Sep 17, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 24 in Ordinary Time
First reading 1 Timothy 4:12-16
Saint Paul encourages Timothy with a message that resonates for all of us: “Do not neglect the gift you have.” Every person has been entrusted with a grace, a calling, a charism that is meant to be cultivated and offered in service to others. These gifts are not accidental, they are God’s deliberate choice, placed within us for the building up of His Church and for the good of the world. Paul also insists on diligence: faithfulness requires attention, discipline, and perseverance. Gifts left unused or taken for granted risk being diminished, but gifts nurtured through prayer, humility, and effort grow into a powerful witness of Christ’s presence. This passage challenges us to see our lives as entrusted treasures, not for our glory, but for God’s. To honor the Giver means living with courage, gratitude, and constancy, allowing His grace in us to bear fruit in the lives of others. Let’s reflect: Am I nurturing and using the unique gift God has entrusted to me with diligence and perseverance, or do I risk neglecting His grace by letting it remain dormant?
Don Giorgio
Sep 16, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 24 in Ordinary Time
Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop, Doctor
Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin, Doctor
First reading: 1 Timothy 3:14-16
Saint Paul summarizes in a hymn the heart of the Christian faith: the mystery of devotion. It is the mystery of Christ, which is manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the nations, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. This is the core of our devotion, the reason for our worship, and the foundation of our hope. Faith is not built on abstract ideas but on the living Person of Jesus, whose life, death, and resurrection reveal God’s plan of salvation. Saints Robert Bellarmine and Hildegard of Bingen, both Doctors of the Church, lived this mystery deeply: Robert through his theological clarity and defence of the faith, Hildegard through her mystical vision and prophetic voice. Their lives remind us that to hold fast to Christ is to be rooted in this mystery, a truth so vast it can never be exhausted, yet so concrete it transforms daily life. To profess Christ in word and deed is to let this mystery of devotion shine through us, proclaiming Him not just with lips but with a life lived in His light. Let’s reflect: Do I let the great mystery of Christ, manifested in the flesh, proclaimed to the nations, and glorified in heaven, shape not only my faith but also the way I live, and bear witness each day?
Don Giorgio
Sep 16, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs
Tuesday of week 24 in Ordinary Time
First reading 1 Timothy 3:1-13
Saint Paul outlines the qualities expected of leaders in the Church: integrity, moderation, fidelity, self-control, hospitality, and a good reputation both within and outside the community. Leadership in the Gospel is not about power or prestige but about witness. To live in such a way that the Gospel is made visible in daily life. Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, whose memory we celebrate today, embody these qualities not in comfort but in suffering. They led the Church with courage and fidelity during times of persecution, showing that true authority is rooted in service and sacrifice. Their example reminds us that every Christian, in their own capacity, is called to lead through witness, whether in family, community, or Church. What matters most is not eloquence or position, but the quality of life shaped by the Gospel: a life where love, humility, and perseverance speak louder than words. Let’s reflect: Does the quality of my daily life marked by integrity, humility, and service, bear witness to the Gospel in such a way that others can see Christ alive in me, even without words?
Don Giorgio
Sep 15, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Our Lady of Sorrows
Monday of week 24 in Ordinary Time
First reading 1 Timothy 2:1-8
Saint Paul exhorts us to pray for everyone because Christ gave Himself as a ransom for all. His sacrifice was not limited, selective, or partial—it was universal, flowing from the infinite love of God. Prayer, then, is not just a pious act but a participation in this same love. To pray for all people is to echo the heart of Christ who stretched out His arms on the cross for every soul. Paul also reminds us that this prayer must be free of anger and argument; it is not a tool to justify ourselves or condemn others, but a way of interceding in the spirit of Christ’s self-giving. On this memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, we see in Mary the perfect example of this love: at the foot of the cross, she stood in silent prayer, uniting her own pierced heart to her Son’s sacrifice. Her sorrow was not bitterness but love, offered for all humanity. To stand with Mary is to learn how to let our prayers be shaped by the cross, universal, selfless, and rooted in the love that saves. Let’s reflect: Do I let my prayer flow from the universal love of Christ, free of anger or argument, and, like Mary at the foot of the Cross, intercede with a heart open to all, even in sorrow?
Don Giorgio
Sep 14, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross – Feast
Readings: Numbers 21:4-9, Philippians 2:6-11, and John 3:13-17:
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross invites us to contemplate the mystery of the Cross through the lens of Scripture. In Numbers 21:4–9, the bronze serpent lifted by Moses in the desert becomes a symbol of healing—a foreshadowing of Christ who, lifted up on the Cross, brings healing to our sin-wounded hearts. When we gaze upon the Cross with faith, we discover that even our deepest wounds can become places where God pours out new life. Philippians 2:6–11 reveals the depth of Christ’s humility: though He was God, He chose to empty Himself, taking on human nature and accepting death on a Cross. In this supreme act of humble love, we learn what true love is—self-giving, merciful, and without pride. Finally, in John 3:13–17, Jesus declares that He was lifted up so that all who believe in Him may have eternal life. The Cross, far from being a sign of defeat, becomes the doorway to everlasting hope. In carrying our own crosses with trust, we walk the path that leads not to despair, but to the joy of resurrection and eternal communion with God. Let’s reflect: What does the Cross reveal to me about the way I love, the wounds I carry, and the hope I place in God’s promise of eternal life?
Don Giorgio
