BREAD FOR YOUTH

  1 October 2024 Tuesday 1Cor 13:4-14-1 Mediation Mature in Love Everyone likes to be loved. Everyone is capable of love. We long for love and to express love. Sometimes we lose sight of the meaning of true love. We make like the fruit of love, but we do not like the sacrifice in love. Love involves not only external comfort that it brings. Love is a fancy word, and it is very attractive and captivating. Love without responsibility is not love. Many wish to have love for the sake of advantages and to feel good. Most of the time young people are confused and lack the depth of love of God and love of the others. If a person loves one should look for the overall good of the other. It involves sacrifice and pain. Love wishes the good of others and one’s own good. Do we look for the good end of love or our own desire to love? Feast of Teresa of the Child Jesus Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb

  26 th Week Ordinary Time 30 September 2024 Monday Job 1:6-12 Meditation Lord Guards Our Life and Souls from Evil. Job lost his sheep, camels, servants and children. At the time of losing, all his belongings and dear ones he comes out with a great insight into life. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Faith and trust in the Lord enable one to entrust oneself to the Lord. Most of the time most of us are at a loss for little things we spoil the entire day. Even the wrong words of the wrong people can affect a few hours of our day. It is courage and grace to accept failure and take life as it comes with humility. It is the Lord who gives and the Lord who takes away, but the Lord will not allow us to lose our hearts and soul. Do you know the Lord will not allow the devil to touch our life and soul? Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb                                                

 8 September 2024 25th Week Ordinary Time Saturday  Eccl 11:9-12:8 Meditation  Remember your Creator  You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment (Eccl 11:9). Let the young people take a chance to enjoy the good things of life. There will be judgment, but you will not know life unless you live life.  Learning through the experience of life is better. Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them” (Eccl 12:1). It is good to remember the God who made us in the youth. The thought of God will keep us going through life properly. It is true experience is the best teacher. Learning the hard way leads to pain and sorrow. In youth, let the thought of God be in us. Do we take a chance to take risks and enj

  27 September 2024 25 th Week Ordinary Time Friday Eccl 3:1-11 Meditation We are Made for Eternity. There is a time to be born and a time to die. Time to plant and a time to uproot. Time to cry and a time to laugh. Time to mourn and a time to dance. Time to hate and a time to love. Time to be silent and a time to be speak. Time for war and a time for peace. Everything will be good and wonderful in God’s time. We notice there is a burden in the human heart. God indeed made everything beautiful in his time. The time of the Lord is beautiful. Every day is beautiful and wonderful. Time and space are for eternity. So, we too are made for eternity. Eternity is set in the human heart. The human being is not able to understand the depth of God’s love from the beginning to the end. Do we trust we are made for eternity? St Vincent de Paul Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb

  26 September 2024 25 th Week Ordinary Time Thursday Eccl 1:2-11 Meditation Meaningless! Meaningless! “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What do people gain from all their labours at which they toil under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises (Eccl 1:2-5). In the world there is nothing new the course of the sun, wind and the movements of the sea are the same. Time passes, generations pass and the way of the world is the same. Time keeps moving and as the ages pass everything will come to an end. But it is not the uselessness of life and the world but the care to be taken to realize that we are mortal. Our life has meaning and purpose only in the Lord. What is the purpose of our life? Sts Cosmas and Damian Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb

  25 September 2024 25 th Week Ordinary Time Wednesday Prov 30:5-9 Meditation The Word of God is flawless. The Word of God is flawless. God and his Word will keep everyone well if they keep it. It will shield them. God’s Word is written down to us. Everyone is fortunate to have the Word of God. One should take repose in reading the scriptures and feel the protection and assurance of His Word. The following prayer and wish of the human person is worth remembering and praying. “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches but give me only my daily bread.   Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God” (Prov 30:8-9). What do we seek every day of our life? Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb  

  24 September 2024 25 th Week Ordinary Time Tuesday Prov 21:1-6, 10-13 Meditation Pride Causes Sin. One’s heart is directed by God. God does good to us through the King and the leaders. One should avoid being proud. Pride leads one to sin. The pride leads to destruction. Pride breaks the relationships and feeds the self-ego. Instead, taking a path of humility is better, and many virtues will be acquired. Do not pay a deaf ear to the cry of the poor. The cry of the poor will be heard by the Lord. Those who harm the poor will face the pain of the poor. One need not be poor to aid the poor but be just and share your riches with the poor. Sharing and wishing the good of the poor you will be blessed. Do we heed the cry of the poor? Our Lady of Ransom Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb

