Jul 2, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 13 in Ordinary Time
First reading Genesis 21:5,8-20
Today’s reading reminds us that God never abandons the forgotten, the rejected, or those cast aside by others. Hagar, driven into the wilderness with her son and left with little hope, encounters the compassionate presence of God once again. Though Sarah had rejected her, and though all seemed lost, God saw Hagar’s suffering and heard the cries of her child. In her despair, God provided water in the desert and renewed His promise over Ishmael’s life. This moment reveals a powerful truth: human rejection does not equate to divine abandonment. God’s care reaches beyond social status, past mistakes, or painful circumstances, His love finds us in our most vulnerable places. Like Hagar, we may sometimes feel overlooked or mistreated, but God sees us, hears us, and remains faithful. Today, we are invited to take comfort in the assurance that even when others turn away, God draws near and provides exactly what we need to continue our journey. Let’s reflect: Do I trust that God sees and cares for me even when I feel forgotten or rejected by others?
Don Giorgio
Jul 1, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 13 in Ordinary Time
First reading Genesis 19:15-29
Today’s reading from Genesis reveals a God who, even in the face of justice, moves with deep compassion. Lot is spared not because of his righteousness, but because of the Lord’s pity—His merciful gaze that sees our frailty and acts to save, not to condemn. Even when the consequences of human sin unfold, God’s heart remains moved by sympathy for His children. He does not delight in destruction; rather, He seeks every opportunity to rescue, to guide, to lead us away from danger and into life. The story of Lot reminds us that God’s justice is always tempered by His mercy, and that His actions, even when difficult to understand, are never without love. Today, we are invited to trust in that divine pity—to believe that even when we stumble or find ourselves in compromised situations, God is still looking upon us with tenderness, extending His hand to lead us out of harm and into hope. Let’s reflect: Do I truly believe that God’s justice is always guided by mercy, and am I willing to accept His compassionate hand when He reaches out to lead me away from danger and toward new life?
Don Giorgio
