Jul 31, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Alphonsus Mary de’ Liguori, Bishop, Doctor
Gospel – Matthew 5:13-19
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house”. Today is the feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, who is the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, popularly known as the Redemptorists, in order to follow the example of Jesus Christ announcing the Good News to the poor and the most abandoned. Alphonsus was a lover of beauty: musician, painter, poet and author. He put all his artistic and literary creativity at the service of the mission, and he asked the same of those who joined his Congregation. This goes with the message of the Gospel in which Jesus calls us to be light of the world. How can we put our light on the top? This can be done when we can put the love for the other on the top of our every action. Often our actions are projections of ourselves. We will be lamps put on the lampstand when we can put our love for the others above our love for ourselves. Even our good actions when they are projection of ourselves will become like a lamp put under a tub. When we put our love for others on the top of our actions, our actions will become light for others. Let’s reflect: What is on the top of my actions, my love for myself or my love for others?
Don Giorgio
Jul 30, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Ignatius Loyola, Priest
Wednesday of week 17 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Luke 14:25-33
“Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple…. So, in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions”. This is the how we can become the disciple of Christ. Today we are celebrating the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola, who became a real disciple of Christ and founded the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits. He was inspired to be a real follower of Christ. Following Christ is a process of emptying oneself. It is a process of giving up all our possessions. The biggest possession which is difficult to give up is our ego. The cross which we must carry is the challenge to give up this ego. To carry our own cross is to give up our ego. Because our ego is the creation of our empty pride. When there is humility, the ego is gone. To carry my cross is to be in the process of emptying myself from my pretentions, my ego and my pride. To carry my cross is to be in the process of accepting the pain to love the other more than myself. It’s giving up all our possessions so that Jesus becomes our only possession. Let’s reflect: Am I carrying my cross by being in the process of emptying myself of my pride?
Don Giorgio
Jul 30, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 17 in Ordinary Time
Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop, Doctor
Gospel Matthew 13:36-43
In this Gospel passage Jesus is explain the parable about the darnel in the field. There are different elements in the parable which we can meditate. Let’s concentrate on the good seed. The sower of the good seed is the Son of man. The good seed is the subjects of the kingdom. The good seed must live together with the weed that is sowed by the devil. The coexistence of the good seed with the darnel is not damaging the good seed. They are growing together. Only that at the time of the harvest, the weed is collected and thrown into the blazing furnace. The fruits of the good seed are together with the Father in the Kingdom of God. Often, we are worried about the weeds among us. The evil in the world. The conflicts, the wars, the injustice etc. These are realities in the world sowed by the devil. But don’t worry, the good seed sowed by the Son of God will survive. Because the world is saved by Jesus Christ. So, don’t be pessimistic about the presence of evil in the world. That’s predicted by Jesus. Only remember that the world is saved by Jesus and the good seed is sown by Him. The good will prevail. Let’s reflect: How often am I pessimistic about the evil in the world forgetting that the world is saved by Jesus Christ?
Don Giorgio
Jul 28, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus
Monday of week 17 in Ordinary Time
Gospel John 11:19-27
Today we are celebrating the Feast of the Bethany family – Martha, Mary and Lazarus. In the conversation between Martha and Jesus, we understand the fundamental truth about the identity of Jesus. He reveals Himself, “I am the resurrection and the life”. In Jesus is the life and the resurrection. Beyond death the only reality is Jesus Christ. And through Him we will be raised, and we will have life. “If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die”. This must be in our mind always in our relationship with Jesus. To this revelation, Martha fully adhered herself. She said, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world”. When she said that her brother was still in the tomb. But she believed in the words of Jesus and Lazarus was brought back to life. This is the faith. We believe in the Lord, and we will have life. “Whoever lives and believes in Jesus will never die”. The hope of those who believe in Jesus will never die. The happiness of those who believe in Jesus will never die. The patience of those who believe in Jesus will never die. They will live a life of resurrection already here in sense of the living in a positive realm. Let’s reflect. How much I remember that Jesus is the resurrection and the life in my dark moments?
Don Giorgio
Jul 27, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel John 6:1-15
“Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back to the hills by himself”. This is very important passage in the Gospel. This proves that the way of the cross is the will of God. Jesus could have performed miracles and gained the power. Then salvation will be result of power. But salvation is a result of love. The love of God towards the humanity. The love of God which incarnates in our reality of hunger and multiplies the bread to be fed. Jesus escaped back to the hills by himself because he did not want to become the king by his miracle. He wants to be the King on the cross by shedding His last drop of blood for the humanity. This is also a situation we face in our life. We are faced with finding solution with power or the cross. The power is inflicting pain on others. The cross is accepting the pain for oneself for others. The power is controlling others. The Cross is being at the service of others. Let’s reflect: What do I prefer, power to solve the problem or the cross to transform the problem into an opportunity to love more?
Don Giorgio
