HIS PASSION FOR ALL TO BE SAVED - One Bread, One Body, 12/09/2025

Tuesday, December 9, 2025, St. Juan Diego

Isaiah 40:1-11
Psalm 96:1-3, 10-13
Matthew 18:12-14

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HIS PASSION FOR ALL TO BE SAVED
"It is no part of your heavenly Father's plan that a single one of these little ones shall ever come to grief." —Matthew 18:14

The Lord wants all to be saved (1 Tm 2:4). He wants every person ever created to be with Him in heaven forever. If the Lord had His way, there would be no people in hell.

The Lord’s desire for all people to be saved is not merely a wish or abstraction. To save all people, the Lord went to the extreme of emptying Himself (Phil 2:7) to become a man so that He could go to an even further extreme and die on the cross to save us all (Rm 5:8). The Lord continues His passion to save us all by baptizing us into Him (Rm 6:3), by living within us (Jn 17:23), and giving us His Body and Blood.

If a person is not saved, it will not be the Lord’s fault. What more could He do? (see e.g. Is 5:4) He cannot love us more, for He loves us infinitely and perfectly — even to death on the cross.

Accept His extreme, crucified love. Accept Jesus as Savior, Lord, and God.

Prayer: Father, in this Advent, may I "grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love" (Eph 3:18).

Promise: "Comfort, give comfort to My people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem." —Is 40:1-2

Praise: It is said that St. Juan Diego walked fifteen miles, one way, to attend Mass.

(For a related teaching on Accepting Jesus as Lord, Savior, and God, listen to, download or order our AV 43-1 or DVD 43 on our website.)

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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 December 1, 2025, through January 30, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio May 7, 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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THE RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD - One Bread, One Body, 12/08/2025

Monday, December 8, 2025, Immaculate Conception

Genesis 3:9-15, 20
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
Psalm 98:1-4
Luke 1:26-38
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THE RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
"Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavens!" —Ephesians 1:3

Some of our Protestant brothers and sisters accuse Catholics of complicating the faith. Catholics insist on the hierarchical Church, the deposit of the faith, the Magisterium, the liturgical year, and several other complex systems. Then we bring up Mary, and, if that’s not enough, we speak of her Immaculate Conception, the virgin-birth of her Son Jesus (Mt 1:23), her Assumption into heaven, and her roles as Mediatrix and Queen of Heaven. We seem to complicate our complications. Actually, we are letting the all-holy, triune God lavish His riches on us.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the quintessential example of spiritual richness. She has always been astoundingly rich in holiness, purity, and power. She truly is the queen of heaven and earth with all the riches accompanying queenship (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 966). Mary is the example of what the Lord has in store for us. He wants to make us immaculate through repentance and then take us up to heaven where we will reign forever with Him. Then we will be rich beyond all measure and imagining.

Today’s celebration of Mary’s Immaculate Conception brings up “immeasurably more than we ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20). Mary was conceived by her parents Sts. Joachim and Ann in the usual way; yet, from the first moment of her conception she was free of all stain of original sin. Let God be God, and enrich us in a most mysterious way.

Prayer: Father, I rejoice that You are a God way beyond my understanding (Is 55:8-9).

Promise: "Mary said: 'I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say.' " —Lk 1:38

Praise: "How deep are the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!" (Rm 11:33) Praise You, Lord, for Mary's obedient response to Your plan for salvation.



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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 December 1, 2025, through January 30, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio May 7, 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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THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT WORD - One Bread, One Body, 12/07/2025

Sunday, December 7, 2025, Second Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 11:1-10
Romans 15:4-9
Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Matthew 3:1-12
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THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT WORD
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." —Matthew 3:2, RSV-CE

The first word Jesus spoke in His public ministry was “Repent!” (see Mt 4:17, RSV-CE) St. John the Baptizer also spoke the word “Repent” (Mt 3:2, RSV-CE). Do you place the same priority on repentance as did Jesus and St. John the Baptizer? In the last thirty days, how often did you speak or write the word “repent”? Between now and Christmas, which word will you use more: “Shopping” or “Repent”?

Repentance is not a popular subject nowadays. Repentance presumes sin and wrongdoing, and the secular culture denies these. However, crowds responded eagerly to the calls of Jesus and John to repentance (see Lk 3:10; 4:14). The Word of God spread widely and many did repent. Tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners repented (Mt 21:32). Lives and lifestyles were changed (see Lk 19:8-10). People were healed. Heaven rejoiced (Lk 15:7, 10).

You can begin today to emphasize repentance this Advent. Invite your children or neighbors to a Confession Party. Go to Confession with them and then celebrate with a “fatted calf” by going out to dinner or dessert (Lk 15:23).

If you speak of repentance, some will repent, while others will persecute you (see Lk 4:28ff). Repent of not speaking of repentance. “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mk 4:17). Our Savior is coming and His way must be prepared (Lk 3:4). “Be earnest about it, therefore. Repent!” (Rv 3:19)

Prayer: Father, may I go to Confession before I buy another Christmas present.

Promise: "Everything written before our time was written for our instruction, that we might derive hope from the lessons of patience and the words of encouragement in the Scriptures." —Rm 15:4

Praise: "I will praise You among the Gentiles and I will sing to Your name" (Rm 15:9).

