Oct 16, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 28 in Ordinary Time, Saint Hedwig, Religious, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin, Gospel: Luke 12:1-7
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us one of the most tender assurances of God’s personal love: “Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.” These words reveal something extraordinary about our relationship with God. The One who created the universe, who knows the secrets of every heart and holds all creation in existence, is attentive even to the smallest details of our lives. Nothing about us is insignificant to Him. Jesus does not say that God merely knows how many hairs we have, but that they have all been counted. This expresses a love that is not general or distant, but profoundly personal and attentive. God does not love humanity only as a whole; He loves each person individually, with a knowledge and tenderness that no human love can fully comprehend. Yet we often live as though God were concerned only with the great events of our lives, while our ordinary struggles, hidden sacrifices, small anxieties, and unnoticed acts of love remain outside His attention. Jesus assures us that nothing escapes the loving gaze of the Father. This is why He repeatedly says, “Do not be afraid.” Our security does not come from the absence of difficulties, but from knowing that we are infinitely precious to God. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque discovered this truth through her profound intimacy with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which reveals the immeasurable love of God for every human person. Saint Hedwig expressed the same love through her generosity, compassion, and care for those in need. To know that God counts even the hairs of our head is to discover that we are never forgotten, never insignificant, and never outside His loving concern. The message of Christ invites us to replace fear with trust and to recognize that the God who knows us so completely also loves us beyond measure. And when we truly experience such attentive love, we begin to look at others with the same tenderness, recognizing that every person is infinitely precious in the eyes of the Father. Let’s reflect: Do I live with the peaceful confidence that God knows and loves even the smallest details of my life, allowing this certainty to free me from fear and make me more attentive to the dignity and needs of others?
Don Giorgio
Oct 15, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Teresa of Ávila, Virgin, Doctor Thursday of week 28 in Ordinary Time Gospel: Luke 11:47-54
In today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses a serious accusation to the lawyers: “You have taken away the key of knowledge. You have not gone in yourselves, and have prevented others going in.” They possessed knowledge of the Scriptures and the Law, yet failed to recognize the One to whom the Scriptures pointed. Their knowledge had become an obstacle rather than a doorway to God. This helps us understand the extraordinary spiritual wisdom of Saint Teresa of Ávila. Teresa possessed the true key of knowledge: an intimate and loving relationship with Jesus Christ. She understood that knowing God is not simply knowing things about Him, but entering into a living relationship with Him. Her profound theological insights were born not merely from intellectual study, but from prayer, contemplation, personal experience, and a heart completely open to Christ. For Teresa, prayer was a loving conversation with the One who loves us. This intimacy did not separate her from the world; rather, it gave her the wisdom, courage, and freedom to reform Carmel, guide souls, confront difficulties, and serve the Church. The message of Christ reminds us that the deepest knowledge of God comes through communion with Him, and authentic communion with Him gradually transforms the way we understand everything else. We may possess extensive religious knowledge, fulfil important ecclesial responsibilities, or speak eloquently about God, yet still risk remaining outside the door if our hearts are not personally united with Jesus. Saint Teresa teaches us that the key is not reserved for a few extraordinary mystics. It is offered to every disciple willing to make space for prayer, friendship, silence, and love. The more intimately we know Jesus, the more clearly we understand His truth; and the more deeply we love Him, the more capable we become of opening the door for others to encounter Him. Let’s reflect: Is my knowledge of God primarily intellectual and external, or am I cultivating, like Saint Teresa of Ávila, an intimate friendship with Jesus that transforms my life and helps others discover the way to Him?
Don Giorgio
Oct 13, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 28 in Ordinary Time
Saint Callistus, Pope, Martyr
Gospel: Luke 11:42-46
In today’s Gospel, Jesus strongly challenges the Pharisees and the lawyers because they have lost sight of the essential purpose of religious observances and laws. They carefully fulfil even the smallest prescriptions, yet neglect “justice and the love of God.” Worse still, they impose heavy burdens on others without lifting a finger to help them. Jesus is not rejecting laws, discipline, or religious structures; He is reminding us of their true purpose: systems and laws exist to serve the human person and lead everyone closer to God. When rules become more important than people, when procedures overshadow compassion, or when institutions become more concerned with preserving themselves than fulfilling their mission, something essential has been lost. The message of Christ places the dignity of the human person at the centre, because every person is created in God’s image and is the object of His infinite love. This does not mean that love abolishes rules or that mercy disregards justice. Rather, justice and mercy give laws their deepest meaning, while love ensures that their application never forgets the person they are meant to serve. Saint Callistus, Pope and Martyr, is remembered particularly for his pastoral approach towards sinners seeking reconciliation with the Church. His example reminds us that ecclesiastical discipline must always remain connected to the healing and saving mission of Christ. In our families, communities, institutions, and responsibilities, we constantly face the temptation to defend a system while overlooking the person standing before us. Yet Jesus invites us to ask not only whether a rule has been respected, but whether God’s justice, mercy, and love have been made visible through it. The true greatness of any system is not measured merely by how efficiently it functions, but by how faithfully it serves the dignity, well-being, and salvation of the human person. Let’s reflect: In the way I exercise responsibility, apply rules, and make decisions, do I always keep the dignity and needs of the human person at the centre, allowing justice and the love of God to guide my actions?
