BREAD FOR YOUTH

  2 nd Week Easter Thursday   Gen 1:26-2:3 Meditation St Joseph the Worker God created the world and humans in his image. Humans are blessed because we are created in God's image. We are in everything like God, but we are not gods. We are humans, and we are loved by God. God created humans and animals, birds, the sky, the sea, the earth, and all possible beings for the good of humans and the glory of God. God has to work for it. Any work has its dignity. Humans have to work, and work gives meaning and purpose to life. Do we enjoy hard work? Mt 13:54-58 Jesus was known as the son of a carpenter. Joseph was a carpenter. It was a humble but skilled job. It was respected and wanted at the time. It was a hard job. Joseph worked hard to earn bread for the family. How lucky are those who earn their food? Let us pray to the Lord that our work is constructive for our good and the good of others. No one will be sad or sorry for working hard.   Let us honour all tho...

  2nd Week of Easter Wednesday Acts 5:17-26 Meditation Lord Intervenes for Us! It was the Jealousy of the elders of the Sadducees that caused the arrest of the Apostles and led to their imprisonment. Jealousy is the root cause of many human problems. In jealousy, one does not keep calm, one acts against the other, causing harm and evil. The way to overcome jealousy is not to avoid it, but to be aware of it and use the negative energy of Jealousy for positive actions. It could help one to act better, instead of acting against the people who are performing well. The Lord miraculously releases them from jail, and they go to preach in the temple. They have no explanation for how they were saved from jail. The people were with the Apostles, and people were listening and noting the wonders of the Lord in the early Christian community. We have to keep in mind that if it is the work of the Lord, no one could stop Jesus' mission. The good news spreads and impacts people's lives....

  2nd Week of Easter Tuesday Acts 4:32-5:1 Meditation "Born anew Christians" Is it possible to be one heart and one mind? It is possible to have one mind and one heart in the community as long as the members of the community are united by Jesus, united for a mission and giving up self-interests and seek only the good of the other members in the community and long to establish the kingdom of God. Is it possible that there can be a community where there is no needy person among them? It is possible that they can be members of the community living together without any needs and having all their needs fulfilled by the community. It could be financial, material and spiritual needs. As long as the members of the community are united in the name of the Risen Lord, it is possible to have a perfect community where there is a union of hearts and minds in the name of Jesus. Who is the uniting force in the Church? Gospel: Jn 3:7-15 Meditation Jesus once said to Nicodemus,...

  2nd Week of Easter Monday Acts 4:23-31 Meditation Are we people born of water and Spirit? The Church was being persecuted. Peter and John came to the community from the prison and communicated with the members about the treatment they received in the prison. The support and care of the community of believers in times of trial are very important. We are not alone, but God has given us a community to live in. They were not discouraged but encouraged by the desire to proclaim the message. They prayed amid the turmoil for the help of Jesus. They decided to proclaim Jesus despite the impending persecutions. The Lord heard their prayers and Jesus blessed them and they performed many miracles and the people believed in the Lord.   They were filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to proclaim the Word of God. Do we pray to Jesus in times of persecution? Gospel: Jn 3:1-8 Nicodemus came to Jesus to talk to him, discuss matters of faith, and clarify his doubt...

  Easter Saturday Acts 4:13-21 Meditation Be a Witness to Jesus! Peter and his company were warned sternly not to speak in the name of Jesus. They were even threatened with dire consequences. Peter and the others who believed in the presence of the Risen Lord decided to follow God and to do what is right in the sight of God. They have expressed that they cannot but speak about what they have seen and heard from Jesus. It is an internal conviction and force that is within them urging them to speak and bear witness to Jesus. The one who is filled with the Spirit of Jesus cannot but speak of Jesus. The Apostles in the early church were filled with the spirit of the Risen Lord. Are we compelled from within to witness for Christ? Gospel: Mk 16:9-15help  Meditation Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, from whom he cast out seven devils. He appeared to many others, too, but not all believed in him. He appears to the eleven, and He rebukes them for their disbelief. He tell...

