Aug 10, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Clare, Virgin
Monday of week 19 in Ordinary Time
First reading Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Today’s passage distills the heart of covenant theology into a simple yet all-encompassing call: to fear the Lord, walk in His ways, love Him, serve Him with our whole being, and keep His commandments. This is not a burdensome demand but a path toward our ultimate good, for to give ourselves entirely to God is to enter into the fullness of life He created us for. This text reveals that obedience and love are inseparable, God’s law is not a set of arbitrary rules but an expression of His nature, drawing us into deeper communion with Him. Saint Clare embodied this truth through her radical poverty, making room in her heart for God alone. By stripping away attachments and distractions, she allowed divine love to fill every corner of her soul, living out the total self-gift Deuteronomy describes. To follow her example is to see that when God holds the primary place in our hearts, all else falls into proper order, and our lives become a living reflection of His goodness. Let’s reflect: Have I made enough space in my heart for God alone, allowing love and obedience to Him to shape every aspect of my life?
Don Giorgio
Aug 10, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Wisdom 18:6-9; Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19
Today’s readings invite us to consider faith not only as a religious virtue but as a way of perceiving reality itself, a lens that changes how we see, interpret, and respond to the world. The Letter to the Hebrews describes faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” pointing to a dimension of life where the visible is not the ultimate measure of truth. This altered perspective reorders our priorities, because when we trust in God’s promises, we no longer live merely for what is immediate or tangible; we live in light of what is eternal. Abraham’s journey, guided by faith into the unknown, shows that such trust demands courage, detachment, and a willingness to let the unseen shape our present actions. Faith, then, is not blind, it is deeply aware, rooted in a reality beyond the reach of our senses, yet more real than what they can grasp. It allows us to choose differently, love more deeply, and persevere when circumstances seem uncertain, because our horizon is no longer bound by this world alone. Let’s reflect: Does my faith truly shape how I see the world and determine my choices, or do I still allow the visible and immediate to dictate my priorities?
Don Giorgio
Aug 8, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), Virgin, Martyr
Saturday of week 18 in Ordinary Time
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
First reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-13
Today’s reading draws us into the mystical depth of what it means to live wholly immersed in the Word of God. Moses urges the people not simply to hear the commandments, but to let them be written on the heart, engraved in the deepest place of the soul where God and the human spirit meet. This is not mere memorization but a continual abiding, where the Word shapes our thoughts as we rest, guides our steps as we walk, accompanies us in the night, and awakens with us in the morning. To fasten it on our hands is to let every action flow from divine truth; to bind it on our foreheads is to let it illuminate the mind with God’s wisdom. Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, whose life was steeped in contemplation and sacrifice, embodied this mystical union with the Word, carrying it through study, prayer, suffering, and ultimately, martyrdom. Such a life reveals that the Word is not a text to be visited but a living presence to be inhabited, until our very being becomes a dwelling place where God’s voice continually speaks and His light never fades. Let’s reflect: Is the Word of God so deeply written on my heart that it shapes my thoughts, actions, and very being in every moment of my life?
Don Giorgio
Aug 7, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Dominic, Priest
Friday of week 18 in Ordinary Time
First reading Deuteronomy 4:32-40
Today’s reading invites us into a deeply personal reflection on our relationship with God, not as an abstract belief, but as a lived experience rooted in memory and gratitude. Moses urges the people to “understand this today and take it to heart”, that the Lord alone is God, sovereign in heaven and on earth, and intimately involved in every detail of their lives. This understanding is not just intellectual assent but a call to remember the countless ways God has shown His love, care, and fidelity. As Moses recounts God’s mighty deeds, we too are encouraged to list, one by one, the moments where God has acted in our own lives: the silent provisions, the unexpected consolations, the strength we didn’t know we had. Saint Dominic, whose feast we celebrate today, lived this awareness, his preaching flowed from a heart deeply united to the God he knew personally. To take God’s love to heart means to never grow forgetful, to allow our personal history with Him to shape our obedience, our joy, and our trust. Let’s reflect: Do I take time to remember and truly take to heart the many ways God has loved and guided me personally, allowing that memory to deepen my trust and commitment to Him?
Don Giorgio
Aug 7, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 18 in Ordinary Time
Saints Sixtus II, Pope, and his Companions, Martyrs
Saint Cajetan, Priest
First reading: Numbers 20:1-13
In today’s passage from Numbers, we see how the Israelites’ constant complaints test both Moses and God’s patience. When faced with their grumbling, Moses falls prostrate before the Lord, seeking guidance, and God instructs him simply to speak to the rock so that water would flow. Yet, in frustration and doubt, Moses strikes the rock twice instead of trusting in the sufficiency of God’s word. This act of unbelief costs him dearly, serving as a profound reminder of the power and reliability of God’s word. Throughout Scripture, creation responds to His command, promises are fulfilled by His decree, and His word itself brings life. This episode calls us to remember that God’s word is not empty or ineffective; it carries divine authority that requires faith, not human manipulation or force. When we trust His word, even without visible signs or dramatic actions, we participate in a faith rooted deeply in His truth and promises. Let’s reflect: Do I trust fully in the power of God’s word, or do I rely on my own actions and efforts when faith alone is what He asks of me?
Don Giorgio
