Jul 12, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Saturday of week 14 in Ordinary Time
First reading Genesis 49:29-33,50:15-26
On this Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are reminded through the closing of Genesis that God’s providence can transform even the darkest intentions into instruments of blessing. Joseph, reflecting on all the harm done to him, speaks with astonishing grace and clarity: “God has turned the evil you planned into good.” These words reveal the mystery of divine redemption, not that God wills evil, but that He never lets it have the final word. Like Mary, who witnessed the pain of the Cross and yet believed in the triumph of the Resurrection, we too are called to trust that God can bring forth good from every wound, hope from every loss, and life from every death. The journey of faith does not protect us from suffering, but it gives us the assurance that no suffering is wasted in God’s hands. Today, let us ask for Mary’s faith, the faith that waits patiently and trusts silently in the God who redeems all things in His time and for His glory. Let’s reflect: Do I trust, like Mary and Joseph, that God can transform the painful and unjust moments of my life into something good and meaningful in His perfect time?
Don Giorgio
Jul 11, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Benedict, Abbot
Friday of week 14 in Ordinary Time
First reading Genesis 46:1-7,28-30
The story of Jacob’s journey to Egypt, guided by God’s reassurance and culminating in his emotional reunion with Joseph, is a powerful reminder of how life’s changes, often unexpected or difficult, can become the very ground where God fulfills His promises. When God tells Jacob not to be afraid of going down to Egypt, He is not only comforting him in the face of an uncertain future but also inviting him to trust that even this displacement will become a path of blessing. Jacob, once fearful, embraces the change and, in doing so, finds deep joy and peace. His words, “Now I can die, now that I have seen you again,” speak of a heart that has surrendered to the unfolding of God’s plan, even when it took him far from the familiar. On this feast of Saint Benedict, a man who embraced radical change to seek God more deeply, we are called to reflect on how we respond to the changes in our own lives. Let’s reflect: Do we resist and fear changes, or do we open ourselves to the possibility that they may be the very places where God is working to bring life, healing, and fulfillment?
Don Giorgio
Jul 10, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 14 in Ordinary Time
First reading Genesis 44:18-21,23-29,45:1-5
Today’s reading brings us to a powerful and emotional turning point, Joseph revealing his identity to his brothers. It is a moment filled not with bitterness, but with deep joy and peace, as Joseph sees clearly the hand of God in all that has happened. The years of betrayal, slavery, and hardship now converge into a single revelation: that God was guiding everything for a greater good. Joseph’s words, “It was not you who sent me here, but God,” show the freedom that comes when we allow divine purpose to redefine our past. There are moments in our own lives when, after walking through confusion and pain, light breaks through and we begin to understand why certain things happened. These moments are not always frequent, but when they come, they are filled with peace, healing, and often tears of gratitude. Today, we are invited to reflect with hope and patience on our own journey, trusting that even what we don’t yet understand is held in the loving hands of a God who will one day make all things clear and beautiful. Let’s reflect: Am I open to recognizing God’s hand at work in my past and present, even in painful moments, trusting that He is guiding everything toward a greater good?
Don Giorgio
Jul 9, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 14 in Ordinary Time
Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and his Companions, Martyrs
First reading Genesis 41:55-57,42:5-7,17-24
In today’s reading, we see Joseph face the very brothers who once betrayed him, not with vengeance, but with a heart moved to tears. Though he has risen to power in Egypt, his strength lies not in his position but in his ability to recognize the hand of God at work through his suffering. Joseph weeps, not out of weakness, but out of deep awareness that everything he endured was not in vain, but part of a greater plan of redemption. He sees that what was once meant for harm, God has used for good. This moment invites us to reflect on our own past wounds and injustices. Can we look at them through the lens of God’s providence, as moments through which He may be shaping a greater purpose? Like Joseph, we are called to let grace transform pain into compassion, and memory into mercy. To recognize God’s plan is not to deny the hurt, but to see beyond it, toward the healing, the reconciliation, and the silent wisdom of a God who never wastes anything. Let’s reflect: Can I look at the wounds and struggles of my past through the eyes of faith, trusting that God is using them as part of a greater plan for healing and redemption?
Don Giorgio
Jul 8, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 14 in Ordinary Time
First reading Genesis 32:23-33
In today’s reading, we witness the mysterious and intense encounter between Jacob and God, a struggle through the night that ends not in defeat, but in blessing. Jacob’s words, “I will not let you go unless you bless me,” reveal a heart that clings with faith, not only to God’s power, but to God’s goodness and love. This moment of wrestling speaks to our own inner battles, times when we struggle with fears, questions, or pain, yet refuse to let go of our trust in God’s desire to bless us. What makes the difference in Jacob is not just his belief in God, but his deep conviction that he is loved by God and therefore worthy of that blessing. This faith, both in God’s love and in his own identity as loved, transforms him into Israel—a new name, a new purpose. Today, we are invited to reflect on our own faith, to believe not only that God loves, but that we are truly loved by Him. Let’s reflect: Do I truly believe that I am personally loved by God, and do I cling to that truth even during struggle and uncertainty?
Don Giorgio