  Easter Friday Acts 4:1-12 Meditation Do We Reject Jesus? Peter, John and others were put in jail. The word about the resurrection of Jesus was spreading like wildfire. The elders of Israel want to arrest the spread of the news that Jesus Rose from the dead. The elders were surprised by the power the Apostles possessed; in fact, they asked them with what power do you do what you do? They answer that they do everything by the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who was crucified and Rose to life from among the dead. They tell the elders of Israel that the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. It is true that each one of us rejects the best things of life and the precious blessings of life. What we reject will not belong to us. We reject many people and things in life. The reasons to reject could be many, but each one gets into the game of rejecting others knowingly and unknowingly. Let us pray and take care not to reject the Risen Lord from our lives....

  Easter Thursday Acts 3:11-26 Meditation Foster Peace in the World! Peter becomes a spokesperson in the early Church. Peter was a frightened fisherman. He denies Jesus thrice before the cock crows.   He becomes bold and speaks with his mind inspired by the spirit that governs the salvation story; God has been guiding, and in the last days, he spoke to us through Jesus, who was killed by his own people. He tells them, do not be surprised by whose power he does wonders. Asserts himself and believes in the power of Jesus and the presence of the Risen Lord. The Lord’s wish and desire is that each one of us turn away from right living. Jesus came to bring true repentance and in fact, we are saved through his passion, death and resurrection but the good Lord needs our cooperation and surrender to do wonders with our lives. Do we accept that the Lord organised humans to save them through Jesus? Gospel: Lk 24:35-48. Meditation The disciples from Emmaus returned and sh...

  2nd Week of Easter, Thursday Acts 5:27-33   Meditation Whom Do We Obey? The problem of the Sanhedrin was that the preaching of the Apostles was making them guilty of the blood of Jesus. The guilty will feel guilty, and they were, in fact, the cause of the death of Jesus. Guilty people wish to avoid the situation; it is a self-defensive mechanism. The best way to face the guilt is to accept the situation in reality and the actuality of the situation. The rest leave it to God’s grace and care. To the Sanhedrin, Peter replies and chooses to obey God rather than the elders, who order them not to preach in the name of Jesus. They preferred to choose the order of God and not the orders of men. It is a hard choice in life to always choose the will of God and the commands of God instead of the human and worldly laws that are temporal. Do we choose to obey God's inspiration or men's ways? Gospel: Jn 3:31-36 Meditation He who comes from above will be above all. Who is ...

  Easter Wednesday Acts 3:1-10 Meditation Where are We Moving? Peter takes the situation into control. He is the accepted leader of the early church. He takes courage in the risen Lord and says that he has not gold and silver but has Jesus with them alive and in his name takes the chance to work wonders. He cures the man born lame, and people wonder at the healing done by Peter. The man gives glory to God. They were amazed at   what had happened to the lame man The cure of lame man was a sign that the power of the Risen Lord is with Peter and with other Apostles. They were constantly strengthened by the belief and presence of the Risen Lord amongst them. The Risen Lord gave them peace and inspired them with his presence to do wonders in his name. Do you have faith in the Risen Lord? Gospel: Lk 24:13-35 Meditation After the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples were still in doubt. Two disciples were on their way to Emmaus, which is away from Jerusalem. They were...

  EASTER TUESDAY Acts 2:36-41 Mediation Lord is Alive Among Us! The   call is to repent and believe in Jesus crucified and risen. Time and again the invitation of God through prophets, through Jesus, through the Apostles and to each one of us alive is to repent. Repentance and getting back to our original state of life is a necessity for the good of human beings just not for the life in this world but life to come. No one can escape life by living in sin and in wrongdoing. One has to transform himself/herself, look for ways and means to set things right with God and with one another. No one wishes to live without reconciling with God and others. There is a desire to repent and come back to God and live a happy and contented life. Let us give a chance every time and everywhere to repent from evil to good and believe in the Risen Lord who is alive among us. Do you know that the Risen Lord is alive among us? Gospel: John 20: 11-18 Meditation The angels ask the woman...

  Easter Monday Acts 2:14, 22-33 Meditation Peter, at the very beginning of the Church, was clear with messages to be proclaimed. The Message and truth is that Jesus, the son of God, came to save, but his own people persecuted him and put him to death, and he rose to life. The real story of Jesus is the plan of God fulfilled; the story of Jesus is the true story of salvation accomplished, the story of Jesus in the message for all ages of people both living, dead and generations to come. David experienced the Lord’s mercy, and he manifested his love for him and comforted him in promising the Messiah. Everyone who listens to the story of Jesus is cleansed, saved, lucky, and joyful. This story has to be retold by everyone; the story itself is healing and brings transformation in the lives of those who hear it, and the hearers of the story continue to repeat it and recall it for eternal life. Do we recall the story of Jesus again and again? Gospel: Mt 28:8-15 Meditation ...

