throw it away”. Very radical statement of Jesus regarding the cause of sin. Because He came to save us from our sins. He repaired our sins. But at the same time, it’s our duty not to sin. And one of the most important aspects of sin, is to avoid occasion to sin or to take out the cause of sin. If we can deal with the cause of sin, we can more effectively deal with sin. In sin, we are using the gifts of God to do actions against the same God. God gave us our eyes and in sin, we are using the same eyes to see against the will of God. We use our eyes to see things not in the way God wants. We use to see as we want and not as God wants. This must be dealt radically. We must see what God wants. Otherwise, we are using the gifts of God for our selfish interests. We are misusing the love of God. This is applicable to each and every gift of God. Let’s reflect: Am I using the gifts of God according to His will?
Jun 12, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Antony of Padua, Priest, Doctor
Thursday of week 10 in Ordinary Time
“The kingdom of God is very near to you.” This is what Jesus told his disciples to say to the world. This is what Jesus wants that the world hears. We say this to a person and when he looks who is near to him or her, he or she will find us. That’s means we testify the kingdom of God. The others must recognize the kingdom of God in our actions. They must see the kingdom of God in our gestures. They must listen the voice of the kingdom of God in our words. They must see that the values of the kingdom of God in our life. This is the will of Jesus Christ about each disciple when he asked each disciple to preach to the world, “The kingdom of God is very near to you”. St. Antony of Padua manifested the kingdom of God in his life. Let’s reflect: How much I am a manifestation of the kingdom of God?
Jun 11, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 10 in Ordinary Time
Gospel Matthew 5:17-19
Often the teachings of Jesus are mistakenly considered as opposed to the Law given to the People of God in the Old Testament. It’s not. Jesus tells it very clearly. “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved”. The Law in the Old Testament was given as the result of the covenant of God with the People of God. The Covenant of God will not change and so is the Law. When we try to put the teaching of Jesus Christ in opposition to the Law, we are missing the continuation of the covenant of God with the People of God. God became man so that man can be saved as he or she cannot fulfil the Law. God became man to forgive his infidelity and not to change the Law. Law is the relationship between God and man. And his weakness in this relationship is remedied by the saving action of Jesus Christ. Let’s reflect: How much I am aware that the Law is to maintain our relationship with God and that the grace helps us to follow that?
