Aug 18, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 20 in Ordinary Time
Saint John Eudes, Priest
First reading Judges 6:11-24
In today’s reading, Gideon’s honest question—“Why has all this happened to us?”—echoes the cry of every heart when faced with suffering, injustice, or confusion. Yet the angel of the Lord answers not with explanations but with a mission: “Go and save Israel; am I not sending you?” God often responds to our cries by calling us to be part of His answer. Rather than remaining paralyzed by despair or complaint, we are invited to take responsibility, to act with courage, and to bring hope where there is darkness. This reminds us that God’s presence is not absent in trials but becomes visible through our willingness to cooperate with His plan. Even when we feel weak, He assures us that His strength will work through us. Every difficult situation, then, is not only a burden but also an opportunity to be transformed into an instrument of God’s peace and renewal. Let’s reflect: When faced with difficulties, do I stop at asking “Why me, Lord?” or do I open my heart to hear His call to be part of the solution, trusting that He will work through my weakness?
Don Giorgio
Aug 17, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 20 in Ordinary Time
First reading Judges 2:11-19
The reading from Judges reminds us of a weakness in human behavior: the tendency to turn to God only in times of trouble, and then to forget Him once peace or prosperity returns. Such a relationship is shallow and self-centered, reducing God to a problem-solver rather than the center of our life. True faith, however, is not seasonal or circumstantial; it is a covenant of love that endures in joy and in sorrow, in abundance and in need. God desires a faithful heart that walks with Him daily, not just when difficulties press upon us. The story challenges us to examine whether our devotion flows from genuine love or only from necessity. To live faithfully is to recognize God’s presence as constant, and to cultivate gratitude and trust even when all seems well, so that our hearts remain anchored in Him at all times. Let’s reflect: Do I seek God only in moments of need, or do I remain faithful to Him each day, even when life seems comfortable and secure?
Don Giorgio
Aug 16, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10; Hebrews 12:1-4
Jeremiah’s experience reminds us that following God’s Word is not without cost. He was thrown into the cistern because he proclaimed the truth, and Christ Himself endured the Cross for our salvation. Likewise, the Letter to the Hebrews exhorts us to persevere in the struggle against sin, even when it involves sacrifice or suffering. To be faithful to the Word is to accept that truth will not always be welcomed, and that the path of discipleship requires courage, endurance, and trust in God’s strength rather than our own. Yet, suffering for the sake of fidelity becomes redemptive: it unites us more closely with Christ, who endured hostility for our sake, and it bears witness that sin does not have the final word. True discipleship, then, is not measured by comfort but by steadfastness in trial, allowing our struggles to be conformed to Christ’s saving passion. Let’s reflect: How willing am I to endure suffering, rejection, or discomfort in order to remain faithful to God’s Word, trusting that even in trials His truth and love will prevail?
Don Giorgio
Aug 16, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Saturday of week 19 in Ordinary Time
Saint Stephen of Hungary
First reading Joshua 24:14-29
In today’s reading, Joshua speaks with urgency, reminding the people that the God who brought them out of slavery is a jealous God—not in the sense of petty rivalry, but in His total and exclusive claim on their love and fidelity. As they stand on the threshold of the promised land, they face a new reality: freedom. Yet with freedom comes the temptation to forget, to turn to other gods, to let comfort and abundance dull their devotion. Joshua’s warning is as relevant to us as it was to Israel: when life becomes easier, we can subtly drift from the One who delivered us, giving our hearts to lesser loves. True freedom is not doing whatever we please, but living wholly for the God who has redeemed us. To choose Him daily is to safeguard our freedom, ensuring it remains rooted in truth, gratitude, and love. Let’s reflect: In times of comfort and freedom, do I remain steadfast in giving my whole heart to God, or do I allow other priorities to take His place?
Don Giorgio
Aug 15, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Readings: Apocalypse 11:19,12:1-6,10; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26
In the mystery of the Assumption, we behold Mary as the perfect fruit of Christ’s victory over sin and death, proof that in her, humanity has triumphed through God’s grace. She is the woman clothed with the sun, the crown of twelve stars upon her head, standing as a sign of hope for the pilgrim Church. In her, we see not only the destiny God prepared for her unique vocation, but also the destiny He desires for all His faithful children: life in His presence, body and soul, forever. Mary’s Assumption is not an escape from the trials of life but the fulfillment of a journey lived in total obedience, humility, and love. She shares fully in her Son’s resurrection, showing us that God’s plan for humanity is not defeat or decay, but glory. In Mary, humanity has “won,” not by its own strength, but by complete surrender to the will of God, reminding us that our own path to victory lies in following her example of faith, trust, and unwavering discipleship. Let’s reflect: Do I follow Mary’s example of humble obedience and trust, so that God’s victory in Christ may also be fulfilled in my life?
Don Giorgio
