Sep 9, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 23 in Ordinary Time
Saint Peter Claver
Gospel – Luke 6:6-11
“Is it against the law on the sabbath to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it?”. Jesus is asking a very basic question which must be the foundation of every law and instruction. All the laws and norms must be for doing good. They must be for saving life. Not just the opposite. But often, we try to interpret or change laws and norms in a way that it becomes an instrument for doing evil so that my selfish interests are saved. In this process, probably lives are destroyed. The laws and norms which God gave to the People of God in the Old Testament became like that. They became laws not of loving God but laws of a punishing God. Jesus is God became man who wants to save each and everyone. This is the most important principle, Jesus Christ, the love of God incarnate. So, if any law or norm, which does not contain that love of God, it’s not worthy to save us. Let’s reflect: Do I see the norms and laws as vehicles of God’s love to save persons?
Don Giorgio
Sep 7, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 7:31-37
“Then looking up to heaven he sighed; and he said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened’”. Before doing this, Jesus took him aside in private, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. A unique way of dealing with this man. When people asked for healing, some He did with just the words. But this one, a personal touch can be seen. This opens us to the fact that Jesus wants to make a personal relationship with each of us. He takes us apart, away from the crowd, through different kinds of experiences to have a personal relationship with Him. Then with you He looks up to heaven and He says to you, “Be opened”. You heart is open to the love of God and at the same time, the heaven is opened to you. You are free to praise the Lord because you are free of your bindings, bindings of sin. Life changes when you let Jesus to make a personal relationship with you. He comes to us in the Word of God, in the Sacrament of Communion. Please let him take you apart through your daily experiences to have a personal relationship with Him. That changes life. Let’s reflect: Am I letting Jesus, who comes to me in Eucharist and in the Word of God, to make a personal relationship with me?
Don Giorgio
Sep 6, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of week 22 in Ordinary Time
First Saturday: Let us entrust ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Gospel – Luke 6:1-5
“The Son of Man is master of the sabbath”. That is a fundamental principle to remember whenever we uphold our principles or man-made principles more than the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus positions Himself as the ultimate authority, even over all religious traditions. He fulfills and transcends all traditions and principles. This is a reminder that His person and mission are greater than any human or religious regulations. Jesus points out that man-made rules, when rigidly enforced without compassion, can overshadow the law’s original intent. The Pharisees’ strict interpretation had lost sight of the human need behind the Sabbath. His healing on the Sabbath and other actions reflect this, showing that love, mercy, and compassion must be at the center of any practice. Upholding principles should never come at the cost of neglecting the needs of people. When we prioritize our own principles or man-made traditions above the person and mission of Jesus Christ, we risk losing His way. We will not be following Him but ourselves. We must not lose sight of Jesus Christ, while we follow human customs, especially under social pressures. Let’s reflect: Do I prioritize Jesus Christ or human customs under social pressures?
Don Giorgio
Sep 6, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 22 in Ordinary Time
First Friday: Let us entrust ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Gospel – Luke 5:33-39
“He also told them this parable, ‘No one tears a piece from a new cloak to put it on an old cloak; if he does, not only will he have torn the new one, but the piece taken from the new will not match the old”. The new life with Jesus brought to us is something completely new. The life with Christ is a new life. But what we often do is to tear off from this new life with Christ, pieces which would look nice in our old way of life. This is not what the Christian life is! It’s not about embellishing our old ways of life with some pieces from the new life with Christ. The completely new life is challenging and also demanding. So, it’s an easy way out to tear pieces from the new to make the old look beautiful. This will not work in both ways. The complete new is not there and the old loses its integrity. So, we end up completely lost. So, following Jesus Christ, let’s go for completely renewing ourselves. Christ life is not about cosmetic changes but radical changes. Let’s reflect: Is my Christian life is only just about some superficial changes or a completely new life?
Don Giorgio
Sep 5, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 22 in Ordinary Time
St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910 – 1997)
Gospel – Luke 5:1-11
“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus saying, ‘Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.’” Before the intervention of Jesus to save the fatigue of the day, Simon Peter did not understand what is happening. Simon was fishing for the day. But he was very unsuccessful. He said that they worked hard all night long and caught nothing. This is the life without Jesus Christ or before Jesus Christ. A life without the grace. Working all night long and nothing caught! And then Jesus came into his life. Everything changed. Miracle happened. And he is saying, “Leave me”. Because Simon Peter was not prepared for this big event in his life. Because he looked into all his weakness when this happened and not looked into all his possibilities. That is why he asked Jesus to leave him. But Jesus saw all his potentialities. And that is why Jesus said, “‘Do not be afraid; from now on it is men you will catch.’” So, when we encounter with the Grace of God, we must think about our potentials and not about our weaknesses. Let’s reflect: When I have the grace of God, do I think about my weaknesses or do I think about my potentialities?
Don Giorgio
