Jul 18, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 15 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest”. These words are always consoling at the end of a busy day or busy week. Jesus is calling us to rest. Jesus is calling us because He is seeing our labour, our burdens and how much we are fatigued. This very thought is consoling. Often our labour and hard-work are unnoticed by others. But there is Jesus who sees that and not just sees and recognises but He is promising us rest. The rest He promises is the rest we can enjoy if we learn from him. This rest is a rest that comes from shouldering His yoke. His yoke is being humble in heart. When we are humble we find rest. We are restless because we are not humble at heart. When we have our yoke on our shoulders, that is heavy because it’s the heaviness of our ego. But the yoke of Jesus is easy and light because it’s about being selfless. When we are not selfish, all our burdens become light and easy. This we have to recognise. That is what Jesus is asking us to learn from Him. Let’s reflect: Am I aware that I can enjoy the rest which Jesus promised, by only becoming more humble?
Jul 17, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 15 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Matthew 11:25-27
“Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children”. The relationship with God is not that we can learn from books, nor it depends on our talents. It depends how much we can relate to God. Here Jesus is revealing us what is the best attitude to relate to God. It’s to the children that God reveals. Because God the Father send his only son to reveal His love. And when we become sons and daughters in Jesus Christ, we understand God the Father. When we become children of God, we can relate well to God the Father. We must learn from Jesus how to become sons and daughters of God. Let’s reflect: How much I look to Jesus to learn to be a son or a daughter of God?
Jul 15, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Tuesday of week 15 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Matthew 11:20-24
“Jesus began to reproach the towns in which most of his miracles had been worked, because they refused to repent”. This is a very important. God gives the grace and when we refuse to cooperate with the grace, it’s very difficult that God can intervene in our life. Because we refuse to repent. When we refuse to repent, God must act in a different way which may hurt you. Despite witnessing Jesus’ works firsthand, the people of these towns remained unrepentant, making them more accountable and subject to greater judgment. The message highlights that repentance, a genuine turning away from sin and a change of heart, is essential to align with God’s will. It serves as a reminder that rejecting grace hinders God’s intervention in our lives, often leading to more challenging consequences. However, the passage also reflects God’s persistent call for repentance, not merely to condemn but to urge a return to Him, emphasising the continuous opportunities provided by God for us to respond to His grace with a repentant heart. Let’s reflect: Am I cooperating to God’s plan with my repentance?
Jul 15, 2024 | NEWS
On June 30, 2024, a memorial plaque was dedicated in the St. Otto Home in Zinnowitz to commemorate the work of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate in this place.
To mark the occasion, the regional superior of the Sisters of Mary, Sr. M. Cordula Klafki, arrived together with other sisters, some of whom also worked in Zinnowitz.
In a short speech, Sr. Cordula recalled the blessed work of the sisters, who worked here from 1916 to 2004. In the 1960s, there were up to 30 sisters at Otto Heim, who were particularly active in children’s and youth work, which was a good opportunity, especially in the GDR era, to hold church services, catechesis and religious children’s weeks in addition to recreation and leisure. The then Bishop of Berlin, Cardinal Alfred Bengsch, was also very keen to strengthen the faith of the children and young people, as well as the guests who came here.
Sr. Cordula continued: “To this day, former children and guests keep coming back to this place to remember the many wonderful times they had here.” She herself was also stationed there and thinks back fondly to the time when she took her first steps into religious life.
May this place continue to be a place where people can find rest for body and soul and be strengthened in their faith.
Jul 14, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Bonaventure, Bishop, Doctor
Monday of week 15 in Ordinary Time
Gospel Matthew 23:8-12
“The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will exalted”. This is our call, to be servant. And if we want to be servant, we must humble ourselves. Every situation, every moment, is a call to be become a servant? How can I become a servant? The best way to be a servant is to think how can I serve who is near to me. Every moment, the question I must ask is “how can I serve the person who is near to me?”. Whenever I try to become a servant, I become a disciple of Christ. Whenever I try to get service from others, I move away from discipleship. Let’s reflect: How much am I a servant?
