One Bread, One Body (2024)

22/07/2024

SUPREME, ALL-CONSUMING LOVE - One Bread, One Body, Jul 22, 2024: Monday, July 22, 2024
St. Mary Magdalene
Song of Songs 3:1-4 or 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 | Psalm 63:2-6, 8-9 | John 20:1-2, 11-18
“On my bed at night I sought Him Whom my heart loves.” —Song of Songs 3:1

The psalmist prays: “O God, You are my God Whom I seek; for You my flesh pines and my soul thirsts” (Ps 63:2). The Church proclaims “the supremacy of the bond with Christ” (Catechism of the Catholic Church

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21/07/2024

CHANGING SHEPHERDS - One Bread, One Body, Jul 21, 2024: Sunday, July 21, 2024
16th Sunday Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 23:1-6 | Ephesians 2:13-18 | Psalm 23:1-6
“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” —Psalm 23:1

In the Old Testament, the term “shepherds,” when used to refer to leaders, did not refer to religious leaders but secular, political leaders (see Ez 34:1ff). Thus, according to the Old Testament, our shepherds are the president, governMore...

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20/07/2024

THE TYRANNY OF SELF - One Bread, One Body, Jul 20, 2024: Saturday, July 20, 2024
St. Apollinaris
Micah 2:1-5 | Psalm 10:1-4, 7-8, 14 | Matthew 12:14-21
“When the Pharisees were outside they began to plot against Him to find a way to destroy Him. Jesus was aware of this.” —Matthew 12:14-15

Jesus was aware that some of the religious leaders of His time were plotting to destroy Him. When we are rejected, hated, and threatened with murder, we normally turn in on ourselves and become preoccupied with our problems. However, Jesus did jusMore...

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19/07/2024

ORDER IN HIS COURT - One Bread, One Body, Jul 19, 2024: Friday, July 19, 2024

Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8 | Isaiah 38:10-12, 16 | Matthew 12:1-8
“Thus says the Lord: Put your house in order, for you are about to die.” —Isaiah 38:1

We all are about to die. Some will die soon and others very soon. Even if you don’t die for fifteen (Is 38:5) or fifty years, life is short and death is soon. Death is always at the door. Thomas á Kempis said: “Every action of yMore...

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18/07/2024

HEAVY WEIGHTS - One Bread, One Body, Jul 18, 2024: Thursday, July 18, 2024
St. Camillus de Lellis
Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19 | Psalm 102:13-21 | Matthew 11:28-30
“Take My yoke upon your shoulders and learn from Me.” —Matthew 11:29

The law of the old covenant was compared to a yoke (Sir 6:25). The yoke was heavy. It was comprised of 613 commandments. Every one of these commandments had to be obeyed, or the offender would be punished — sometimes with capital punishment.More...

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17/07/2024

CATCHING THE EYE OF GOD - One Bread, One Body, Jul 17, 2024: Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Isaiah 10:5-7, 13-16 | Psalm 94:5-10, 14-15 | Matthew 11:25-27
“Shall He Who shaped the ear not hear? Or He Who formed the eye not see?” —Psalm 94:9

Jesus looks at our culture of death, and what catches His eye is not “the learned and the clever” who do not know Him but the little people who believe in Him (Mt 11:25). When Jesus sees the nations raging, the peoples uttering folly, More...

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16/07/2024

THE SPIRIT OF FEARLESSNESS - One Bread, One Body, Jul 16, 2024: Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Isaiah 7:1-9 | Psalm 48:2-8 | Matthew 11:20-24
“Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear.” —Isaiah 7:4

King Ahaz was about to be attacked by two formidable armies. Consequently, “the heart of the king and heart of the people trembled, as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind” (Is 7:2). Anticipating the death, destruction, and devaMore...

