Apr 12, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of the 5th week of Lent
First reading Ezekiel 37:21-28
As Lent draws to its final days, the reading from Ezekiel offers a powerful image of what God desires to accomplish, not only in history, but in the hearts of each one of us. The Lord speaks of gathering His people, once scattered and divided, and making them one nation under a single shepherd. This is the promise of the Messianic time, the time of the Church, where in Christ Himself everyone is united. Lent, far from being just a time of personal effort or spiritual exercise, is in fact a divine movement toward unity. During the lent we are invited to cooperate with Jesus who is actively working to restore unity on every level of our lives. He draws us closer to Himself through prayer and repentance, heals our broken relationships through acts of reconciliation and mercy, and invites us to rediscover inner integrity, a deeper harmony between what we believe, what we do, and who we are. Thus, lent becomes a moment in which we let God rebuild what is shattered in us. We enter into a better relationship of unity with God, with others and with ourselves. Let’s reflect: Lent is letting God rebuild what is shattered inside us.
Don Giorgio
Apr 11, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of the 5th week of Lent
Saint Stanislaus, Bishop, Martyr
First reading: Jeremiah 20:10-13
On this Friday of the fifth week of Lent, the words of the prophet Jeremiah draw us into a deep reflection on the reality of spiritual struggle. He speaks from a place of pain and betrayal, surrounded by those who once called him friend but now seek his downfall. Yet even in the midst of fear and isolation, Jeremiah clings to his confidence in the Lord, declaring that God is like a mighty warrior who defends and delivers. His cry is not only one of lament but of hope rooted in divine faithfulness. This moment in Lent reminds us that the journey to Easter is not without its shadows. We, too, face dangers—temptations, discouragements, and voices that sow doubt or confusion. Sometimes these threats come from the world around us; other times, they rise from within our own hearts in the form of pride, complacency, or resentment. Lent calls us to recognize these dangers not with despair, but with a courageous trust in God’s saving presence. As we draw closer to Holy Week, Jeremiah’s witness encourages us to name our struggles honestly and to reaffirm our belief that the Lord sees, hears, and delivers all who place their hope in Him. Let’s reflect: Lent is recognizing the spiritual dangers with a courageous trust in God’s deliverance.
Don Giorgio
Apr 10, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of the 5th week of Lent
First reading Genesis 17:3-9
On this Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent, the reading from Genesis 17:3–9 draws us into the profound mystery of God’s covenantal love which is a love that initiates, sustains, and transforms. As Abram falls face down before the Lord, we too are invited to a posture of surrender, recognizing that it is not we who first reach for God, but God who stoops to bind Himself to us in mercy. Lent is a season of rediscovering this truth: that our faith is not primarily about what we do for God, but about what God desires to do in us through His covenant in Jesus Christ. In Genesis, God promises to make Abram the father of many nations, establishing an everlasting bond that shapes not just his destiny, but the destiny of generations. In Christ, this promise is extended to all humanity; the covenant is sealed not with a name change, but with the shedding of His own blood. Believing in Lent means trusting that God is at work in us even when we feel barren, broken, or unworthy. It means allowing the promise of His covenant which is being His people and He our God, to take root deeply in our hearts. Let’s reflect: Lent is living the covenantal love of God realized in me through Jesus Christ.
Don Giorgio
Apr 9, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of the 5th week of Lent
First reading Daniel 3:14-20,24-25,28
On this Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent, we encounter the powerful witness of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—young men who faced the blazing furnace with unwavering trust in God. Their courage did not falter, even when the fire was made seven times hotter. Instead, their faith deepened. In the midst of the flames, they were not alone—the angel of the Lord was with them, a sign of divine protection. So too in our Lenten journey, as we confront the fires of temptation, discouragement, or fear, we are invited to wrap ourselves in the grace of God. Grace does not always remove the fire, but it shields us within it. Lent is not merely a time of endurance but of transformation—where trust grows stronger, and God’s presence becomes more radiant in the midst of trial. Trust makes the grace wrap up you as a shield. Grace surrounds us like a divine shield, enabling us to walk through the flames of sin and struggle without being consumed. Let’s reflect: Lent is wrapping ourselves with the grace of God.
Don Giorgio
Apr 8, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of the 5th week of Lent
First reading Numbers 21:4-9
In the wilderness, as the people of Israel grew weary and rebellious, they were met with the consequences of their sin—venomous serpents whose bites brought suffering and death. Yet even in their affliction, God provided a path to healing: a bronze serpent lifted high by Moses. Those who looked upon it with faith were saved. This striking image prefigures the Cross of Christ, where Jesus, though sinless, was “lifted up” to take on the poison of our sins. During Lent, we are invited to recognize that we too are wounded—bitten by pride, selfishness, fear, and all that separates us from God and from one another. Our healing does not come from hiding our wounds or striving to fix ourselves alone, but from lifting our eyes to the Crucified Lord. To look upon the Cross is to repent, to believe in the depth of God’s mercy, and to entrust ourselves to His love. It is an act of surrender that opens us to the grace that does not merely remove the sting of sin, but transforms it, giving birth to new life. In the Cross, suffering and love meet, and in that meeting, we find the path home. Let’s reflect: Lent is looking at the Cross for redemption.
Don Giorgio
