Feb 17, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
1st Sunday of Lent
Gospel – Mark 1:12-15
“The Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness, and he remained there for forty days, and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and the angels looked after him”. Jesus was led into the wilderness and there he remained for forty days. This is very significant and symbolic. The wilderness in the bible is a place of encounter with God. The People of God was accompanied by God in the wilderness and encountered God in the wilderness. They were in the desert for forty years. In those years, they were constantly tempted to betray the true God and they betrayed. The result of betrayal was destruction of themselves. In the Gospel, in the person of Jesus Christ, the new Israel is writing the New Testament. In the wilderness Jesus was in profound communion with God and he overcame the temptations as a man. In Jesus, the redemption is there. We are called to follow Jesus. In the desert, He was with wild beasts, but the angels looked after Him. This shows the assistance of grace in our life. In the wilderness of our spiritual journey, we will be with wild beasts but angels will take care of us. Let’s reflect: Lent is the time to be in communion with God to over temptations in life.
Feb 16, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Gospel – Luke 5:27-32
“Jesus said to them in reply, ‘It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.’ This is a very core of Jesus’ message of love, mercy, and redemption. His mission is to be with everyone who is in need especially who are aware of their own failings and in need of God’s grace. And He wants to be with those who are in need because He wants to take care of them. He wants to lead them to their own renewal. He wants them to repent and find the presence of God in them. God’s love is open to all, and it calls to repent and to transform. The word of Jesus emphasizes the importance of compassion over condemnation and seeks to restore each person to a right relationship with God. The call to repentance is fundamentally about turning towards God, recognizing His presence and sovereignty in our lives. Let’s reflect: Lent is recognizing the presence of Jesus in our life which invites us to repent.
Feb 15, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday after Ash Wednesday
Gospel – Matthew 9:14-15
“‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast.’” In these words, we can see the meaning of Fasting. The period when the bridegroom is with them is a time for celebration, not mourning or fasting. However, Jesus foretells a time when the bridegroom will be “taken away” from them, indicating his death, and it is during this time that fasting becomes appropriate as an expression of longing for His presence. Fasting is to make alive the presence of the bridegroom who is Jesus. Fasting is the way to live in the presence of Jesus who is the bridegroom. Fasting is seen not merely as an act of penance or self-denial but as a spiritual exercise that makes the presence of Jesus more alive in our life. In the absence of the bridegroom, fasting becomes a way to express longing for his presence, to prepare oneself for His return, and to live in closer communion with Him. It’s a tangible expression of the spiritual reality that the Church, as the bride, yearns for a deeper union with Christ, the bridegroom. Let’s reflect: Lent is the way to make the presence of Jesus alive in our life.
Feb 14, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Gospel – Luke 9:22-25
“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The Son of Man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.’” Jesus shows how volontarily he is willing to take suffer for us and to accept them. Jesus continues his disciples to follow Him based on His own journey. He took up the cross and those who want to follow him must do the same. “‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me”. Jesus' willingness to suffer and die for humanity is not only a historical event but is a model for discipleship. His call to “take up the cross daily” symbolizes the invitation to embrace a life of self-denial, sacrifice, and following Him, regardless of the cost. This metaphor of carrying one's cross is a powerful image that speaks to the individual and collective challenges of living a life in alignment with Jesus’ teachings and example. It's about making choices that reflect His teachings, even when they lead to hardship or opposition. This commitment is seen as a way to participate in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, understanding that suffering and sacrifice is the way to resurrection. Let’s reflect: Lent is the understanding the way of Jesus who willingly accepted the cross to lead us to resurrection.
Feb 13, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Ash Wednesday
Gospel – Matthew 6:1-6,16-18
Today is the day to bring the Lenten Season. This is a spiritual journey from slavery to freedom, paralleling the biblical exodus with the personal and communal journey of Lent as Pope Francis says. God wants our liberation from both physical and spiritual bondage, as exemplified by the Israelites’ escape from Egypt and their receipt of the Ten Commandments. This is the path of each one of us to liberate ourselves from sin and suffering. This calls for a renewal of hope and a commitment to change, both personally and communally, encouraging actions that reflect a genuine love for God and neighbour. In the Gospel of today, we hear from the words of Jesus, that this journey must be based on a personal relationship with God the Father and not based only on external actions or observations. What is important is to create a personal relationship with God the Father. This is important to understand the plan of God for us which is realized in paschal mysteries of Jesus Christ. Let’s reflect: Lent must be a journey into a profound relationship with God the Father.
Feb 12, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 6 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 8:14-21
“‘Keep your eyes open; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ And they said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’”. Jesus here is warning against our possibility of becoming hypocrites. The yeast of Pharisees is the multiplication of acts which does not have any meaning. But the disciples misunderstood it. They thought Jesus is referring to the bread. Even though Jesus multiplied the bread, they forgot about it and misunderstood the message of Jesus about the danger of the yeast of hypocrisy. Jesus is cautioning against adopting the hypocritical and superficial practices of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were known for their strict adherence to the letter of the law, often missing the spirit of the law. They focused on external rituals and practices, neglecting the more important aspects of faith such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Jesus criticizes this approach and calls for a faith that is genuine and rooted in love rather than one that is performative or for show. The disciples often take Jesus’ metaphors and teachings at face value, missing the deeper spiritual significance. This misunderstanding serves as a reminder of the human tendency to focus on the material and immediate concerns over the spiritual and eternal truths. Let’s reflect: We must not focus on on material needs or concerns, but we prioritize the importance of spiritual growth and understanding.