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15/07/2024

BITTERSWEET - One Bread, One Body, Jul 15, 2024: Monday, July 15, 2024
St. Bonaventure
Isaiah 1:10-17 | Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23 | Matthew 10:34—11:1
“My mission is to spread, not peace, but division.”—Matthew 10:34

The Christian life is rough. If we want to lead a godly life, we will be persecuted (2 Tm 3:12). Our enemies may be those of our own household (Mt 10:36). As followers of Christ, we must take up our crosses daily (Lk 9:23) and bring ourselves to nMore...

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14/07/2024

“OH, NOTHING” - One Bread, One Body, Jul 14, 2024: Sunday, July 14, 2024
15th Sunday Ordinary Time
Amos 7:12-15 | Ephesians 1:3-14 | Psalm 85:9-14
“He instructed them to take nothing.” —Mark 6:8

In our culture, we say: “Ready; get set; go.” Jesus says something different: “Ready; don’t be ‘set upon the things of this world’ (Phil 3:19), and go.” To get ready to go for Jesus doesn’t mean thatMore...

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13/07/2024

FIGHT FEAR WITH FEAR - One Bread, One Body, Jul 13, 2024: Saturday, July 13, 2024
St. Henry
Isaiah 6:1-8 | Psalm 93:1-2, 5 | Matthew 10:24-33
“Then I said, ‘Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’ ” —Isaiah 6:5

Love can push out of our lives the fear of human beings, the fear of pain, and the fear of death (see 1 Jn 4:18). To love, we must have faith in the Lord, for love is an expression of faith (see Gal 5:6). To have a deep faith, we need the fear of More...

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12/07/2024

ASKING FOR IT? - One Bread, One Body, Jul 12, 2024: Friday, July 12, 2024

Hosea 14:2-10 | Psalm 51:3-4, 8-9, 12-14, 17 | Matthew 10:16-23
“Straight are the paths of the Lord, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them.” —Hosea 14:10

As a child, did you readily obey your parents when they quietly told you to do something? Or did you tend to ignore the first command, not respond well to the quiet approach, or even not get serious about obedience until confronted with punishmentMore...

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11/07/2024

LIGHT ON YOUR FEET - One Bread, One Body, Jul 11, 2024: Thursday, July 11, 2024
St. Benedict
Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9 | Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16 | Matthew 10:7-15
“I will not let the flames consume you.” —Hosea 11:9

Decades ago, my house caught on fire. My son was asleep in the bedroom next to the room where the fire raged. He and I fled through the smoke without time to save any of his possessions. Hours later, after the firemen extinguished the blaze, we weMore...

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10/07/2024

“OTHER CHRISTS” - One Bread, One Body, Jul 10, 2024: Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12 | Psalm 105:2-7 | Matthew 10:1-7
Jesus “summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority to expel unclean spirits and to cure sickness and disease of every kind.” —Matthew 10:1

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have Jesus in every city, neighborhood, and family? Jesus would walk among us, proclaim His kingdom of love, heal the sick, drive out demons, and give us salvation. The good news is that Jesus has provided for thiMore...

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09/07/2024

OH, TO BE YOURS, JESUS! - One Bread, One Body, Jul 9, 2024: Tuesday, July 9, 2024
St. Augustine Zhao Rong
& the Chinese Martyrs
Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13 | Psalm 115:3-10 | Matthew 9:32-38
Jesus “said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is good but laborers are scarce. Beg the Harvest Master to send out laborers to gather His harvest.’ ” —Matthew 9:37-38

People long for a chance to serve the winning sports team. If that team posted an advertisement asking for volunteers to pass out their T-shirts, many would proudly volunteer, eager to be associated with their beloved team.

Jesus is the CaMore...

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08/07/2024

TO GET SPIRITUAL OUTPUT, PUT OUT - One Bread, One Body, Jul 8, 2024: Monday, July 8, 2024

Hosea 2:16-18, 21-22 | Psalm 145:2-9 | Matthew 9:18-26
“When the crowd had been put out He entered...”—Matthew 9:25

As the prophet Hosea says, God plans to woo us into the desert (Hos 2:16). The din of the world must be ejected from our lives so we can hear God in the silence and respond to His love (Hos 2:17). Today’s Gospel shows that once the din of thMore...

