Jul 5, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of week 13 in Ordinary Time
Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin, Martyr
First Saturday: Let us entrust ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Gospel – Matthew 9:14-17
“they put new wine into fresh skins and both are preserved”. This is the novelty that the incarnation brought to the world. The world is continuously renewed by the action of the Holy Spirit. Anything old is going to be renewed. Jesus' coming into the world represents a new era in God's relationship with humanity. His teachings and presence bring a new covenant that cannot be confined within the old frameworks of the law and traditions. Just as new wine needs new wineskins, spiritual growth and transformation require a willingness to let go of old patterns and embrace new ways of thinking and being. This openness allows the Holy Spirit to work effectively in our lives. When new wine is placed in new wineskins, both are preserved. This signifies that embracing new spiritual insights and practices can lead to a harmonious and sustained growth in our faith journey. We must remain open to the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, welcoming continuous renewal in their lives. Let’s reflect: Am I open to continuous renewal asked by the Gospel or am I lazy to live in my old comforts?
Jul 4, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 13 in Ordinary Time
Saint Antony Mary Zaccaria, Priest
Gospel Matthew 9:9-13
“It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed, I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners”. In these words of Jesus Christ, we can see the relationship of God with man. We need the grace of God. And God is ready to take care of us. In the passage we see that He goes where Matthew was sitting and calls him. And Matthew followed Him. And from our part, Jesus is asking us to be merciful in our life towards others as He is merciful. He understands us and accepts us with all our sins and weakness. Jesus in the house of Matthew in the midst of all tax collectors and sinners is a beautiful image to meditate. It shows how much God wants to be in the midst of our life. Our life with all ours sins and weakness. He as a doctor wants to heal us. He heals us. And we must recognize this, and we must be merciful to each other. It’s not our sacrifices that let God to be present in our life but our mercy and understanding of others that let God be present in our life. Let’s reflect: Am I letting Jesus present in our life with my merciful understanding of others?
Jul 3, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 13 in Ordinary Time
Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
Gospel Matthew 9:1-8
“A feeling of awe came over the crowd when they saw this, and they praised God for giving such power to men”. That’s true. We must have the feeling of awe when we think about the effect of incarnation. We must have the feeling of awe when we think about the sacrament of Eucharist. We must have the feeling of awe when we think about other sacraments. The people around Jesus at that time thought about Jesus only as a man and they were surprised by the power of that man. Jesus is God. But when God became man, the man got such power. The power to become sons and daughters of God. The power to receive the forgiveness of sins as it has happened to the paralytic man. The power to become healed by the presence of God. The power to live in the presence of God. Before this power we must feel awe. We must be grateful. We must stand in awe each moment of our life. Let’s reflect: Do I stand with awe before the mystery of incarnation?
Jul 2, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Thomas, Apostle – Feast
Gospel John 20:24-29
“My Lord and my God!” This is the perfect confession of faith by St. Thomas, the Apostle of India. This confession was the result of a personal desire for a personal experience with the Risen Christ. This confession was the result of a determination to have a direct experience with the resurrection. This confession is the result of the magnanimous love of Jesus Christ to fulfil the personal desire of His disciple. This confession is the result of the mercy of God reaching out to man who longs for an experience with God. Even more, it created the occasion to find a place for the rest of the humanity who did not have the direct experience of the Risen Christ. “Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe”. Thomas's confession, “My Lord and my God!” is a multifaceted expression of faith that encapsulates the journey from desire to belief. It underscores the importance of personal desire and determination in seeking divine truth, the magnanimous love of Jesus in addressing individual needs, and the merciful nature of God in reaching out to those who earnestly seek Him. This confession remains a powerful testament to the transformative impact of personal encounters with Jesus in the journey of faith. Let’s reflect: Am I happy in confessing without seeing Jesus that He is “My Lord and my God”?
Jul 1, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 13 in Ordinary Time
Gospel Matthew 8:23-27
“Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat”. This happens in our life. Crises come without warning like a storm over our project and plans. Sometimes it’s so violent that the effects of these crises break right into our life. “But he was asleep”. And we feel that Jesus is asleep. There is no sign of Him in the midst of our crises. So, we try to wake Him up by our repeated prayers and requests. But His question will be, “Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?”. We must not be worried with crises or challenges. Believe that Jesus is with us. Let’s reflect: How much am I convinced about the presence of Jesus in my life?
Jun 30, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 13 in Ordinary Time
Gospel Matthew 8:18-22
In this Gospel passage we see two encounters with Jesus. First we must see the context of these encounters. Great crowds were around Jesus and He decided to go to the other side. Then these two persons come to follow Jesus. In these conversation, Jesus explains two important principles of following Jesus. The follower of Jesus cannot expect any earthly consolation. Even foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. We cannot expect that others understand us, others pamper us, others help us. No, the follower of Jesus Christ will be in a situation where there is no space to lay one’s head. Just hanging between earth and sky in a cross. That is the call of the follower of Christ. The second principle also follows the first. We have to leave the rest of ourselves behind to follow Jesus. We cannot stay around our surroundings and our things. That’s also a sort of staying in our comfort zones. We must be ready to leave the big crowd and go to the other side with Jesus. Let’s reflect: Are we ready to leave our comfort zones to follow Jesus Christ?
