Jun 3, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saints Charles Lwanga and his Companions, Martyrs
Gospel – Matthew 5:1-12
Today we are celebrating the Feast of Great African Martyrs of Uganda who were burned alive in a group after being tortured by the Ugandan King Mwanga. Charles Lwanga and his twenty-one companions (the youngest, Kizito, was only 13) were executed for being Christians, for rebuking the king for his debauchery and his murder of an Anglican missionary, for “praying from a book,” and for refusing to allow themselves to be ritually sodomised by the king. And the reading the Church proposes is the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are the model of our action and of our being. What we do must be conformed to the Beatitudes, both our action and our reaction. Moreover, our being must be modelled according to Beatitudes. This is a challenge because we are always tempted to be with persecutor than with the persecuted. When we are living Beatitudes, our ego, the standards of the society, and external pressures will persecute us to give up our testimony of Jesus. But we must not give up. St. Charles Lwanga and his companions are models for us. Let’s reflect: How much I am ready to suffer for being Beatitudes?
Jun 2, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
9th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel - Mark 2:23-3:6
“Is it against the law on the sabbath day to do good, or to do evil”. The answer is very clear. To do good on sabbath is not against the law. With this statement, Jesus is teaching us that each law must a way to do good. The man with a withered hand is sitting among the people. Jesus is asking him to change his position, “Stand up out in the middle”. This man who has a problem must stand up out in the middle of the community because if we are not seeking a solution for his problem, but we are observing the day of the Lord, it seems meaningless. Without being sensitive to the problems of others, our pious celebrations become meaningless. When we can put the problems of others in the middle of our thoughts and try to do the good we can do, we are following Jesus. But when we are obstinate like the Pharisees, we will have to out from the presence of Jesus. “The Pharisees went out and at once began to plot with the Herodians against him, discussing how to destroy him.”. Let’s reflect: Am I sensitive to the problems of others and try to do good to remain in the presence of the Lord?
Jun 1, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Justin, Martyr
Saturday of week 8 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Matthew 5:13-19
“In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven”. It’s the nature of the light to shine and to illuminate. Jesus is comparing his disciples to light. “You are the light of the world”. And this light must shine before others. And Jesus also explains how the light must shine. We must shine through our good works. Our good words are the rays of light. Good words in all circumstances. Here the comparison with the light is very important. Good works from us must be as accessories. Good works from us must be our nature. Not some good works during the day, or occasionally. Everything we do must be an extension of the good in us as disciples of Jesus Christ. His light in us. His love in us. We must continuously transmit that light through us, through our good works constantly. Then only we can fulfill our vocation as light, by being light in the life of others. Let’s us reflect: Do I recognize my vocation as light in my daily life?
Jun 1, 2024 | NEWS
From Indonesia, Mother General S.M. Sybilla traveled to the Philippines on May 30 to visit our sisters there. The first day of the visit coincided with the completion of a sewing course for another group of women from a nearby parish. The sewing courses for poor mothers, combined with meditation on the Word of God and culminating in a certificate and the presentation of a sewing machine, is a very important help from our sisters. The Superior General's visit to Manila will last a week. We commend to your prayers our sisters S.M. Agatha and S.M. Phabiana, missionaries in the Philippines.
May 31, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Feast
Gospel – Luke 1:39-56
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour”. Today we are celebrating the Feast that commemorates the visit of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth, as described in the Gospel of Luke. The feast highlights the humility, charity, and joy of the Virgin Mary as she visits Elizabeth to assist her during her pregnancy. The feast emphasises the faith of Mother Mary in the word of the Angel at Annunciation, her joy in the encounter with Elizabeth and her humility and charity in assisting Elizabeth during her pregnancy. It also celebrates the sanctification of John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb and the recognition of Jesus’ presence by John even before his birth. The encounter between Mary and Elizabeth is marked by profound joy, as evidenced by the leaping of John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb and Mary’s hymn of praise. Along with the humility of Mother Mary and her spirit of service, three months with Elizabeth, we are called to meditate with the recognition of Jesus’ divine nature even in the womb, as acknowledged by John the Baptist and Elizabeth. The underlying truth is that when Jesus is present in us, we will be humble and when we are humble our encounters will become joyful. Let’s reflect: Do I succeed in transmitting the joy of the presence of Jesus in us to those whom I encounter?