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07/07/2024

“FOLLOW THE SPIRIT’S LEAD” (Gal 5:25) - One Bread, One Body, Jul 7, 2024: Sunday, July 7, 2024
14th Sunday Ordinary Time
Ezekiel 2:2-5 | 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 | Psalm 123:1-4
“The Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet.” —Ezekiel 2:2

Are circumstances going poorly in your life? Are you being opposed by neighbors, co-workers or family members? (Mk 6:1-6) Are those with whom you live “hard of face” and “obstinate of heart”? (Ez 2:4) Are you weak? (2 Cor 1More...

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06/07/2024

I HOPE SO... - One Bread, One Body, Jul 6, 2024: Saturday, July 6, 2024
St. Maria Goretti
Amos 9:11-15 | Psalm 85:9-14 | Matthew 9:14-17
“I will bring about the restoration of My people.” —Amos 9:14

As we have read the prophet Amos in the last few days, the Lord has been very blunt with us and made it clear that the wages of sin is death (Rm 6:23), even a “culture of death.” However, the final word in the book of Amos is not deathMore...

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05/07/2024

STOP THE FAMINE - One Bread, One Body, Jul 5, 2024: Friday, July 5, 2024
St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria
St. Elizabeth of Portugal
Amos 8:4-6, 9-12 | Psalm 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131 | Matthew 9:9-13
“Yes, days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send famine upon the land: not a famine of bread, or thirst for water, but for hearing the word of the Lord.” —Amos 8:11

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Church teaches that the famine of God’s Word prophesied by Amos is taking place now (Catechism, 2835). Therefore, “Christians must make evMore...

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04/07/2024

EXPELLED? - One Bread, One Body, Jul 4, 2024: Thursday, July 4, 2024

Amos 7:10-17 | Psalm 19:8-11 | Matthew 9:1-8
“Off with you!” —Amos 7:12

“Indeed, the Lord God does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants, the prophets” (Am 3:7). Therefore, the Lord showed Amos that God’s people were about to be decimated by starvation due to a plague of locusts (Am 7:1)More...

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03/07/2024

LIKE A ROCK - One Bread, One Body, Jul 3, 2024: Wednesday, July 3, 2024
St. Thomas
Ephesians 2:19-22 | Psalm 117:1-2 | John 20:24-29
“You form a building which rises on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Capstone.” —Ephesians 2:20

The Lord specializes in making shaky, unstable, and doubting people into “living stones” (1 Pt 2:5) with rock-like faith, transforming them into pillars of the Church. For instance, Jesus came to doubting Thomas, and before long St. ThMore...

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02/07/2024

ARE YOU READY TO DIE NOW? - One Bread, One Body, Jul 2, 2024: Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Amos 3:1-8; 4:11-12 | Psalm 5:4-8 | Matthew 8:23-27
“Prepare to meet your God.” —Amos 4:12

The Lord says to all of us: “Put your house in order, for you are about to die” (Is 38:1). Whether your death is tomorrow or twenty years from now, it’s not that far away, and you have no idea when you will die or when Jesus willMore...

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01/07/2024

CRUSHING - One Bread, One Body, Jul 1, 2024: Monday, July 1, 2024
St. Junipero Serra
Amos 2:6-10, 13-16 | Psalm 50:16-23 | Matthew 8:18-22
“Beware, I will crush you into the ground as a wagon crush when laden with sheaves.” —Amos 2:13

The Israelites were in danger of being crushed because of their sins (Am 2:13). Some of the sins they committed were:

* putting money and a comfortable lifestyle above people (see Am 2:6).

* trampling the heads of the weak andMore...

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30/06/2024

TWELVE - One Bread, One Body, Jun 30, 2024: Sunday, June 30, 2024
13th Sunday Ordinary Time
Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24 | 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15 | Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13
“There was a woman in the area who had been afflicted with a hemorrhage for a dozen years.” —Mark 5:25

In the Scriptures, the number twelve signifies fullness. There were “twelve tribes of Israel” (Gn 49:28). Jesus chose “twelve apostles” (Mt 10:2) and made them into the new Israel, the Church. The heavenly city has “tMore...

