Apr 26, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Easter Saturday
First reading Acts 4:13-21
On this Easter Saturday, the Acts of the Apostles reveal to us the unstoppable power of the Resurrection alive in the hearts of the first disciples. Peter and John, simple fishermen transformed into fearless witnesses, stand before the authorities who command them to be silent. Yet they respond with clarity and conviction: “You must judge whether in God’s eyes it is right to listen to you rather than to God. We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.” Their words echo the uncontainable truth that the Risen Christ is not an idea, nor a private sentiment, but a living Person who has conquered death and forever changed the destiny of humanity. No threats, no punishments could suppress their testimony, for it was rooted not in human strength but in divine encounter. Today, as we continue to be happy in the light of Easter, we are called to this same courageous witness. Like Peter and John, we are sent forth to proclaim what we ourselves have experienced: that Christ is truly risen, that life has triumphed over death, that mercy is stronger than sin, and that hope can never be extinguished. The world may attempt to silence the voice of faith, yet when we listen first to God and not to the fears or pressures around us, we become living signs of the Resurrection. Our lives, marked by joy, charity, and steadfast hope, give glory to God and reveal to the world that Christ’s victory is not confined to the past but is alive and active today. Let us ask for the grace to listen always to the voice of the Risen Lord and, with hearts on fire, to never cease proclaiming what we have seen and heard.
Don Giorgio
Apr 25, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Easter Friday
First reading Acts 4:1-12
On this Easter Friday, the reading from the Acts of the Apostles invites us into the fearless proclamation of the early Church: “This is the stone rejected by you, the builders, but which has become the keystone. For of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.” In these powerful words, Saint Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks before the rulers and elders not with hesitation but with unwavering conviction in the Risen Lord. The Resurrection has changed everything. The Jesus whom the world dismissed, condemned, and crucified is now revealed as the cornerstone of God’s redemptive plan—the very foundation upon which new life is built. The rejected stone becomes the keystone not by force or vengeance, but by the mystery of divine love that overcomes death. In a world that often discards what seems weak, inconvenient, or humble, the Easter message is a radical reversal: salvation does not come through domination, but through the meekness of a crucified and risen Christ. His name is not simply a label—it is a living presence, a power that saves, heals, and restores. This is not just an idea or doctrine, but a reality experienced in the life of the Church and in each believer who places their trust in Him. To confess the name of Jesus is to embrace the paradox of a God who reigns from a cross and triumphs through resurrection. May His name be ever on our lips and in our hearts, the sure and saving path to life eternal. Let’s reflect: Let us not fear being stones rejected by the standards of the world, for if we are united to Christ, we too are being shaped to fit into the great architecture of God’s Kingdom.
Don Giorgio
Apr 24, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Easter Thursday
First reading Acts 3:11-26
On this Easter Thursday, the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles brings us face to face with the astonishing mercy of God. Peter, addressing the people after the healing of the lame man, does not hesitate to confront them with the truth: “You handed over the Holy and Righteous One… you killed the author of life.” And yet, in the very same breath, he reveals the unfathomable depth of divine compassion, ‘this very Jesus, rejected and crucified, has been raised from the dead’. The Resurrection does not ignore our sin, but it transforms it; it does not justify our betrayal, but it reveals that even our worst failures cannot derail the plan of God. The victory of Jesus over death—the ultimate consequence of sin—is not merely a reversal of tragedy but a radiant sign that grace abounds where sin once reigned. This is the paradox at the heart of Easter: we who rejected Life itself are now offered life anew. The Risen Christ does not come to condemn but to restore, to lift us from the paralysis of guilt and despair, and to set us once more on the path of righteousness. It is a call to conversion, to return to God not in shame but in trust. Every wound, every misstep, every denial becomes, in His hands, a point of redemption. Jesus is risen not only in glory, but in the midst of our history, continuing to transform hearts, restore dignity, and reconcile us to the Father. In this light, Easter is not just a season, but a daily decision—to rise with Christ, to walk in His ways, and to allow His Resurrection to unfold within us, one act of faith and forgiveness at a time. Let’s reflect: Easter is an invitation to believe that nothing we have done can place us beyond the reach of divine mercy.
Don Giorgio
Apr 23, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Easter Wednesday
St. George
First reading Acts 3:1-10
On this Easter Wednesday, the Word invites us to contemplate the profound power of the Resurrection at work through the apostles. Peter’s words—“I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!”—reveal the fruit of an intimate union with the Risen Lord. He does not offer wealth or status, but something infinitely greater: the living presence and power of Christ. Yet Peter does not stop at proclaiming healing; he reaches out his hand and helps the man to stand. In this simple yet transformative gesture, we glimpse the Church’s mission: to speak Christ with authority and to lift others in His name. Pope Francis embodied this same apostolic heart—he walked with the wounded, gave voice to the voiceless, and continually urged the world to rise with courage, dignity, and faith. To believe in the Resurrection is not merely to await Heaven—it is to extend our hand and help others rise today with the power of Jesus Risen experienced in your personal relationship with Him. The true sign of Easter is not only the empty tomb, but the heart filled with His living presence, ready to act. Just as Peter, deeply united with the Risen Christ, spoke healing and extended his hand to the man at the temple gate, so too are we called to become instruments of Christ’s compassion and strength. When we know Him not only in doctrine but in the intimacy of prayer and trust, we carry His life within us—life that lifts, restores, and renews. Every time we help someone rise, from sorrow, from injustice, from loneliness, we proclaim that the Resurrection is real and active in our world today.
Don Giorgio
Apr 22, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Easter Tuesday
The day after the death of Pope Francis
First reading Acts 2:36-41
On this Easter Tuesday, just a day after the passing of Pope Francis, the Word from Acts echoes with solemn clarity: “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” In the shadow of grief, this declaration becomes not merely a theological truth but a lifeline, reminding us that the victory of the Risen Christ is not diminished by death, even the death of a beloved shepherd. Rather, it is magnified in our sorrow. It calls us to grow, not merely in knowledge of the faith, but in the certainty of it. This certainty is not cold or rigid, but vibrant and transformative. It gives rise to a hope that endures suffering without yielding to despair, and to a love that is not self-preserving, but self-giving. In the life and final witness of Pope Francis who spent himself for the Gospel until his last breath we glimpse what it means to be anchored in this certainty. He spoke often of God’s mercy and the joy of the Gospel, because he believed firmly that Jesus Christ is alive, present, and Lord. To grow in the certainty that Jesus is Lord is to allow Him to reshape every part of our lives, to carry us through grief with peace, and to impel us into the world with courage. In these sacred days, when death has touched the Church so closely, may we not shrink back in doubt, but walk forward with hearts firm in faith, knowing that the Christ who triumphed over the grave continues to shepherd His people through every night into radiant morning. Let’s reflect: Easter is an invitation to grow in the certainty of faith in the Lordship of Jesus.
Don Giorgio
