Nov 5, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 31 in Ordinary Time
Gospel Luke 14:15-24
Jesus tells the parable of the great banquet, in which a man invites many guests to a feast, but they all make excuses and decline. Angered, the host opens the invitation to “the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame,” and eventually to anyone the servant can find so that the banquet hall will be full. Through this parable, Jesus offers a striking lesson on the kingdom of God—its inclusivity, the dangers of taking our invitations for granted, and the importance of a responsive heart. Reflecting on this passage invites us to consider our own excuses and distractions that keep us from God’s table. Like the invited guests in the parable, we can often be preoccupied with our daily concerns, so wrapped up in personal plans or ambitions that we miss the deeper invitation to connect, grow, and celebrate with God. These “excuses” aren’t always inherently negative—work, family, responsibilities—but when they overshadow our spiritual life and our relationship with God, they keep us from the fullness of life He offers. God’s kingdom is more expansive and inclusive than we can imagine. By inviting those who are often marginalized, Jesus reveals God’s boundless love and the true nature of His kingdom. It’s a reminder that all are welcome, and the door to communion with God is open wide, regardless of our social status, flaws, or circumstances. This passage encourages us to let go of any sense of unworthiness and respond to God’s invitation with humility and joy. Today’s reflection could challenge us to examine the subtle ways we decline God’s invitation in our lives and to nurture a readiness to say “yes” to the opportunities He places before us. Embracing a mindset of openness and curiosity, we can remain attentive to God’s presence in the ordinary, finding ways to respond to His call with a joyful, willing heart. Let’s reflect: What excuses am I making that keep me from fully accepting God’s invitation to be part of His kingdom today?
Don Giorgio
Nov 4, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop
Monday of week 31 in Ordinary Time
Gospel John 10:11-16
This is the passage where Jesus gives us this great consolation that He is our good Shepherd. How beautiful that we Jesus as our good shepherd. He says that He knows His own and He lays down His life for us. This is true. Jesus gave up His life for us. But this relationship is not a one-way relationship. Jesus says, “I know my own and my own know me”. That means, we as His sheep must know Him, His voice, to follow Him. But often that’s not the reality because we are not in this logic of an interpersonal relationship. Faith in Jesus is entering into a dynamism of interpersonal relationship with Jesus. This is a dynamic, reciprocal relationship. Faith, then, is not simply believing in His existence or His teachings; it’s stepping into an ongoing, living relationship with Him. It calls us to move beyond mere religious practices and into a responsive, attentive connection where we seek to know Him more personally. In this relationship, faith becomes more than belief—it becomes a shared journey. This passage invites us to be in a continuous state of openness and awareness, truly living as His “sheep,” fully trusting and knowing that He has already laid down everything for us. Let’s reflect: In what ways am I actively cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus, truly listening for His voice and responding to it?
Don Giorgio
Nov 2, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 12:28-34
“The Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength”. This is the most important commandment. This is more than a commandment. This is the desire of God who loves us and wants to relate to us so that we can be fully alive. This is the foundation for a personal relationship between God and ourselves. We must relate to God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The heart represents the emotional and volitional aspects of love. The soul encompasses the spiritual essence of a person. The mind emphasizes the intellectual dimension of faith. The strength refers to the physical and practical manifestation of love. This comprensive approach asks for a complete dedication of oneself to God, leaving no part of one’s being untouched by this love. His love must touch every part of our existence. It also suggests that faith should not be compartmentalized but should permeate every aspect of life – emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and physical. This becomes a way of life. This becomes the life. Then, it has the potential to transform one’s entire worldview and way of life, as everything becomes oriented towards loving and serving God. Let’s reflect: What does it mean to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and how does that affect our daily lives?
Don Giorgio
Nov 1, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
All Souls
Gospel – John 5:24-29
“For the Father, who is the source of life, has made the Son the source of life”. Today we are celebrating All Souls’ Day. We remember all our departed beloveds. Our beloved departed persons are those are chosen by God in our life. They became instruments of God’s grace in our life. Father is the source of life of each one of us. He has made the Son the source of life in our life. In our Baptism we inherited the life of this Son, who is the source of life. His life is eternal. His life is fulfilling. His life is overwhelming. This is the life we share, in sacraments. This life gives our beloved departed the eternal life. The eternal life is the continuation of the life of the Son in us. Eternal life is not an end but a continuation of the life of Christ within us, sustained and purified through His love and mercy. Their life must be free of all sins so that the life of the Son continues in them. Our prayers and Holy Masses will help them to get rid of their sins. Because our prayers and the Holy Masses, are signs of love and signs of our gratitude for them. The Holy Mass for them will help them for redemption as the blood of Christ washes their sins. May our remembrance today be a channel of grace and comfort, knowing that through Christ, the bond with our loved ones endures forever in the embrace of God’s love. In the communion of saints, we are united with them through prayer, the sacraments, and our hope in resurrection. Our connection is strengthened each time we pray for them, remember their lives, and honor their legacy through our own actions. This relationship calls us to deepen our faith, live with purpose, and trust in God’s promise of eternal life. Let’s reflect: In what ways can I live more fully in the life of Christ that I have inherited through Baptism, so that my prayers bridge my relationship to God and the memory of my departed loved ones?
Don Giorgio
