Oct 21, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 29 in Ordinary Time
Gospel Luke 12:13-21
“My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time”. It’s foolish to organize your life around material things because your life is not about only material things. When we reduce our life to that, everything collapses. This man in the parable stored up material things for his body for a long time. But who can assure him the time? Can material things make him happy? No. One can accumulate material things but there is no surety that he or she can use it. So, it shows that the material wealth is fleeting and unreliable as a foundation for our lives. The rich man in the story makes the mistake of believing that accumulating possessions will secure his future, allowing him to “take things easy” and indulge in comfort. Our true value and happiness cannot be rooted in material possessions. While these things may provide temporary satisfaction, they are not the essence of life. Instead, we are encouraged to seek deeper meaning and purpose beyond wealth or material possessions, investing in relationships – relationship with God and with others and a life aligned with love, generosity, and faith. The parable serves as a powerful reminder to live with an eternal perspective, focusing on what truly matters, rather than being consumed by worldly concerns. Let’s reflect: How much security in my daily life comes from things that truly matter?
Don Giorgio
Oct 15, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 28 in Ordinary Time
Saint Hedwig, Religious
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin
Gospel Luke 11:42-46
“You who pay your tithe of mint and rue and all sorts of garden herbs and overlook justice and the love of God!” This is the so-called Pharisaic attitude. That gives more importance to man-made rules and customs because others are looking regarding that. Then it ignores important principles like justice and how God loves each one of us. The Pharisees’ behavior reflects a concern with outward appearances and adherence to man-made rules, aiming to look righteous in the eyes of others. However, they miss the heart of true faith: a commitment to justice, compassion, and love. Jesus’ criticism highlights the tension between external religiosity and internal righteousness. It serves as a reminder that spiritual life is not about checking off ritualistic boxes but embodying the core principles of justice, mercy, and love for others, which reflect God’s love for all. This message encourages us to look beyond the surface of religious or moral obligations and to align our actions with deeper values that honor both God and the dignity of others. Let’s reflect: How can I ensure that my outward actions align with the deeper values of justice and love, rather than merely fulfilling external expectations?
Don Giorgio
Oct 14, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Teresa of Ávila, Virgin, Doctor
Tuesday of week 28 in Ordinary Time
Gospel John 15:1-8
“Make your home in me, as I make mine in you”. Jesus makes His home in us, and we must make home in Him. This is relationship is a cohabitation, it’s living together. It’s not just living together in a home. He is inviting us into a deep, ongoing relationship of mutual indwelling. This relationship is more than just an occasional or surface-level connection; it is about living in full communion with Christ, allowing His presence to shape and transform us. The phrase “make your home in me” suggests a continual, active effort to live in harmony with Christ’s teachings, to seek His presence daily, and to align our lives with His will. On the other hand, “as I make mine in you” reveals that Jesus is not distant or detached from us; He is present within us, guiding, empowering, and filling us with His love. This cohabitation, or mutual indwelling, is not just about being close to Jesus in a metaphorical sense but implies a shared life. Let’s reflect: Does my relationship to Jesus is a transformative relationship where my entire being is shaped by my connection to Christ?
Don Giorgio
Oct 13, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 28 in Ordinary Time
Saint Callistus, Pope, Martyr
Gospel – Luke 11:29-32
“This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah”. Jesus is speaking with strong words because the people in front of Him are not seeing the grace available for them. So, He wanted to call the attention of His listeners. The Queen of the South hearing about the wisdom of Solomon came a long way to meet Solomon. The People of Nineveh listened to Jonah who is an outsider. And here, Jesus born in the midst of them, God became Man, the people are not recognizing them but looking for sign. We also often do that. We don’t recognize the blessing of being in front of the Blessed Sacrament, but we look for miracles. The very fact that I am in front of the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest miracle. We don’t need another sign. God loves us. Then the Blessed Sacrament we receive in the Holy Communion, again another miracle. We must just recognize the greatness of what we are permitted as human being before Jesus Christ. Let’s reflect: Do I recognize the magnificence of Incarnation, God being with us or I look for miracles?
Don Giorgio
Oct 13, 2024 | NEWS
On Saturday, 12.10.2024, in a sisterly group, we set out on a pilgrimage in the footsteps of our Fr. Founder in Wroclaw, to pray and ask for the gift of his beatification, to ask for the grace of perseverance for all sisters and to ask for the gift of numerous new vocations. Each of us also carried our own intentions and requests in our hearts. We prayed for all those who ask God for help through the intercession of God’s servant. We began our pilgrimage route at the Motherhouse of our Congregation, the former hostel. Here we rediscovered the remarkable history of the first 40 years of this home and the great work of mercy of protection over the girls, which was accomplished thanks to the heroic faith of Rev. John Schneider and his first sisters. Then, in the chapel of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Wroclaw, we recited the chaplet to the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculately Conceived – the prayer of our Father Founder – to ask by the Heart of the Mother for new vocations to our religious family. We also visited the exhibition dedicated to Fr. Schneider-“Defender of Women.” Then, walking through Ostrow Tumski, at the Church of the Holy Cross we remembered the ordination of our Apostle of Mercy and the beginnings of his priesthood. At the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Sand, at the tomb of our servant of God, we prayed, participating in Mass, for the beatification of Fr. John Schneider. Our next place of pilgrimage was the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, where Fr. John so zealously pastored for 22 years and where he was parish priest. We recited, before the image of Our Lady Help of Christians of Wroclaw, the act of entrustment to Mary with the words of our founder’s prayer. And then, already in cars, we drove to Our Lady in Osobowice. We wanted, as Fr. Jan once did with the first sisters, to pray there and entrust our lives to the Mother of God. In the chapel at Osobowice we prayed the rosary for our deceased sisters and for the sisters who had left the congregation. After praying and pilgrimage together, it was time for a little sisterly picnic and a few moments together. I thank God in the Trinity, Mary our Mother and our beloved Father Founder for our presence, unforgettable moments, praying together for our Congregation, for the act of entrustment, time and wonderful weather😊.
S.M. Barbara