  23 September 2024 25 th Week Ordinary Time Monday Prov 3:27-34 Meditation The Lord is Just. The Lord is just.   We are asked to be just. Do good to others and do not cause harm. Purposely do not trouble others. Some do test others' patience. Human beings know to do good and to do evil too. As against evil always choose to do good. Do not give a chance for evil to act. If one is not careful, we allow evil to work. Overcome evil with good. The Lord blesses the righteous homes. The Lord will curse the wicked. The harm is done to us by our acts of evil. We invite trouble to ourselves by our words and actions. Let our words and actions be good and God-fearing. Allow God to bless us rather than curse us for our evil actions. Are we just to others? St Padre Pio Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb

  21 September 2024 24 th Week Ordinary Time Saturday Eph 4:1-7, 11-13 Meditation Grow to the Fullness in Christ.  “ As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.    Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.    There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph 4:1-6). God is our Father, and we are his children. Let us live as brothers and sisters of the loving Father in heaven. Love for God will teach us to live in genuine love. Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to build the community of believers. Everyone has the responsibility to help each other grow to the fullness of Christ. Let us take every care on ou

  20 September 2024 24 th Week Ordinary Time Friday 1 Cor 15:12-20 Meditation Jesus is Alive.  Jesus is alive. Jesus is real. Jesus living among us. We have no more fear because Jesus will do the needful to us. Young people need to believe this fact in Jesus. In Christus vivit , Apostolic Exhortation to Young People, Pope Francis encourages young people to discover Christ and renew hope in Him.   We are people of resurrection and hope-filled people. Our past, present and future are shaped and given richness because Jesus is alive. It is a great joy to know and believe in the resurrection. The Lord is no more dead, but he is alive. Since he is alive, he is actively involved in our lives. We have no reason to be sad and discouraged.  Once and for all the whole universe is saved and given everlasting life at the resurrection of the Lord. Sts Andrew Kim, Paul Chong Hasang (Mem) Do we place our hope in God, ourselves and others? Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb

  19 September 2024 24 th Week Ordinary Time Thursday 1 Cor 15:1-11 Meditation Use Your Gifts for the Community. St Paul tells us the community of Corinthians that he has come to preach to them the gospel. Faith in the gospel one is save us. He recounts the way he received the gospel. “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,   and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also…”(1 Cor 15:3-8). He says that he was not worthy to be called Apostle. He worked hard for the gospel. He says the grace of God was upon him. It was this grace that led him to do what he

  18 September 2024 24 th Week Ordinary Time Wednesday 1 Cor 12:31-13:3 Meditation God is Love. God is love. St Teresa of Avail, St Teresa of Child Jesus and St Teresa of Kolkata have many things in common in their spirituality. All three used to speak and wrote in their writings that their ‘vocation is to love’. They have indeed summarised the purpose of their call by the Lord. They lived accordingly. St John of the Cross says at the end of life all that concerns is the ‘love that we have for God’. It is the story and life of every saint in the church. It is true with our parents who lived their life of love and cared for us and many others in life. People we meet in our day-to-day life are on this mission of loving God and others in the best possible way. Do we consider the manifestation of the love of others? St Joseph of Cupertino OFM Conv. Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb

  17 September 2024 24 th Week Ordinary Time Tuesday 1 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31 Meditation God Blesses Us with Gifts.  The human body is composed of different parts as one human body. Likewise, though we are many and different from each other in various ways; human beings are united with the one baptism in the church. The divisions that are based on multicultural and multilingual we are all one in Jesus. The difference in human beings only adds richness to humanity and means of division. Jesus unites the Jews or Gentiles, Slaves or free and women or men. In every community, there are persons with various gifts and charisms. They are meant for the good of the community. Each one is given a gift to serve and praise God.   “ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.    Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mirac

