Aug 17, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of week 19 in Ordinary Time
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Gospel – Matthew 19:13-15
“Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs”. The disciples turned the children from approaching Jesus, but Jesus welcomed them. Because Jesus recognizes how important is the figure of a child in our relationship to God. The only Son, in the Holy Trinity, became man, Jesus Christ. And in Him we are all sons and daughter of God the Almighty. This relationship as sons and daughters gets a better understanding when it’s about children. We are the children of God. When we recognize the fatherhood of God the Father, we recognize our dignity as sons and daughters of God. Often, we are sad, disappointed, and even frustrated because we don’t recognize our dignity as sons and daughters of God. That also means, we don’t recognize the love of God the Father. So, in those dark moments of our life, the fact that we are sons and daughters of God must brighten up our life. Things may not be going well but I am a son or daughter of God. And my Father will take of it in the right time and in the right way. That’s recognizing the fatherhood of God in our life. Let’s reflect: How much I recognize that God is my Father, especially in my moments of difficulty?
Don Giorgio
Aug 15, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 19 in Ordinary Time
Saint Stephen of Hungary
Gospel – Matthew 19:3-12
“It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted. There are eunuchs born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs made so by men and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven”. The different vocations in our life are all about serving the will of God. Whether it’s a marriage life or it’s a consecrated life, the motive is the same. That’s to carry out the will of God. In marriage it’s to show the unity which God wanted in a man-woman relationship in marriage. In the consecrated life, it’s to testimony the Kingdom of God. The former shows unity in marriage as the plan of God. The latter shows how the Kingdom of heaven transforms the life of a person. This is a gift of God. So, in both cases, whether it’s the unity in the marriage or the testimony in a consecrated life, depends on the relationship to God by this individual. When it’s made personal devoid of God, personal plans appear in this and damages everything. Let’s reflect: How much I relate my vocation to my personal relationship to Jesus Christ?
Don Giorgio
Aug 14, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Gospel – Luke 1:39-56
Three thoughts to share on this great feast when we celebrate our destiny which we can see in the Assumption of Mother Mary. The three thoughts about a Marian way of life which we can see in the song of Magnificat. First, recognize the greatness of the Lord. “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit exults in God my saviour”. How great is our Lord! Second, recognize the gifts and grace which I received in my life. “…for the Almighty has done great things for me”. Recognize every blessing we received in our life, in every moment. Third, recognize the plan of God which is to pull down princes from their thrones and exalt the lowly. “He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away”. The Lord wants to be with the humble. If we want to be close to the Lord, be humble and gentle. Let’s reflect: How much I belong to the Marian way, which recognizes the greatness of the Lord, the gifts of the Lord, and the way of the Lord?
Don Giorgio
Aug 13, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest, Martyr
Wednesday of week 19 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – John 15:12-16
Today we are celebrating the Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a great missionary from Poland, in Japan. In 1941 he was arrested and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz, where he helped and succoured the inmates. In August of that year a prisoner escaped, and in reprisal the authorities were choosing ten people to die by starvation. One of the men had a family, and Maximilian Kolbe offered to take his place. The offer was accepted, and he spent his last days comforting his fellow prisoners. The man he saved was present at his canonization. He literally did what Jesus said, “A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends”. Jesus did that for us. He died for us. And He asks us to do the same. “I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last”. To bear fruit we must love like Him. St. Kolbe did that. We can also do that when we are ready to volunteer to take up the suffering of others with little kind deeds to big sacrifices. Giving up your comfort to give comfort for the other. This must be natural to us. Then it will not be only for those who know. But it will be to anyone. You care for the comfort of anyone. Let’s reflect: Am I ready to give up my comforts to give comfort for the other?
Don Giorgio
Aug 12, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 19 in Ordinary Time
Saints Pontian, Pope, and Hippolytus, Priest, Martyrs
Gospel – Matthew 18:1-5,10,12-14
“Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me”. This is an important aspect of our spiritual life which should be taken care. This is also linked to the culture of the times. We want to welcome the big, the great, the famous. We want to invite and welcome great and famous people. But Jesus is saying something different. He is speaking about welcoming a child. We are called to welcome the poor, marginalised, orphans and abandoned. Then we will be welcoming Jesus. And also, it’s important how we welcome. We must welcome in the name of Jesus. Welcoming in the name of Jesus means we must see them first as Jesus sees them. As God sees them. So, the message is very clear. We must welcome the marginalised and the unknown. And before welcoming them, we must learn to see them as Jesus sees them. Then we will be welcoming Jesus always. Let’s meditate: Am I running behind the famous people or am I running behind the marginalised people seeing them as Jesus sees them?
Don Giorgio