  EASTER 2025 All Things New.   “He seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Revelation 21:5. 1. NEW TECHNOLOGY While the Bible doesn’t mention “technology” as we know it, it does speak of wisdom, innovation, and tools for God's purpose: “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.” Exodus 31:3-5 (NIV). “Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.” Daniel 12:4 (NIV) We live in the most advanced age of AI. It can help or harm humans. Whatever technical invention one may have, one should remember that we are created in God's image. We need to respect ourselves and others because God's image is in us. Any action we take against humans and God that destroys God's image is dangerous and harmful. God is the source of all wisd...

    THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS (2025) The "Seven Last Words of Jesus" on the cross are seven expressions Jesus made during His crucifixion, recorded across the four Gospels. They hold deep spiritual meaning and are often meditated on during Good Friday services. 1. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Luke 23:34) Is it possible that someone does not know what they are doing is wrong? It is possible that evil and sin are so deceptive that one is not aware that is committing sin or doing evil. The evil attraction is such that one is not able to resist it even if one knows that what one is doing is evil and sinful. Many people do things which they do not want to do.   As St. Paul expresses, he does the very thing that he does not want to do ( Rom 7:19-25). Jesus says that my spirit is willing, but his flesh is weak. The Lord knows human frailty. Lord prays for us on the cross that one's sins may be forgiven, for we are not aware ...

  HOLY THURSDAY (2025) The Last Supper is the manifestation of Jesus's love for the disciples. Jesus loved the world, people and his disciples. He made known his love to them. St. John Bosco says, ‘It is not enough that we love the young but they should know that we love them and they should love in return.’ It is God who loves us first, and the love of God is concretely manifested to us in the Second person of Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus showed his love by accompanying the disciples, preaching, teaching and working miracles. The Apostles shared the Last meal with Jesus as a sign of their love for Jesus. A meal brings together the persons and the sharing food unites us. Sharing food with someone is becoming part of that person and accepting them as connected and wanted persons. Do we share food with others? Do we offer food to others? Do we accept those who offer food to us? Love of God for us manifested is the daily life in one’s interaction with others. The young people fa...

  Holy Week of Lent Wednesday Isa 50:4-9 Meditation The war and mission do not belong to the individuals but to the Lord (Deut 20:4). The suffering servant is sent by God; he would redeem humanity. Humans had ill-treated him. He is still mistreated by all those who live in sin. He stands for every sort of harm, for the love of the Father and for the love of humanity. He made himself strong not by his own strength but by the great expected result of the salvation of humanity. Where there is a will, there is a way (Victor Franklin)   I have learned to be satisfied in abundance and in want (Phil 4:11-13). Isaiah speaks about the suffering servant. He was troubled and mistreated. The assurance is that nothing will happen to the Messiah. It is the story of every minister of the Lord; one way or the other, the ministers are troubled and tired. The Lord’s promise is that nothing will happen to the servants of the Lord. Who, then, will bring charges against us? Who is our ac...

  Holy Week of Lent Tuesday Isa 49:1-6 Meditation We are in the Eternal Plan of God! God knew us before we were formed in the mother’s womb. God protects us from all harm that is waiting from the evil one   and from the enemies. He will keep safeguards everywhere beyond the intelligence of the enemy. For the choice is Lord’s to protect and enable for mission. The Lord needs men/women of good will for his mission. God is so powerful; the cooperation of humans is necessary. Not because God lacks something; but God’s love needs human cooperation. He will bring back everything that is lost by everyone and all ages. He will restore everything to its original state. Humans have lost their original state due to the sin of the first parents. He will be light to gentiles. Gentiles are those who do not know the true God. All those who live in sin and abandon God are, in a way, gentiles and also those that do not belong to God. God’s purpose is to bring salvation to the ends of e...

