Aug 24, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 21 in Ordinary Time
Saint Louis, King
Saint Joseph of Calasanz, Priest
First reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5,8-10
Saint Paul praises the Thessalonians for showing their faith in action, laboring in love, and persevering in hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. These three virtues, faith, hope, and love, are not abstract ideas but lived realities that mark the life of every true disciple. Faith is proven by concrete choices and deeds, not just words; love requires work, sacrifice, and often hidden service; and hope calls us to persevere with trust even when trials persist. On this day, the Church remembers Saint Louis, who as a king sought justice and charity in his governance, and Saint Joseph of Calasanz, who poured out his life in educating the poor. Both lived these virtues in very different states of life, showing us that holiness is not limited to one path but is measured by how we let faith, love, and hope shape our actions daily. Their example challenges us to examine how visible these virtues are in our own lives: not as occasional gestures, but as the steady rhythm of discipleship in Christ. Let’s reflect: Do my daily choices clearly show a living faith, a love that works in sacrifice, and a hope that perseveres, as seen in the lives of the Thessalonians and the saints we celebrate today?
Don Giorgio
Aug 24, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Isaiah 66:18-21; Hebrews 12:5-7,11-13
Isaiah gives us the image of God who gathers people of every nation and language into His presence, showing us that His love is universal and His plan of salvation embraces all. Yet the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that being part of this divine gathering also means accepting the discipline of a loving Father. Correction and even suffering are not signs of abandonment, but of belonging: “the Lord trains the ones that he loves.” Just as a father disciplines his children to help them grow, God allows us to walk through trials so that our faith may be strengthened and our lives purified. This perspective transforms suffering from something meaningless into part of our training for holiness. To be gathered into God’s people is both a gift and a responsibility, we are called to endure difficulties with hope, trusting that every hardship can shape us more deeply into sons and daughters who reflect His love. Let’s reflect: When I experience correction, trials, or suffering, do I see them as signs of God’s love shaping me into His child, or do I let discouragement prevent me from trusting His fatherly care?
Don Giorgio
Aug 22, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of week 20 in Ordinary Time
Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
First reading: Ruth 2:1-3,8-11,4:13-17
The encounter between Ruth and Boaz highlights two virtues that open the way for God’s blessing: humility and generosity. Ruth accepts her vulnerable position with dignity, gleaning in the fields without demanding more than what is given. Boaz, in turn, recognizes her humility and responds with abundant kindness, going beyond mere obligation to provide for her safety and future. Together, their story reveals how God’s providence works through ordinary human relationships when hearts are open to grace. This same pattern is reflected in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose humility drew forth the generosity of God in making her the Mother of His Son, and in Saint Rose of Lima, who embraced a life of hidden sacrifice and became a channel of God’s love for others. The union of humility and generosity is transformative: it creates space for God to act and allows His blessings to multiply beyond what we can imagine. Let’s reflect: Do I cultivate the humility to receive with gratitude and the generosity to give beyond obligation, so that my life becomes a channel of God’s providence and blessing for others?
Don Giorgio
Aug 22, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Our Lady, Mother and Queen
Friday of week 20 in Ordinary Time
First reading Ruth 1:1,3-6,14-16,22
Ruth’s words to Naomi, “wherever you go, I will go… your people shall be my people, and your God, my God”, are among the most beautiful declarations of fidelity and faith in Scripture. They show us that true commitment is not just loyalty to a person, but an embrace of their God, their mission, and their destiny. On this feast of Our Lady, Mother and Queen, Ruth’s words also echo Mary’s own fiat, her total yes to God’s will, which led her to stand faithfully by Christ from Nazareth to Calvary and beyond. Both Ruth and Mary remind us that faith is not lived in half-measures; it is a wholehearted entrustment of our future into God’s hands, even when the road ahead is uncertain. Such fidelity transforms ordinary life into a sacred journey, one that radiates trust, courage, and belonging in God’s plan. Let’s reflect: Am I willing, like Ruth and like Mary, to entrust my whole future into God’s hands with fidelity and courage, even when the road ahead is uncertain, so that my life becomes a true “yes” to His plan?
Don Giorgio
Aug 21, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Pius X, Pope
Thursday of week 20 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Judges 11:29-39
The tragic story of Jephthah’s vow reminds us of the danger of rash promises and the gravity of offering to God what He has not asked for. In his zeal, Jephthah vowed something extreme, and his lack of discernment led to sorrow and loss. God desires from us not reckless sacrifices but humble obedience, mercy, and love. Saint Pius X, whose feast we celebrate today, understood this truth deeply: his great reform of the Church’s liturgy and promotion of frequent Communion was rooted not in harsh burdens, but in opening the faithful to God’s grace and love in simple, trusting devotion. The contrast between Jephthah and Saint Pius X is striking, one imposed a vow born of fear and pride, the other led with a heart transformed by Christ. The lesson for us is clear: our relationship with God must be guided not by impulsive self-demands but by attentive listening, trust, and alignment with His will. Let’s reflect: Do I approach God with promises and demands shaped by my own impulses, or do I humbly seek His will with a heart ready to obey in love, as Saint Pius X did?
Don Giorgio
