May 15, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of the 6th week of Eastertide Gospel: John 16:20-23 In the days between Ascension and Pentecost, the Church lives in a sacred waiting—a waiting filled not with emptiness, but with promise. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples: “You are sad now, but I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy, and that joy no one shall take from you.” The disciples experience the pain of separation, uncertainty, and longing after the Ascension, yet Christ prepares them for a joy that will come through the Holy Spirit. This period becomes an image of the Christian life itself: we live between promise and fulfillment, between longing and presence. The waiting for the Holy Spirit is therefore not passive; it is the opening of the heart to receive divine joy. The joy promised by Christ is not dependent on circumstances, because it is born from His Resurrection and sustained by the Spirit. It is a joy rooted in communion with the living Lord, a joy that suffering cannot destroy and the world cannot take away. During this sacred time between Ascension and Pentecost, we are invited to wait with trust, prayer, and expectation, allowing God to prepare our hearts to be filled with the enduring joy of the Holy Spirit. Let’s reflect: Am I waiting for the Holy Spirit with trust, allowing Christ to transform my present sadness and uncertainty into a joy that no one can take away?
Don Giorgio
May 15, 2026 | SPIRITUALITY
“God is gracious and merciful.” (Ps 145:8-9) Your grace, Mary, flows from the grace of God, who made you full of grace. And He was able to do so because you were and are fully open. Your openness means not only a readiness to receive every grace, but also to pass it on. Your open hands are a symbol of this. We can see them in many statues. You do not keep any of God’s gifts for yourself; you allow God to bestow them through you upon everyone in need. Grace can flow through you because there is no selfishness or greed in you. When you ask God for our needs, you are as gracious as He is and desire nothing for yourself. God’s grace shines through your pure Immaculate Heart and flows down upon us through your hands. Perhaps it is not so difficult for me to ask through your intercession, Mary, for various graces for others, but am I myself good and merciful toward them? Together with you, Mary, I praise the Lord’s mercy; I humbly ask you to teach me to live in grace and to be merciful toward others, just as you are.
May 13, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
The Ascension of the Lord – Solemnity Readings:Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20 The Solemnity of the Ascension reveals that the Risen Christ did not disappear from the world, but entered into the glory of the Father while remaining mysteriously present with His Church. In the Acts of the Apostles (1:1–11), the Ascension is described with profound simplicity and truth: “He was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.” The cloud does not signify absence, but the divine presence and glory into which Christ enters. The disciples no longer see Him with earthly eyes, yet He reigns alive and exalted. In the Letter to the Ephesians (1:17–23), the Ascension becomes an invitation into “the rich glories” promised to the saints. Christ ascends not to distance Himself from humanity, but to open heaven for humanity. His glorified humanity becomes the destiny toward which we are called. In the Gospel of Matthew (28:16–20), the Ascension is deeply mission-oriented: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” The disciples are not asked to remain gazing at the sky, but to continue Christ’s mission in the world. The Ascension therefore unites glory and mission: Christ reigns in heaven, but His presence continues through the Church sent into the world with the promise, “I am with you always.”
Don Giorgio
May 13, 2026 | SPIRITUALITY
“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” /Lk 1:28/ I am captivated, Mother, by your openness—the openness of your heart, your mind, and your imagination. You are filled with grace because you are completely open to God. There is no obstacle, no blockage, no fear, no reserve, nor anything self-centered that would stand in the way of God’s grace. Thank you, Mary, for your openness, alive and relevant throughout your entire life. This title: Mother of God’s Grace, also tells us that in every situation you opened yourself anew to receive the grace of the moment. And not every one of these graces was obvious or easy to accept. How open am I now to receiving the graces the Lord is giving me right now? Can I recognize them? Do I want to accept them?
Mary, Mother of God’s Grace—pray for us
May 13, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of the 6th week of Eastertide Our Lady of Fátima Gospel: John 16:12-15In today’s Gospel, Jesus explains why the Holy Spirit is essential for understanding the mystery of the Resurrection: “He will glorify me, since all he tells you will be taken from what is mine.” The Resurrection is not fully grasped merely by human reasoning or external observation. It is the Holy Spirit who opens the heart to recognize the glory of the Risen Christ and to enter into the depth of His truth. The Spirit does not speak independently, but reveals Christ, making present in us what belongs to Him. Through the Spirit, the words, actions, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus become living realities that transform our lives. The Spirit glorifies Christ not by adding something new, but by leading believers into the fullness of who Jesus truly is. On the memorial of Our Lady of Fátima, we also remember the humble openness of Mary to the action of the Holy Spirit, who always leads souls toward Christ. During the Easter season, we are invited to become more docile to the Spirit of truth, allowing Him to illuminate our hearts so that the glory of the Risen Lord may become the center of our lives. Let’s reflect: Easter is allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us into the truth and glory of the Risen Christ until His life becomes the center of our own.
Don Giorgio
