Jul 29, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus
Wednesday of week 17 in Ordinary Time
Gospel: John 11:19-27The home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus was a place of genuine friendship with Jesus. Yet even this beloved family experienced grief, loss, and unanswered questions. When Jesus arrived after Lazarus had died, Martha did not understand His delay, but she chose to trust Him. Her beautiful profession of faith, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world”, shows us that true friendship with Jesus is built not merely on pleasant moments but on confident faith in who He is. Jesus does not simply give resurrection; He declares, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Friendship with Him means entrusting our fears, disappointments, hopes, and even our experience of death into His hands, believing that His love is stronger than every darkness. Saint Martha served Him, Saint Mary of Bethany listened to Him, and Saint Lazarus of Bethany experienced His life-giving power. Together they remind us that every authentic friendship with Christ leads us to deeper faith and unwavering trust in Him. The closer we become to Jesus, the more confidently we can proclaim with Martha that He is indeed the Son of God, our resurrection and our life, whatever circumstances we may face. Let’s reflect: Do I trust Jesus as my closest friend and confidently believe that He is the Son of God, the Resurrection and the Life, especially when I do not understand His ways?
Don Giorgio
Jul 28, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 17 in Ordinary Time
St Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception (1910 - 1946)
Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43
In today’s Gospel, Jesus explains that “the one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,” and that the good seed represents the children of the Kingdom. God has already sown so much good seed within us: the grace of Baptism, His Word, the sacraments, faith, love, forgiveness, our vocation, and countless inspirations of the Holy Spirit. The question is whether we allow these seeds to grow or leave them neglected among the weeds of selfishness, distraction, resentment, and sin. Grace is a gift, but it also asks for our cooperation. We should not waste what Christ has planted in us. Every grace received contains the possibility of holiness when it is welcomed, protected, and allowed to bear fruit. Saint Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception shows us how even suffering can become fertile soil when offered to God in faith and love. At the end, Jesus says that “the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Our calling is precisely this: to allow the good seed planted by Christ to mature within us until our whole life becomes its fruit and reflects His light. Let’s reflect: Am I carefully nurturing the good seed that Christ has sown in my heart, or am I allowing His graces to be wasted through distraction, selfishness, and lack of response?
Don Giorgio
Jul 27, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 17 in Ordinary Time
Saint Titus Brandsma
Gospel: Matthew 13:31-35In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree and to a little yeast that transforms an entire measure of flour. God’s way of working often begins with what appears small, hidden, and insignificant. We may sometimes hesitate to do good because our efforts seem too little to make any real difference. Yet the Gospel reminds us that the fruit does not depend only on the size of our action, but on the power of God working through it. A small act of kindness, a quiet prayer, a word of encouragement, a courageous stand for truth, or a simple gesture of forgiveness can become the seed of something far greater than we can imagine. Titus Brandsma lived this confidence, remaining faithful to truth and human dignity even when his individual resistance seemed powerless before an enormous machinery of oppression. The Kingdom grows because God multiplies what we place faithfully into His hands. Our task is therefore not always to accomplish great things, but to offer our small efforts with great faith, trusting that God can make even the smallest seed bear an abundant and lasting harvest. Let’s reflect: Do I trust God enough to offer Him even my smallest efforts, believing that His grace can transform them into fruits far greater than I can imagine?
Don Giorgio
Jul 26, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
- 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
St Anna and St Joachim
Readings:
1 Kings 3:5,7-12; Psalm 118(119):57,72,76-77,127-130; Lord, how I love your law! Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52.
Today’s liturgy teaches us that wisdom is the ability to recognize and choose what truly has lasting value. Solomon does not ask God for wealth or power, but for a wise and discerning heart capable of knowing God’s ways. The Psalm echoes this desire by proclaiming that God’s law is more precious than the greatest earthly treasures. Saint Paul then reveals the source of this wisdom: God's loving plan, through which He continually shapes us into the image of His Son. In the Gospel, Jesus presents the Kingdom of Heaven as a hidden treasure, a pearl of great price, and a fishing net that ultimately separates what is good from what is not. The disciple of the Kingdom is therefore not someone who rejects the past or blindly embraces novelty, but one who knows how to bring "out of his treasure what is new and what is old." Rooted in the eternal truth of God's Word, the disciple remains open to the ever-new action of the Holy Spirit. Christian wisdom is precisely this discernment: preserving what is timeless while welcoming the new ways in which God continues to speak and act. On the memorial of Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, we remember how faith is handed on from one generation to the next. The old becomes the foundation on which the new can flourish. A heart formed by God's wisdom recognizes the true treasure, allows itself to be conformed to Christ, and learns to discern wisely between what should be preserved and what should be embraced as God's new gift. Let’s reflect: Do I seek the wisdom that comes from God, enabling me to recognize the true treasure of His Kingdom and to discern faithfully between what must be preserved and what God is calling me to embrace anew?
Don Giorgio
Jul 25, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
Saint James, Apostle – Feast
Gospel: Matthew 20:20-28
In today’s Gospel, the request for places of honour leads Jesus to reveal the true meaning of discipleship. He asks James and John, “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” To follow Christ means sharing His cup: accepting the sacrifices, difficulties, and self-giving love that come with belonging to Him. But Jesus immediately connects this cup with service: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” The cup and the towel, sacrifice and service, therefore, belong together. We cannot desire closeness to Jesus while avoiding the path He chose, the path of giving oneself for others. Christian greatness is not measured by position, recognition, or authority, but by our willingness to place ourselves at the service of others, even when that service costs us something. Saint James the Great eventually understood this fully, becoming the first of the Apostles to give his life in martyrdom. Discipleship, drinking the cup, and becoming a servant are not three separate demands; they are one movement of love. The more closely we follow Christ, the more ready we become to share His cup and to make our lives a gift in service to others. Let’s reflect: Am I willing to follow Jesus fully by drinking His cup of self-giving love and allowing every sacrifice I make to become humble and generous service to others?
Don Giorgio
Jul 24, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 16 in Ordinary Time
Saint Charbel Makhlouf, Priest
Gospel: Matthew 13:18-23
In today’s Gospel, Jesus explains that the seed of God’s Word bears fruit only when it is received by a heart that truly hears and understands. Hearing the Word is more than listening to Scripture; it means allowing God’s message to enter deeply enough to influence our choices, correct our attitudes, and transform the way we live. The rich harvest does not depend on how much of the Word we hear, but on how deeply we allow it to take root within us. A receptive heart keeps returning to the Word, pondering it, protecting it from distractions, and patiently putting it into practice. Saint Charbel Makhlouf offers a beautiful example of such fertile soil: through silence, prayer, and faithful communion with God, the Word became a living reality in him and produced the fruits of holiness. God continues to sow generously in our hearts every day. Our task is to become good soil, to listen attentively, understand with faith, and translate what we receive into concrete acts of love. Then even a single word from God, deeply welcomed, can yield an abundant harvest in our lives. Let’s reflect: Do I merely hear the Word of God, or do I allow it to take root, transform my life, and bear a rich harvest through my actions?
Don Giorgio
