OUR FATHER, INDEED - One Bread, One Body, 02/24/2026

Tuesday, February 24, 2026,

Isaiah 55:10-11
Psalm 34:4-7, 16-19
Matthew 6:7-15

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OUR FATHER, INDEED
"Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." —Matthew 6:8

St. Philip asked Jesus, “Show us the Father” (Jn 14:8). Jesus replied: “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). On another occasion, Jesus declared, “The Father and I are One” (Jn 10:30).

In Eucharistic adoration, therefore, we see Jesus, and through Him, we see the Father. Jesus always is at work to bring us to His Father. Jesus teaches us that the Father knows what we need before we even can ask Him (Mt 6:8, 32). He is a good and loving Father.

Jesus came to reveal the Father to us (Mt 11:27). He says, “No one comes to the Father but through Me” (Jn 14:6). Throughout Scripture, a person’s identity is based on family lineage, on who was his or her father. If we don’t know who our father is, we struggle to know our identity. Whether our biological father was present, absent, loving or distant, God the Father desires passionately to adopt us as His dearly beloved child. This happens through Baptism. We become members of God’s family.

Your Father loves you so much that He sent His only Son into the world to die so you could spend eternity with Him (Jn 3:16). He takes you in His arms with tender love (see Hos 11:3-4). He loves you so much that His “heart is overwhelmed” (Hos 11:8).

It’s not the Father’s love that is lacking. It’s that we are unable or unwilling to receive our heavenly Father’s love. Will you give joy to the Father’s heart by letting Him love you?

Prayer: Abba, Father, I invite You to melt my wounded heart and love me into Your kingdom.

Promise: "When the afflicted man called out, the Lord heard, and from all his distress He saved him." —Ps 34:7

Praise: Samantha was a successful college athlete. Upon her graduation, she joyfully gave her life to Jesus and entered a cloistered convent to intercede for God's people.

(This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from February 1, 2026, through March 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio August 27, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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RECOVERING BROTHERHOOD AND SISTERHOOD - One Bread, One Body, 02/23/2026

Monday, February 23, 2026, St. Polycarp

Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18
Psalm 19:8-10, 15
Matthew 25:31-46

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RECOVERING BROTHERHOOD AND SISTERHOOD
"I assure you, as often as you did it for one of My least brothers, you did it for Me." —Matthew 25:40

When we hear these words of Jesus, we usually focus on the word “least.” However, we should especially accent the word “brothers,” that is, “brothers and sisters.” In this Scripture passage, Jesus taught that on Judgment Day He will judge us based on our love not for the poor in general but specifically for our Christian brothers and sisters in need. When the Lord teaches us about love, He makes the same point: “The way we came to understand love was that He laid down His life for us; we too must lay down our lives for our brothers” (1 Jn 3:16).

St. Paul learned this from Jesus and taught: “While we have the opportunity, let us do good to all men — but especially those of the household of the faith” (Gal 6:10). As Christians, we love all people, even our enemies, but the Lord wants us to reserve a special place in our hearts for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Because we are baptized brothers and sisters in Christ, we can have a depth of relationship with them impossible with those not baptized into brotherhood and sisterhood in Christ.

We must take our Christian brotherhood and sisterhood practically, seriously, and literally. Otherwise, why should we take our baptismal sonship and daughterhood seriously? If we are only figuratively but not literally God’s children, then Christianity is only a shadow of what the Lord has promised us. A lived baptismal brotherhood and sisterhood is essential for a fully real Christian life. Therefore, let us love all the “brethren,” including the least of them.

Prayer: Father, give me the mind of Christ (see 1 Cor 2:16) regarding my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Promise: "I am the Lord. You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart." —Lv 19:16-17

Praise: St. Polycarp is one of the earliest Church Fathers, and was a disciple of St. John the Evangelist.