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29/06/2024

GETTING BEHIND JESUS - One Bread, One Body, Jun 29, 2024: Saturday, June 29, 2024
Sts. Peter & Paul
Acts 12:1-11 | 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 | Psalm 34:2-9
“I have kept the faith.” —2 Timothy 4:7

Sts. Peter and Paul, who are foundation stones of the Church (Eph 2:20), were human beings who failed in spectacular fashion. St. Peter was rebuked by Jesus with the words, “Get behind Me, Satan!” (Mt 16:23, RSV-CE) To be so addressed More...

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28/06/2024

THE SIGHT FOR SORE EYES - One Bread, One Body, Jun 28, 2024: Friday, June 28, 2024
St. Irenaeus
2 Kings 25:1-12 | Psalm 137:1-6 | Matthew 8:1-4
“He had Zedekiah’s sons slain before his eyes. Then he blinded Zedekiah.” —2 Kings 25:7

Spiritually, many people go blind after seeing the worst sight of their lives. For example, if a husband sees his wife committing adultery, he will naturally be inclined to hate her. If the husband gives in to this hatred, anger, and bitterness inMore...

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27/06/2024

THREE MONTHS TO PREPARE - One Bread, One Body, Jun 27, 2024: Thursday, June 27, 2024
St. Cyril of Alexandria
2 Kings 24:8-17 | Psalm 79:1-5, 8-9 | Matthew 7:21-29
“He reigned three months.” —2 Kings 24:8

Eighteen-year-old King Jehoiachin only reigned three months as king of Judah. He didn’t use those three months to prepare for an upcoming Babylonian invasion. However, he did have time in those three months to marry at least twice (2 Kgs 24:More...

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26/06/2024

LOOK WHAT I FOUND! - One Bread, One Body, Jun 26, 2024: Wednesday, June 26, 2024

2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3 | Psalm 119:33-37, 40 | Matthew 7:15-20
“I have found the book of the law in the Temple of the Lord.” —2 Kings 22:8

How many Christians have a family Bible which hasn’t been opened for years sitting on a coffee table? How many Catholics have a Holy Bible somewhere in the house, but have no idea where it is? How many Bibles are given as gifts to people, buMore...

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25/06/2024

“I BELIEVE IN ONE GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY” - One Bread, One Body, Jun 25, 2024: Tuesday, June 25, 2024

2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36 | Psalm 48:2-4, 10-11 | Matthew 7:6, 12-14
“O Lord, God of Israel, enthroned upon the cherubim! You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.” —2 Kings 19:15

God is all-powerful, and He shows it. He “made the heavens and the earth” (2 Kgs 19:15). He sent an angel to strike “down one hundred and eighty-five thousand men” who were about to destroy the Israelites (2 Kgs 19:35). GodMore...

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24/06/2024

CHRISTMAS IN JUNE - One Bread, One Body, Jun 24, 2024: Monday, June 24, 2024
Birth of St. John the Baptizer
Isaiah 49:1-6 | Acts 13:22-26 | Psalm 139:1-3, 13-15
“This astonished them all.” —Luke 1:63

When we hear the name “John the Baptizer,” we should immediately be filled with anticipation. When St. John was born, circumcised, and named, his father was instantly and miraculously able to speak for the first time in nine months (LkMore...

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23/06/2024

A STORMY RELATIONSHIP - One Bread, One Body, Jun 23, 2024: Sunday, June 23, 2024
12th Sunday Ordinary Time
Job 38:1, 8-11 | 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 | Psalm 107:23-26, 28-31
“The Lord addressed Job out of the storm.” —Job 38:1

You’re in a veritable hurricane of difficulty, and all you can see of Jesus is that He’s asleep. You want to scream, “Jesus, don’t You care?” (see Mk 4:38) However, Jesus “cares for you” (1 Pt 5:7). &ldquoMore...

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One Bread, One Body