Aug 28, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
Thursday of week 21 in Ordinary Time
Gospel Mark 6:17-29
In this Gospel passage the Beheading of St. John the Baptist is described. In this episode we can see how much courage and grace are needed to do good. Herod arrested John because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife whom he had married. or John had told Herod, ‘It is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife.’ As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him; but she was not able to, because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him. Though he arrested John the Baptist, he listened to him. He gave him protection. He was following his inner desire to do the good. Then Herodias got this occasion to pressurize Herod to do evil. “The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her”. Here his ego took over his desire to do good. His ego did not allow him to follow the inner voice to do good. If we leave our ego to lead us, it leads us to the destruction of others, as we have seen in this episode. Let’s reflect: Do I leave my ego to lead my decisions, or I listen to the voice of God to make my decisions?
Don Giorgio
Aug 27, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Augustine, Bishop, Doctor
Wednesday of week 21 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 teaching of Jesus explains how the inner dynamism between His disciples. The inner dynamism among the disciples of Christ is one of being the servant of each other. This logic of Christian discipleship is based on the principle of incarnation. God became man. God humbled himself to save us. So, if we want to follow Jesus Christ, we must also be servants. We must humble ourselves to serve the other. This is a continuous effort as this must be the dynamism in our interpersonal relationships as disciples. This continuous search for humbling ourselves and serving each other make the Christian discipleship truly tangible and worthy of testimony. Every moment is a moment to humble ourselves, and serve the other. When we exalt ourselves, the image of Christ perishes from us. When we exalt ourselves, our testimony of Cross disappears from us even if we are wearing the cross. Let’s reflect: Do I really try to humble myself to serve others constantly and deliberately?
Don Giorgio
Aug 27, 2024 | NEWS
After we returned to Germany from our aid trip from the Roma camp in September last year, I knew I would be back for the aid transport in summer 2024. YES, and that’s what happened.
Over the course of the year, donations in kind were handed in again and again and I was able to gradually pack these items and store them in our cellar.
After I put up an appeal for donations, it wasn’t long before gifts were being brought in almost every day … the most beautiful things.
I am touched and infinitely grateful for the generosity of so many people from Cochem and the surrounding area. Yes, a huge parcel even arrived from the island of Usedom.
We are also very grateful for the generous financial help of many people.
On the afternoon of August 2, the time had come. First, the large truck had to be loaded with all the donations and then we drove to the Benedictine monastery in Maria Laach to load the gifts that had been collected there by Father Basilius.
After the travel blessing from Father Basilius, we first drove to Linz am Rhein. From the nearby town of Unkel and further on from Bad Honnef, we were able to invite more donations that had been prepared for us, and on the way, near Nuremberg, Dr. Mirek, a doctor from the Ukraine, joined us in the car. He is supporting us and wanted to take the opportunity to meet his mother in Secovce, who had come there from the Ukraine.
Our journey then took us to Heiligenkreuz Abbey in Austria. There we attended the Sunday service and after a coffee break we went on to Liptovany Miklas to spend the night.
On Monday morning we finally arrived at the Roma center. It was full of life, with lots of children enjoying themselves on the lawn together with a group of artists – with all kinds of activities. Mothers with their babies, small children and also the two new employees Anna and Veronika were there. We were delighted to be joined by Sister Bernadetta and our interpreter Rado.
After a break, strong men were ready to unload.
Throughout the day, there were always nice encounters … yes, even with “already” old friends!
And as in previous years …. EVERYONE likes to be photographed.
And the newborn children: the youngest is 5 days old and the twins are now 1 year old.the children who come to the center are doing well during this time. They can play, eat and drink and are also encouraged and guided in the social area.
But they live in two worlds; in the beautiful surroundings of the center … but everything is different at home.
On the way from the center to the children’s HOME… I have never seen so much dirt anywhere else.
And then the little chapel there: Father Stephan, a priest from the Greek-Catholic church, knows how to talk wonderfully about God and inspire the children.
The chapel was overflowing with all the children, who sang, prayed and clapped from the heart.
Yes, and of course every child received a small sweet – because when you visit someone, you take a small gift with you.
once again
for their great support –
together we have
together we were able to give a lot of joy!
Thank you very much!!!
Sister M. Felicitas
Aug 26, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Monica
Tuesday of week 21 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Luke 7:11-17
“When the Lord saw her, he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said”. There are so many miracles which Jesus did as a response to requests and prayers. But this is an episode in which Jesus walks up to the widow who lost her only son. He saw her and He felt sorry for her. She did not ask Jesus for a miracle. But Jesus recognizes the pain of that mother who lost everything in her life. She is already a widow. Now she lost her only son. Jesus saw her grief. Jesus saw her suffering. He walks up to her. This is Jesus. He sees our tears. He sees our sorrows. He walks up to us and says, “Don’t cry”. Don’t cry because Jesus is there. He is going to make her sorrows go away. He asked the dead man to get up. “And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother”. Jesus gave him back to his mother. Today we are celebrating the feast of St. Monica whose tears also did the same miracle. The son about whom she cried was given back to her as St. Augustine. Jesus sees our tears in prayer, and He will walk into our life to say, “Don’t cry”. Let’s reflect: Do I recognize the voice of Jesus who says to me, “Don’t cry”?
Don Giorgio
Aug 25, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 21 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Matthew 23:13-22
“You who shut up the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces, neither going in yourselves nor allowing others to go in who want to”. This is what happens when one cannot love. When we cannot love we close doors to others. And also, we close doors to ourselves. Door to where? The door to enjoy the love of God. The door to heaven. The door to enjoy the divine providence. Because when we are not loving others genuinely, we are closing ourselves inside our ego. We are closing ourselves inside ourselves. When we are closed ourselves inside ourselves, we can never be a path of love. We can never become a path towards the love of God. We can never become a path to heaven. This is what Jesus is saying to us in the Gospel of the day. He calls, “blind guides”. We are blind and we pretend to be guides. The moment, we cannot love, we become blind. Then don’t pretend to be guides. Love first and then guide, because when you can love, love becomes the path, and each act of love becomes the guide. Let’s reflect: Do I love genuinely so that I can guide others to the love of God?
Don Giorgio