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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from February 1, 2026, through March 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio August 27, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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ABBA ALWAYS - One Bread, One Body, 02/22/2026

Sunday, February 22, 2026, First Sunday of Lent

Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
Romans 5:12-19
Psalm 51:3-6, 12-13, 17
Matthew 4:1-11
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ABBA ALWAYS
"The tempter approached and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God...' " —Matthew 4:3

Lent is the imitation of Jesus when He fasted for forty days (Mt 4:2). This fasting was part of Jesus’ battle to overcome the temptations of the devil. These temptations were centered on the Father’s proclamation that Jesus is His beloved Son (Mt 3:17). This was the message of the Father to Jesus before the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted (Mt 4:1). Satan introduced two of his three temptations with the phrase, “If You are the Son of God” (Mt 4:3, 6). Satan was trying to downplay and cast doubt on the Father’s love for Jesus as His Son.

Jesus overcame these same temptations throughout His life. Even in His agony in the garden, Jesus kept praying: “Abba” (Father) (Mk 14:36). Moments before His death on the cross, Jesus prayed: “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit” (Lk 23:46; see also Ps 31:6). Jesus always trusted in His Father’s love, no matter what the circumstances.

One of the main purposes of Lent is to overcome all temptations and doubts about the Father’s love for us, His children. It is best to fight this battle now and not to wait for death, fear, tragedy, or pain to challenge our faith in our Father’s love. Accept your Father’s love this Lent. Then you will accept it when life doesn’t make sense, death hits close to home, and you feel so lost and alone. This Lent, know indelibly the Father’s love.

Prayer: "Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness; in the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me" (Ps 51:3-4).

Promise: "Just as through one man's disobedience all became sinners, so through one Man's obedience all shall become just." —Rm 5:19

Praise: Praise the risen Jesus, the only Way to the Father (Jn 14:6).



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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from February 1, 2026, through March 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio August 27, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER? - One Bread, One Body, 02/21/2026

Saturday, February 21, 2026, St. Peter Damian

Isaiah 58:9-14
Psalm 86:1-6
Luke 5:27-32

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GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER?
"Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and non-observers of the law?" —Luke 5:30

Jesus spent much of His public ministry eating good meals with sinful people. We can learn a great deal about Jesus by simply observing the people with whom He ate. Jesus’ eating was “catholic,” that is, universal. He ate with:

• sinners (Mt 9:10),
• the lost (Lk 19:5-10),
• crowds (Jn 6:10ff),
• the poor (see Lk 14:13),
• the rich (Lk 14:1),
• those who loved Him (Jn 12:1-2),
• those who disagreed with Him (Lk 14:1-5),
• those who denied Him and doubted Him (Jn 21:12ff), and
• His betrayer (Lk 22:21).

Eating a meal means more than sharing food. It also means sharing fellowship and sharing lives. Jesus stands knocking at your door, wanting to eat with you, and ardently waiting for you to open the door and invite Him in (Rv 3:20).

Jesus wants to eat with you. However, there’s company at His table. In Lent, the Lord is teaching about His kind of fasting, which involves abstaining from food (Mt 4:2), “sharing your bread with the hungry” (Is 58:7, 10), and not separating yourself from other members of Jesus’ body as you eat and drink (1 Cor 11:20-22, 29, 33-34).

With whom would you rather not eat? Jesus wants to eat with them. Do you still want to eat with Jesus?

Prayer: Jesus, may I be ever more catholic this Lent.

Promise: "I have not come to invite the self-righteous to a change of heart, but sinners." —Lk 5:32

Praise: St. Peter Damian is the patron of those who suffer from insomnia. He often dealt with difficulty in his own sleep, yet he fixed his eyes on Jesus at all times (Heb 12:2).

(This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from February 1, 2026, through March 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio August 27, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT - One Bread, One Body, 02/20/2026

Friday, February 20, 2026,

Isaiah 58:1-9
Psalm 51:3-6, 18-19
Matthew 9:14-15

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TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT
"Then they will fast." —Matthew 9:15

Fasting is not so much an end in itself. The purpose of fasting is union with the Lord. Thus, there was no need during Jesus’ public ministry for Jesus’ disciples to fast to be united with the Lord since Jesus was already present with them (Mt 9:15).

The Pharisees made fasting and other religious practices take precedence over union with the Lord. Jesus, God Himself, told the Pharisees that they had neglected the love of God, even while commending their fasting (Lk 11:42). So Isaiah’s prophecy in today’s first reading is an appropriate word; God desires fasting performed with the right purpose: “releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own” (Is 58:6-7).

