Apr 24, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Mark, Evangelist – Feast
Gospel Mark 16:15-20
“Jesus showed himself to the Eleven and said to them: ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation’”. Today we are celebrating the Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist. There is an intrinsic connection between being a disciple and being a missionary. There is an intrinsic connection between the Risen Christ and the fact of being sent. The experience of Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the vocation to be the witness, the testimony of the Risen Lord. That is what we can read in the Word of God today. Jesus showed himself to the Apostles and said, “Go out to the whole world” and “proclaim the Good News to all creation”. So, this going out to the whole world and the proclamation of the Good News to all creation spring from the witnessing of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you witness the Risen Lord, it’s for being a testimony of that experience to the whole world. Because the Good News to all creation is the resurrection of Jesus Christ who won His victory over death. So, Jesus the Second Person of the Holy Trinity became man and defeated the enemy of the humanity, the death. And everyone is invited to be part of this life of Jesus Risen. This is the Good News. Let’s reflect: Easter is proclaiming of the Good News after encountering the Risen Christ.
Apr 23, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of the 4th week of Eastertide
Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest, Martyr
Gospel John 12:44-50
“I, the light, have come into the world, so that whoever believes in me need not stay in the dark any more”. This is so clear a message from Jesus Christ who came to save us. He is the light. He came to the world so that anyone who believes in Him needs not stay in the darkness. We must recognize this truth of Jesus Christ that He is the light. This comes from the fact that we see in Jesus Christ the face of the Father. “Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me, sees the one who sent me”. In Jesus we may forget to see the face of the Father, we fail to believe Him as God. Then we cannot embrace Him as the light. This seeing of the face of the Father in Jesus Christ happens when we listen to the Words of Jesus as the Words which will give eternal life. So the Word of God is the eyeopener to see Jesus Christ as the light which saves us from the darkness. Let’s reflect: Easter is seeing Jesus Christ as the light which keeps me away from darkness.
Apr 22, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of the 4th week of Eastertide
Saint George, Martyr
Gospel – John 10:22-30
“The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me. The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone, and no one can steal from the Father. The Father and I are one”. In this passage we can find the whole dynamics of our relationship with God. Jesus became the Good Shepherd so that He can lead us to His Father. To be with the Father is the desire of Son. God the Father has given each one of us to Jesus, so the Jesus the Good Shepherd leads each one of us to the Father. When we understand the Jesus is the Good Shepherd, we will listen to His voice. And then we will follow Him. And He will give us eternal life and we will never be lost. Because we receive the life of the Good Shepherd and in His life we get the Eternal life and we will never be lost or no one can steal us from Him. This bond of relationship is what we have in our relationship with the Good Shepherd. And this dynamism begins from the unity between the Father and the Son. The will of Father to save us coincides with the will of the Son to give His life to save us. Let’s reflect: Easter is recognizing the voice of the Good Shepherd and following Him.
Apr 21, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of the 4th week of Eastertide
Gospel John 10:1-10
“I am the gate of the sheepfold”. Yesterday we celebrated the Sunday of the Good Shepherd where we meditated about Jesus being the Good Shepherd. But in this passage, we are finding out another identity of this Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is not only a Shepherd but, in the sheepfold, He is the gate. When all the sheep return to the sheepfold, the Shepherd is not going to get rest as He was travelling with the sheep all day, but He becomes the gate of the sheepfold. This shows how much this Shepherd is connected to His sheep. Practically His life is a life with the sheep. In the sheepfold, He is the gate. He protects the sheep; He protects each one of us from being attacked by the thieves and brigands. He is the Shepherd in the field, and He is the gate in the sheepfold because the sheep belong to Him. There is a personal relationship between the sheep and the Shepherd. There is this personal relationship between Jesus and us. Let’s reflect: Easter is living the personal relationship between Jesus and me.
Apr 20, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
4th Sunday of Easter
Gospel – John 10:11-18
Good Shepherd Sunday
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
The image of Good Shepherd comes from this passage when Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep”. This passage is so beautiful when our relationship with Jesus Christ is explained in a personal relationship with Good Shepherd. A Shepherd who knows me and who is ready to lay down His life for me. Jesus loves me as I am as He knows me. He loves me as a shepherd. The shepherd has a protective love. A protective love which protects me from all my enemies. The love of the Shepherd is special because when the shepherd knows when a sheep is weak, he gives special attention. A shepherd is not judgemental. He loves the sheep as they are. The love of this shepherd is identified with his voice. His words, His voice, is the assurance of His presence. That is Jesus, the good Shepherd. A love which even the death can’t stop. A love which continues forever with Resurrection. Nothing can stop the love of this good Shepherd. Let’s reflect: Easter is recognizing the voice of Jesus, the good shepherd.
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/vocations/documents/20240421-messaggio-61-gm-vocazioni.html
