Apr 17, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of the 3rd week of Eastertide
Gospel – John 6:44-51
“No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me…” This is the key to our relationship with Jesus Christ. We must understand our sonship. We are sons and daughter of God the Father. We must understand the Fatherhood of God the Father. Unless we understand the love of God the Father, we cannot come into a relationship with Jesus Christ, the only son of that Father. The filial relationship with God the Father is that keeps us close to Jesus. “They will all be taught by God, and to hear the teaching of the Father, and learn from it, is to come to me”. So, when we are close to the Father, we go to the Son to see the face of the Father. Because no one has seen the Father except the Son. So in Son, we see the face of the Father. Let’s reflect: Easter is seeing the face of God the Father in Jesus Risen.
Apr 16, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of the 3rd week of Eastertide
Gospel – John 6:35-40
“Yes, it is my Father’s will that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and that I shall raise him up on the last day”. The logic of the plan of the redemption for us according to the Will of the Father who is our creator is this: to be part of the life of Jesus Christ the only Son of the Father. Jesus in His words is explicitly saying this. He incarnated himself not to do His own will but to do the will of the Father who sent Him. And what is the will of the Father? The will of the Father is that the Son must not lose anyone whom the Father has given to him. The love of God the Father is so inclusive that He does not want to lose anyone. It’s up to us whether we believe in Him or not. If we believe, we will have a different life. A life in Christ! A life with the life of Christ. That is totally different. The difference lies in the fact that in the life with Christ there is an eternal aspect in everything we do. Let’s reflect: Easter is the life of Christ lived in everyday life.
Apr 15, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of the 3rd week of Eastertide
Gospel John 6:30-35
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst”. This is Jesus Christ, the second person of Trinity who reveals His identity. He is the bread of life because He gives life. Because He gave His life for us. That is why He is the bread of life. He gave His life to become bread for us so that we will never be hungry. This is the love of God. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ made this miracle possible. God becoming bread for us. In the Cross Jesus gave up everything so that He can become everything for us in resurrection. This is the joy of resurrection. We must approach Him. We must go to Him, and we must believe that He is our bread, He is our life. Let’s reflect: Easter is going to Jesus who is the bread of life.
Apr 14, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of the 3rd week of Eastertide
Gospel John 6:22-29
“Do not work for food that cannot last, but work for food that endures to eternal life, the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you, for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.” Whatever we are doing we must have this phrase of Jesus in our mind. That we must live with the view of eternal life. Whatever we do must have a reference to the eternal life. Otherwise, we will miss the main point. When Jesus said this, they asked him, “What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?”. And Jesus answered them, “This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent”. Believing in Jesus Christ is that we must do. Here we can understand that believing is something active. It’s not static. Believing is dynamic. It must be present always. Our belief in Jesus Christ must define our every action and thought. That is the dynamic faith we must have. Let’s reflect: Easter is having a dynamic faith in Jesus Christ which reshapes all our activities.
Apr 13, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
3rd Sunday of Easter
Gospel – Luke 24:35-48
“‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’” These words of Risen Christ is always so relevant in our lives. Because we are always very much agitated about many things, and we have doubts about many things. Those happening in our life and those happening in the Church and even those happening in the world. And what is most interesting in this episode is that they are talking about the Jesus Risen and He is appearing before them. And when He appears, they get agitated and have doubts. Actually, it must be just contrary. That’s we are! But see how Jesus wants to convince us. He suffered for us. He died for us. He is Risen. He is amid us. Still, He wants to convince us. Let’s grow in faith. Let’s acknowledge His presence and embrace Him. Let’s reflect: Easter is growing above our doubts about the resurrection of Christ.
Apr 13, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
Saint Martin I, Pope, Martyr
Gospel – John 6:16-21
The appearance of Jesus walking on the lake is rich with lot of points to meditate in this Eastertide. The disciples were going alone. They were rowing. But the wind was strong, and the sea was getting rough. Then Jesus appeared to them. The direction from which Jesus appears is very significative. Even though they left Jesus behind and going to a new destination, Jesus is coming from the direction to which they are heading. Along with this, the disciples saw Him walking over a sea which was rough. Then Jesus speaks, “It is I. Do not be afraid”. And as soon as Jesus entered the boat, they reached the destination. This is the love of the Risen Lord. You are rowing alone on a rough sea trying to make to your destination. But Jesus is coming towards you to say to you, “It is I, Do not be afraid”. The moment you recognize Him, you reached your destination. Let’s reflect: Easter is listening to Jesus speaking to us who are rowing on a rough sea, “It is I. Do not be afraid”.