  Holy Week Monday Is 42:1-7 Meditation Jeremiah speaks about a gentle servant of God. A gentleman/woman does not hurt anyone; even if he/she gets hurt, he/she amends himself/herself and helps others amend themselves without imposing himself/herself or their ideas and feelings on others. The good of the other is important, not what one gains in the way of his/her appetites. Jesus is a gentleman who will come and suffer and bring justice without harming anyone. He will not lose heart in the process of getting good and justice done. He will keep his mission of peace and justice going hand in hand. He will open the eyes of the blind, free the prisoners and give light to those who sit in darkness. These blind, imprisoned and in darkness are not unknown people; each one of us is in this state of life; maybe the degree changes. Are we ready to recognize our blindness, imprisonment and areas of darkness? Gospel: Jn 12:1-11 Meditation Do we Sit at the Feet of Jesus? ...

  5th Week of Lent Saturday Ezek 37:21-28 Meditation God Brings Communion Among His People! God’s love and passion for Israel are great and admirable. The people of Israel are always scattered people. For one reason or the other, they have experienced migration, slavery, deportation and persecution. The group of people who can be said to have suffered most. The Lord has not abandoned them. God has not lost hope for them, though they have lost hope in themselves. He instilled in them hope and promised to save them as people and as a nation and redeem them for eternity. God keeps his promise; he becomes their God, and the people become his people. His dwelling is fixed in Jerusalem. He made a covenant with them to protect them and guard them from all forces of evil. The people of Israel are not abandoned even to this day. The coming of Jesus, a saviour and redeemer, is given to the whole world, uniting them all as one people of God. The salvific action of God continues throug...

  5th Week of Lent Friday Jer 20:10-13 Meditation Do you Play the Game of Victim? It has been the story of Jeramiah that he was rejected and persecuted. He was faithful to God and his word, and God has not abandoned him. Though the troubles caused to him were untold, he prevailed over every form of persecution and the persecutors. He was the victim. He has not just played the role of victim, but he took responsibility and taught them the way of the Lord. He taught them that the Lord is his rescuer and the rescuer of those who are troubling him. Most of the time, we play the game of victim; that all causes pain in the neck. There will always be troubles in life. It is up to each individual to take up one’s daily course of struggles and move ahead with hope in the Lord. The Lord offers chances and provides possibilities for bettering the situation and life. Let us hope in the Lord in all grim situations of life. Are you a persecutor, victim or rescuer? Gospel: Jn 10:31-42...

  5th Week of Lent Thursday Gen 17:3-9 Meditation God, no Way Force Us! God changed the name of Abram to Abraham, which means father of many. We know Abraham is the father of faith. God made a covenant with him. God promised he will be faithful to him and his people. God wants assurance that the descendants of Abraham are faithful to him. God wants our love. He does not force us to love him. Any relationship to be good and lasting has to be free and not   forced. In force, there is no relationship; it is also the same with our relationship with God. True love leads to love. God is love, and his love makes us love him in return. Do you know that God does not force us to love him? Gospel: Jn 8:51-59 Meditation Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death."   The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, 'Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.' Are you greater tha...

  5th Week of Lent Wednesday Dan 3:14-20,24-25,28 Meditation Be a Change Maker! King Nebuchadnezzar wanted the three young men, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, to worship other gods. The three young men refused to do so; they were thrown into the fire. In the fire, they were not consumed. Instead, a fourth person was moving in the fire. The fourth person was the son of god.   God's protection will not be withdrawn from those who put their hope in the Lord. We have many instances where God protects people who hoped and trusted in him. God is a faithful God. At the end of the reading, we note that King Nebuchadnezzar believes in the God of these three young men. The faith of the just and good will do wonders. The faith and witness of the people of God will transform individuals, giving them faith and hope and enabling them to bear witness to God and His mercy. The joy of God is when one transforms himself/herself as the son/daughter of God. Each one should become ...

  5th Week of Lent Tuesday   Numbers 21:4-9 Meditation Be Grateful! The people of Israel grumbled in the desert that they did not have sufficient to eat. The grumble is the disgruntled person's attitude. Gratitude is the attitude of content people. The Israelites were discontented and grumbling at the Lord. They angered God. God sent serpents, and those bitten by the serpents were dying. In fear and frustration, they prayed to God, and God instructed Moses to build a pole in the desert and place a bronze serpent on it; those who looked at it would live. It was not the bronze serpent that was raised in the middle of the desert that saved them but faith in God. God, who brought them safely from Egypt, will save them. Faith in the wonders of the Lord is very important.   The memory of God’s good actions is very easily forgotten by us. Let us remember and recall time again the wonders that the Lord has done in our lives lest we begin to grumble instead ...