The Lord takes great care to purify our motives for fasting. He asks each of us: “Was it really for Me that you fasted? ...Was it not for yourselves?” (see Zec 7:5-6) We are called to deny ourselves in a spirit of penance to express that no earthly comfort, good, or pleasure compares with God.

The food we crave when we fast cannot satisfy us (see Is 55:2). Yet the food God gives, the Bread of Life (Jn 6:35), Jesus’ own flesh, is not only “real food” (Jn 6:55), it also brings true union with God in a way that no earthly food can do.

“Whether you eat or drink — whatever you do — you should do all for the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31).

Prayer: Father, may my eating and fasting be pleasing to You at all times.

Promise: "Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard." —Is 58:8

Praise: Daniel fasts one day a week for God's blessing on the woman he loves, his wife

(This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from February 1, 2026, through March 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio August 27, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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DYING TO CHOOSE LIFE - One Bread, One Body, 02/19/2026

Thursday, February 19, 2026,

Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 1:1-4, 6
Luke 9:22-25

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DYING TO CHOOSE LIFE
"Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding His voice, and holding fast to Him." —Deuteronomy 30:19-20

On this second day of Lent, the Church reveals to us that this Lent is a matter of life or death. The Lord says: “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life” (Dt 30:19). The Lord questions: “What profit does he show who gains the whole world and destroys himself in the process?” (Lk 9:25) The Lord promises: “Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Lk 9:24).

We choose life and save our lives by obeying the Lord’s commandments (Dt 30:16). To do our own thing is to choose death. We choose life by obeying the Lord to the point that we are repeatedly denying ourselves. We deny ourselves so much that we no longer have lives of our own (Gal 2:20). We have lost our lives for Jesus’ sake. We take up our cross each day (Lk 9:23) so that we are finally crucified with Christ (Gal 2:19). Choosing the daily crosses leading to crucifixion is the only way to choose life.

At the end of this Lent, may each of us be able to pray: “The life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me” (Gal 2:20).

Prayer: Father, may I eat only one full meal on each of the forty days of Lent. May I unite my fasting with Jesus' fasting in the desert.

Promise: "Happy the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, but delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on His law day and night." —Ps 1:1-2

Praise: Six-year-old Brian gave up his bedtime drink as a fast for the healing of his baby brother's ears.

(The always popular Women's Retreat is offered Mar 20-21, with a theme of Who Am I in Christ as Daughter of the Father? Call 513-373-2397 or see our website to register.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from February 1, 2026, through March 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio August 27, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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GOD’S WHEREABOUTS - One Bread, One Body, 02/18/2026

Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Ash Wednesday

Joel 2:12-18
2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2
Psalm 51:3-6, 12-14, 17
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
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GOD'S WHEREABOUTS
"Where is their God?" —Joel 2:17

After Adam and Eve committed the first sin, “the Lord God then called to the man and asked him, ‘Where are you?’ ” (Gn 3:9) In sin, we are lost and disoriented. We don’t know where we are. Moreover, we are so confused that we project our disorientation onto God. We ask “Where is God?” It’s as if we thought God was lost.

This Lent, we have the opportunity to get our bearings — to realize that God has always been there, while we are the ones lost. “Even now, says the Lord, return to Me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning” (Jl 2:12). This Ash Wednesday, may the ashen crosses on our foreheads not be empty symbols but signs of our decision to repent deeply and totally from our sins. May the Lord use our forty-day fast to open our eyes to our “lostness” and to God’s presence. The Lord has promised that in our repentance and fasting, “light shall break forth like the dawn” (Is 58:8), and “light shall rise” for us “in the darkness” (Is 58:10).

As He has promised, the Lord will always be there for us. He will never desert us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5). He is present in the most tragic situations. We will realize this when we let Him open our eyes through repentance and fasting. Repent, fast, and know God is with you.

Prayer: Father, do in me whatever it takes to make me acutely and joyfully aware of Your presence.

Promise: "Now is the day of salvation!" —2 Cor 6:2

Praise: Last year during Lent, Danielle returned to the Church after an absence of many years. She made a full Confession on Holy Saturday, and celebrated Easter by receiving Jesus in the Eucharist.

(For a related teaching on The Secret of Fasting, view, download or order our leaflet.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from February 1, 2026, through March 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio August 27, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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