  16 September 2024 24 th Week Ordinary Time Monday 1 Cor 11:17-33 Meditation Look for Unity. Divisions among the human beings of every group are noticed at one level or the other. All envisage unity and equality for others and themselves. Most of the time for some convenience and privilege unity and equality are sacrificed. It is a test for all to draw the line and to look for the unity and equality the Lord wishes for his Church. We have to work for family, community, and church without division and disparity. It is something to be strived for to live as children of God. The celebration of the Eucharist shatters all the divisions and disparities and brings us together as members of one united member in the body and blood of Jesus. At the breaking of the bread and sharing of the wine as the body and blood of Jesus, each one is invited into the human and Divine communion of the Lord. Let us treasure the joy of being united and undivided by Jesus at the celebration of the E

  14 September 2024 23 rd Week Ordinary Time Saturday Num 21:4-9 Meditation Contemplation on the Mystery of the Cross is the Most Beneficial. The best and most profitable and most fruitful mediation is on the Cross. Jesus' passion, death and resurrection synthesize our faith and means of salvation. The one who has learned to meditate on the cross has learned the way of the Lord. For the Lord has chosen the cross to bring salvation. One may think it is not useful to think about the passion of our Lord. The cross is a sign of failure. Only the criminals are killed on the cross. To die on the try is a curse. It is what cures have come to remove the curse of humanity. It was the eating of the fruit of the tree that brought sin into the world and the Jesus death on the cross brought life and eternal life. Let us learn to love the Cross, take the path of the Crucifixion, and gain life for us and others. Carry the cross and it will remove all our obstacles in the world and

  13 September 2024 23 rd Week Ordinary Time Friday 1 Cor 9:16-27 Preaching and Teaching is a Gift with Responsibility. “ For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.   What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel" (1 Cor 9:16-18). While preaching is a gift and a duty for those who are called. It involves the responsibility to live what one preaches and preach those things one practices. Preaching is one aspect of life, but it has to be integrated with life. Preachers and teachers should not preach and teach what is impossible but that could be lived and make it possible to live with the Grace of God and human effort. If not preaching is a useless exercise one who preach

  12 September 2024 23 rd Week Ordinary Time Thursday 1 Cor 8:1b-7, 11-13 Meditation Be a Witness to the Faith. One may eat and drink even the food offered to other gods, for there is only one God in heaven. Some people offer food to the idles and they are not true gods and there are only idols. We have only one God in heaven and Jesus the Son of God is born through the power of the Holy Spirit. One may live like a free child of the Father in heaven. But due to those who are weak in faith and life, it is better not to eat the food offered to idols. We must lead those weak in faith on the right path. Those who have just come to the way of the Lord as new believers would be scandalised if those who are strong in faith eat the food that is offered to the other gods. As we know there is great value in witness to those who are young in faith and weak in faith. Do take care to be witness to the young in faith? The Most Holy Name of Mary Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb

  11 September 2024 23 rd Week Ordinary Time Wednesday 1 Cor 7:25-35 Meditation The Kingdom of God is Near. St Paul speaks of indifference to family life, due to the imminence of the Kingdom of God. Marriage is good and family life is God's blessing. It is God’s will that one should have a family, bring up the children in faith, and realise God’s will in the family. Today family life is a great responsibility, and many are afraid of the commitment to the life partner and the duties of the family. As the Kingdom of God is near one may have to give up the family life which is good and necessary for the sake of the Kingdom of God. There need to work for the Kingdom of God with undivided heart. “ I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is

  10 September 2024 23 rd Week Ordinary Time Tuesday 1 Cor 6:1-11 Meditation You were Sanctified. There might be quarrels among the believers. Do not approach the ungodly but approach the believers and godly. Those who have the fear of God and respect for humanity will settle your disputes. In the first place, a believer having a dispute and quarrel is due to lack of faith, disbelief and love for God and the other. The quarrel and disrespect of the other should make one correct oneself and come to the path of God. In case one is at fault, gone wrong in his life, and living in sin. St Paul tells us about such persons and the care to be taken in Jesus. “Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men   nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slander