Don Giorgio
Oct 13, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 28 in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Luke 11:37-41
In today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges the Pharisee who is surprised that He does not perform the customary washing before the meal. Jesus responds by drawing attention to something far more important: “You Pharisees clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness.” His words reveal a fundamental truth of discipleship: what is essential is that our interior life be pure before God. We often dedicate considerable attention to what others can see—our behaviour, reputation, achievements, religious observances, and the impression we make. These external expressions have their value, but they cannot replace the purity of the heart. God sees beyond appearances. He knows the intentions behind our actions, the desires that motivate our choices, and the thoughts we cultivate when no one is watching. Jesus is not asking us to neglect what is external, but to ensure that our outward goodness flows from an inward transformation. True holiness is not the art of appearing good, but the grace of becoming good from within. This is why Jesus concludes with an invitation to generosity: “Give alms from what you have, and then indeed everything will be clean for you.” A pure heart is not simply one that avoids evil; it is a heart increasingly freed from selfishness and opened to love. Generosity becomes a sign of interior purification because it transforms our relationship with possessions, with others, and with ourselves. The message of Christ reminds us that the deepest conversion takes place in that hidden sanctuary where only God sees us. When our intentions become sincere, our desires generous, and our love authentic, our external actions naturally begin to reflect the beauty of a heart transformed by grace. The purity God desires is not merely a clean appearance before others, but a heart in which His love can dwell without obstacles. Let’s reflect: Am I more concerned about how my life appears to others, or am I sincerely allowing God to purify my thoughts, intentions, desires, and motivations so that my outward actions become the expression of a truly pure heart?
Don Giorgio
Oct 13, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of week 28 in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Luke 11:37-41In today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges the Pharisee who is surprised that He does not perform the customary washing before the meal. Jesus responds by drawing attention to something far more important: “You Pharisees clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness.” His words reveal a fundamental truth of discipleship: what is essential is that our interior life be pure before God. We often dedicate considerable attention to what others can see—our behaviour, reputation, achievements, religious observances, and the impression we make. These external expressions have their value, but they cannot replace the purity of the heart. God sees beyond appearances. He knows the intentions behind our actions, the desires that motivate our choices, and the thoughts we cultivate when no one is watching. Jesus is not asking us to neglect what is external, but to ensure that our outward goodness flows from an inward transformation. True holiness is not the art of appearing good, but the grace of becoming good from within. This is why Jesus concludes with an invitation to generosity: “Give alms from what you have, and then indeed everything will be clean for you.” A pure heart is not simply one that avoids evil; it is a heart increasingly freed from selfishness and opened to love. Generosity becomes a sign of interior purification because it transforms our relationship with possessions, with others, and with ourselves. The message of Christ reminds us that the deepest conversion takes place in that hidden sanctuary where only God sees us. When our intentions become sincere, our desires generous, and our love authentic, our external actions naturally begin to reflect the beauty of a heart transformed by grace. The purity God desires is not merely a clean appearance before others, but a heart in which His love can dwell without obstacles. Let’s reflect: Am I more concerned about how my life appears to others, or am I sincerely allowing God to purify my thoughts, intentions, desires, and motivations so that my outward actions become the expression of a truly pure heart?
Don Giorgio
Oct 12, 2026 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 28 in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Luke 11:29-32In today’s Gospel, Jesus responds to a generation that continues to demand signs, even though the greatest sign is already standing before them. He speaks of Jonah, whose preaching led the people of Nineveh to repentance, and of the Queen of the South, who travelled from afar to listen to the wisdom of Solomon. Yet Jesus declares: “There is something greater than Solomon here” and “There is something greater than Jonah here.” The problem is not the absence of signs, but the absence of faith capable of recognizing what those signs reveal. Faith enables us to recognize the divinity of Jesus beyond His visible humanity. Without faith, people may admire His wisdom, be impressed by His miracles, appreciate His compassion, or even acknowledge Him as an extraordinary teacher, without discovering who He truly is: the eternal Son of God who has entered human history for our salvation. Faith does not create His divinity; it opens our eyes to recognize the divine reality already present in Him. The people of Nineveh responded to the preaching of Jonah, and the Queen of the South recognized the wisdom of Solomon. How much greater, then, should be our response to Christ, who is not merely a messenger of God but God Himself made man! The message of Christ reminds us that the deepest purpose of every sign, miracle, teaching, and encounter is to lead us into a personal relationship with Him. The greatest sign God has given humanity is not something Jesus performs, but Jesus Himself. His Incarnation, His Cross, and His Resurrection reveal the love and power of God in a way no other sign can surpass. We therefore need not continually search for extraordinary manifestations of God. What we need is a deeper faith that recognizes the extraordinary mystery already present in Jesus and responds to Him through conversion, trust, worship, and love. Let’s reflect: Do I continually look for extraordinary signs of God’s presence, or does my faith enable me to recognize and adore the divinity of Jesus, who is Himself the greatest sign of God’s love for me?
Don Giorgio