  5th Week of Lent Monday Dan 13:41-62 Meditation Is Blame Game Normal? Susanna refuses to sin with the three men. They falsely accuse her to eliminate her. She was brought to judgment. She was tried publicly. The Spirit of the Lord inspires Daniel to go to the innocent daughter of Israel. Thanks be to God for the discernment that the Lord has given to Daniel. He cross-examines the three men separately in public, and they give variable, incorrect answers to Daniel's questions. In public, it was revealed that three men were only falsely accusing Susanna, the innocent daughter of Israel. The easy game we play every day is often a blame game. The blame game is the first game that human beings learned. Adam and Eve along the snake blamed each other. We continue the game because it is a way of escaping reality. Humans pass on their problems to someone and something; they never accept that each one is a problem and insincere, in a way deceiving oneself and others. The best way of...

  4th Week of Lent Saturday Jer 11:18-20 Mediation Does a Leader Need a Chair? The way to be righteous for evil is to do away with the just. Jeremiah was given enough troubles by the people of Israel. They wanted to destroy him. It is the unknown inclination of evil to destroy the good people and God’s messengers. The fight is not between evil and evil; evil people co-exist. The evil ones harm the good. The evil wish destroys the good, but the good will win over the evil. Jesus came to this world as a messenger, peacemaker and redeemer, but the people did not accept him. They rejected him; they said he was chasing devils with the power of the chief of the devil. They called him a glutton, crucified him and at his resurrection, they spread the rumour that his disciples stole his body. A total blow to Jesus from the elders and chief priest, but Jesus, who was rejected, became the cornerstone. Why do we reject good people? Gospel: Jn 7:40-52 There was a dispute over...

  4th Week of Lent Friday Wis 2:1a,12-22 Do I Test Just People? Just men\women are seen as a problem by many and even the so-called good people. Just people are a block to the unjust and evil persons. Just persons are like swords in their mind and heart. Evil people cannot bear the sight of the just. It so happens the unjust trouble the just. It could be severe treatment to the good by the unjust people. The trials that are given to the just men/women are like tests to see if the just people are true; they want to have pleasure in causing pain to just people. God makes use of the unjust to justify the righteous more and more and prove their holiness and goodness. Like Job, the just people will win the test and trials of the unjust. God makes them just as his beloved children. God’s strength is manifested in just people. The evil people are put to shame and learn from them to turn to God. How often do I test just people? Gospel: Jn 7:1-2, 10,25-30 Meditation Now some o...

  4th Week of Lent Thursday Ex 32:7-14 Meditation God is just like a human being. He is a jealous God. He wants his people to worship him and no other. The people of Israel, time and again, were worshiping other gods. God was angry with them. He wanted to destroy them. Moses pleads with God to relent from his fiery anger. Moses remained God the promises he had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God is faithful to humans. He keeps his promises. In anger, one may wish evil to the rebellious people, but in keeping with the promises and their good word, they let people go free and wish blessing upon the rebellious and evil people. God is faithful to his people; he makes them a great nation. The Lord wants his people to be seen as a great nation. A great nation of numerous people who are giving glory to God in cherishing their lives; immersed in the world, in the blessing and graces of God. Who are our other gods? Gospel: Jn 5:31-47 Meditation "You search the scriptures ...

  4th Week of Lent Wednesday Isa 49:8-15 Meditation God's Love is Like the Love of a Mother! God, in his time, restores everything to the people of Israel. Even today, in the remote places and yet time in the cities, the living conditions are becoming worse. In the time of Israel of old, there were no proper roads, deserts, hills and valleys. They lived in hard conditions. In their poor conditions of life, they hoped and trusted in the Lord with great hope in the care and protection of God. God is promising us that he will not forget us. Even if the mother forgets her nursing child, God will not forget us. It will not happen that a mother forgets her nursing baby. It could happen that sometimes the mothers forget that they are feeding their child. God is for us more than a mother, for a human being’s mother is the greatest image of love and care. God’s care is much more than that; often we say that God is unable to take care of us physically for all our needs, and that is w...