  9 September 2024 23 rd Week Ordinary Time Monday 1 Cor 5:1-8 Meditation Lord Wishes to Save Us. There are many ways of sexual deviations among the people. St Paul warns a man sleeping with his father’s wife. He communicates to the community to take care of him and that he overcomes his desires of the flesh and that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. St Paul does not condemn him but wishes for his renewal and he may be saved on the day of the Lord. Every kind of weakness and temptation may pass and overcome the evil inclinations with the grace of God. God gives grace and means to all those who struggle and make an effort to live good lives. To live in the Lord, a holy and blameless one has to let the old pass and move to the new. One has to give up the old ways that are not helpful and welcome new means and new ways to live in the Lord. The Lord will provide opportunities and means to live a life worthy of him. Let us be humble and take up every weakness and fa

  07 September 2024 22 nd Week Ordinary Time Saturday 1 Cor 4:6-15 Meditation God is the True Father. For the sake of Christ God’s ministers are different in the sight of the world.   We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honoured, we are dishonoured! To this very hour, we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, and we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;   when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment (1 Cor 4:10-13). The above consideration that St Paul presents to us is a warning that we are servants of the Word of God and misters of the world to bring back to Christ. It is a warning to be ready to face the world and overcome it for the sake of the Kingdom of God. We have no one a true father on earth. The only true Father is in

  6 September 2024 22 nd Week Ordinary Time Friday 1 Cor 4:1-5 Meditation You have no Right to Judge Even Yourself. We are servants of God who are entrusted with the mysteries of God and the manifestation of his glory. Everyone has the responsibility to keep their trust and prove faithful to God. You may be judged and may not be judged but may not even be a judge of yourself. Our conscience may be clear and innocent, but trust the Lord judges us in justice. In the appointed time the Lord will judge us and give us due honour and praise for our actions. Do not be too hard or lenient in judging yourselves but leave everything to the Lord. The Lord is the right and just judge who makes us right and blameless in the sight of God through his passion, death and resurrection. May the mercy of the Lord be praised. Do you know that the Lord is the just Judge? Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb

  5 September 2024 22 nd Week Ordinary Time Thursday 1 Cor 3:18-23 Meditation We Belong to Christ and Christ Belongs to God. The wise and the powerful want to have a say in everything and control everyone but in the sight of God, one has to be humble and even fools. The way of the world is not pleasing to God. The wisdom of the world does not work for the Kingdom's values. One may belong to Apollos or Cephas, to death or life, to present or the future we all belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God. In the case of Mother Teresa of Kolkata, there was a call to work for the needy in the slums of Kolkata. She dared to leave behind all her security to work in the slums of Kolkata. She had faced many challenges, but her prayer life and grace of God led her in the ups and downs of her mission for the poor. She witnessed Christ in India for charity in action as the love of God. What are the securities that we have built for ourselves? St Mother Teresa of Kolkata Fr Pu

  4 September 2024 22 nd Week Ordinary Time Wednesday 1 Cor 3:1-9 Meditation We are mere infants in Christ. St Paul is telling the Corinthians that he fed them with milk and not with solid food for they were like little children. The Word of God is preached to them, but they are not able to live up to the Word of God. They were weak and fragile failing to live as the sons and daughters of God. They were quarrelling and disputing themselves on every possible issue. One of the means to live as children of God is to live in peace and harmony.   Peace is the gift of the Holy Spirit and guarantee of God’s blessing. Those who have overcome the world and come to grown in virtue can still fall short of being stable and steady in virtue for human nature is weak and corrupted. Let no one fight and divide themselves but cooperate with God and his ministers for the building of the Kingdom of God. Humility and dependence on God is the need of everyone to grow in God and to live as Hi

  3 September 2024 22 nd Week Ordinary Time Tuesday 1 Cor 2:10-16 Meditation   Have the Mind of Christ. No one can know our ideas or thoughts unless we express them. In the same way, no one knows God's thoughts except the Spirit of God. The thoughts of God are revealed to us through the inspiration of the Spirit. The Spirit of God manifests the thoughts of God to us. We need to seek the aid of the Holy Spirit to know God's thoughts. We have to have the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is made known to us through the scriptures. Reading the scriptures, meditating and contemplating the Word of God makes us familiar with the person of Christ. The witness and preaching of the Word of God helps us to have the mind of Christ. If we have the mind of Christ we live like Christ. Do we express our thoughts for good to others? St Gregory the Great Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb