May 22, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of the 5th week of
Saint Rita of Cascia
First reading Acts 15:7-21
Easter reminds us that salvation is not a reward for merit but a gift of grace freely given through Jesus Christ. As we hear in Acts, “God made no distinction between them and us,” for all are purified by faith and saved by grace alone. This truth lies at the heart of the Resurrection: the boundless mercy of God poured out for all humanity, beyond any boundary of race, law, or custom. When we forget this, we burden others with expectations and barriers the Gospel never intended. Easter invites us to rediscover the joy of grace—unearned, liberating, and inclusive—and to become, in turn, bearers of that same grace in our communities. Let’s reflect: Easter is the celebration of God’s universal grace, which purifies every heart through faith and saves all people through the mercy of Jesus Christ.
Don Giorgio
May 21, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of the 5th week of Eastertide
or Saint Christopher Magallanes and his Companions, Martyrs
First reading Acts 15:1-6
The Easter season invites us to celebrate not only the Resurrection of Christ but also the newness of life that flows from His victory over division and death. In the reading from Acts, we see how rigid insistence on old customs, though well-intentioned, threatens to fracture the unity of the early Church. True Easter faith calls us to be instruments of the Holy Spirit, not by clinging to burdensome demands, but by embracing the liberating grace of the Risen Christ. The Spirit does not bind but sets free; it does not divide but gathers into one. As we walk in the light of Easter, may we resist the temptation to impose, and instead, discern with humility how best to build communion, allowing love and mercy, not law alone, to be our guiding light. Let’s reflect: Easter is the celebration of the liberating power of the Risen Christ, who calls us beyond the constraints of law and division into the unifying freedom and grace of the Holy Spirit.
Don Giorgio
May 19, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of the 5th week of Eastertide
Saint Bernardine of Siena, Priest
First reading Acts 14:19-28
Easter is not only the triumphant proclamation that Christ is risen—it is also the quiet, daily miracle of rising again in the midst of suffering, rejection, and weakness. In the Acts of the Apostles, we witness a powerful image of this Paschal mystery made visible in the life of Saint Paul. After being stoned and dragged out of the city, presumed dead, it is the disciples who gather around him—not with lament, but with the silent strength of communion. Their very presence becomes a channel of grace, and Paul, embodying the resilience of the Risen Christ, stands up and walks back into the very place of violence. This moment is a vivid portrait of what Easter truly means for the Church: it is the victory of love that refuses to abandon, the courage to return where wounds were made, and the power of community to raise up those who have fallen. In our own lives, when we are bruised by disappointment, failure, or betrayal, the Easter mystery invites us not to retreat, but to rise again—with the help of others, with the strength of faith, and with hearts set on the Kingdom. For every time we choose to stand again and walk forward, Easter lives on. Let’s reflect: Easter is the mystery of rising again through the strength of communion, where the love of Christ and the support of the faithful transform every fall into a new beginning.
Don Diorgio
May 18, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of the 5th week of Eastertide
First reading Acts 14:5-18
Eastertide calls us not merely to witness wonders, but to awaken to the mystery they signify. In the Acts of the Apostles, when Paul heals a man crippled from birth, the people are so astonished by the visible miracle that they proclaim Paul and Barnabas to be gods in human form. But the apostles tear their garments in sorrow, urging the crowd to look beyond the miracle—to the true and living God who, though unseen, is constantly present, sustaining the universe and speaking through the quiet testimony of creation and the good news of salvation. This episode reminds us that the purpose of miracles is not to captivate our senses, but to elevate our faith; not to anchor us in what is visible, but to awaken us to the presence of the invisible God who, in the Resurrection of Christ, has forever pierced the veil between heaven and earth. Easter is not only about the glory of the Risen Lord manifest to the eyes of the disciples, but also about the enduring invitation to see with the eyes of faith—to believe not only because of what is seen, but because of the truth that love has conquered death and now lives within us. Let’s reflect: Easter is the invitation to go beyond what is seen, to believe in the unseen God who, through the Resurrection of Christ, reveals His living presence and calls us to walk by faith, not by sight.
Don Giorgio
May 17, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
5th Sunday of Easter
First reading Acts 14:21-27, Second Reading Apocalypse 21:1-5
On this Fifth Sunday of Easter, the Scriptures invite us to rediscover the source of our hope and perseverance: faith in the living Word of God. As we hear that the apostles “put fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith,” we are reminded that the journey of the Christian life is not without hardships, but it is always guided by the presence of the Risen Lord who walks with us. Faith is not merely adherence to doctrines; it is the breath of new life that lifts us in moments of fatigue, the gentle strength that sustains us through trials, and the light that leads us beyond discouragement. In the midst of our earthly struggles, the Book of Revelation offers a vision of radiant hope: “I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God… and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” This is not just a promise for the end of time, it is a reality that begins now. Easter proclaims that God is not distant or indifferent, but dwells among His people, making all things new. To live the Easter faith is to recognize, even in the shadows of our daily lives, that we are already citizens of that heavenly city. God is with us, renewing, restoring, and calling us to persevere with courageous hearts. Let’s reflect: Easter is the living promise that God dwells among us, renewing our hearts with courage and hope, and making all things new through the power of the Risen Christ.
Don Giorgio