(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 December 1, 2025, through January 30, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio May 7, 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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CHRISTMAS CROWDS - One Bread, One Body, 12/06/2025

Saturday, December 6, 2025, St. Nicholas

Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26
Psalm 147:1-6
Matthew 9:35—10:1, 5-8

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CHRISTMAS CROWDS
"At the sight of the crowds, His heart was moved with pity." —Matthew 9:36

When we see the crowds in our society, when we observe the sufferings and injustices of our world, we, like Jesus, may be “moved with pity.” Consequently, we often express our concern (especially around Christmas time) by making a contribution to a “worthy cause.” Thank God for our contributions. They are needed. But what did Jesus do when He saw crowds “lying prostrate from exhaustion, like sheep without a shepherd”? (Mt 9:36)

Jesus’ first response to the needs of the masses was not Communism, humanitarianism, secular humanism, capitalism, programs, or money. Jesus called His disciples to pray, to “beg the Harvest-Master to send out laborers to gather His harvest” (Mt 9:37-38). Then He sent His disciples to answer their own prayer and to work in gathering the harvest (Mt 10:1ff).

If you care, you will pray and work. This means more than just saying a few prayers and doing a few good deeds around Christmas time. Jesus calls us to pray always (see Lk 18:1) and to work as His slaves (Col 3:23-24). Jesus calls us to love Him, His people, and His poor by no longer living for ourselves but for Him (Gal 2:20; 2 Cor 5:15). Jesus calls us to love by laying down our lives for Him, our brothers and sisters, and even our enemies (see 1 Jn 3:16). Will you be only a crowd-pleaser or, with Jesus, a “crowd-lover”?

Prayer: Father, beginning this Christmas, may I help the poor even if I have to become poor.

Promise: "A voice shall sound in your ears: 'This is the way; walk in it,' when you would turn to the right or to the left." —Is 30:21

Praise: St. Nicholas, a bishop in Greece in the fourth century, vigorously defended the divinity of Christ against the Arian heretics.



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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 December 1, 2025, through January 30, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio May 7, 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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THE DAMAGE OF DISOBEDIENCE - One Bread, One Body, 12/05/2025

Friday, December 5, 2025,

Isaiah 29:17-24
Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
Matthew 9:31

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THE DAMAGE OF DISOBEDIENCE
"Jesus warned them sternly...But they went off." —Matthew 9:30-31

Jesus sternly warned the two blind men He had healed: “ ‘See to it that no one knows of this.’ But they went off and spread word of Him through the whole area” (Mt 9:30-31). The disobedience of the two healed men resulted in some people continuing to have the wrong idea about the Messiah. This contributed to the rejection of Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah and eventually to His crucifixion and death. Disobedience is harmful, even to causing Jesus’ death on the cross.

Beginning this Advent, let us obey the Lord always and in detail. Let us delight to obey the Lord (see Ps 40:9). The Lord has a wondrous Christmas season planned for us, for He intends to come to us in a special way. However, we must follow His directions. The Lord’s plan for the coming year and for our lives is amazingly glorious. Yet only by our obedience will we live His plan for us. The Lord died on the cross and rose from the dead to make possible for us lives which are graced beyond anything we can ask for or imagine (see Eph 3:20). However, we must obey Him. All evils have entered the world through disobedience. But grace floods the world through the obedience of Jesus and our imitation of His obedience. Obey Him.

Prayer: Father, grace me to obey You and thereby to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:32).

Promise: "Out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. The lowly will ever find joy in the Lord, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." —Is 29:18-19

Praise: Carol always attentively listened to the attendant at the gas station and told him that Jesus loved him. One day he confided to her that he had been considering suicide. Later that same day she talked to him about how much God loved him, and he received the courage to choose life.

(Do you need to hear some Good News? Call 513-823-3111 to hear a short reflection of the Scripture readings of the daily Mass.)

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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 December 1, 2025, through January 30, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio May 7, 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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THE ROCK OR JINGLE BELL ROCK? - One Bread, One Body, 12/04/2025

Thursday, December 4, 2025, St. John of Damascus

Isaiah 26:1-6
Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27
Matthew 7:21, 24-27

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THE ROCK OR JINGLE BELL ROCK?
"Anyone who hears My words and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on rock." —Matthew 7:24

Will Christmas this year be a “flash-in-the-pan” experience or a solid foundation for the new year? People in modern society are increasingly becoming more unstable. For most people, jobs don’t last as long as they used to. Houses and cars aren’t made to last for very long. Even marriages and families don’t often endure. We are a people constantly on the move. We are not pilgrims as much as refugees. We are repeatedly leaving somewhere to go nowhere.

However, Christ wants to have mercy on us and build our Christmases and lives on the rock foundation of hearing and doing His Word (Mt 7:24). “A strong city have we; He sets up walls and ramparts to protect us” (Is 26:1). “Trust in the Lord forever! For the Lord is an eternal Rock” (Is 26:4).

Let Jesus give you a Christmas you can count on, stand on, and build on. For Jesus to be your “Rock of ages,” let Him first be your Rock this Christmas.

Prayer: Father, stabilize and transform even the most chaotic lives.

Promise: "He humbles those in high places, and the lofty city He brings down." —Is 26:5

Praise: St. John of Damascus gave his gifts to others in the form of poems, hymns, and teachings, thus building up faith.

(To have a rocklike faith, read the Bible daily. For encouragement, listen to, download or order any or all of these CDs or DVDs on our website: Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ, AV 82-1 or DVD 82; How to Pray the Bible on AV 82-3 or DVD 82; How to Read the Bible on AV 46-3 or DVD 46.)

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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 December 1, 2025, through January 30, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio May 7, 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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“I CAN’T GET NO SATISFACTION” - One Bread, One Body, 12/03/2025

Wednesday, December 3, 2025, St. Francis Xavier

Isaiah 25:6-10
Psalm 23:1-6
Matthew 15:29-37

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"I CAN'T GET NO SATISFACTION"
"They all ate and were satisfied." —Matthew 15:37, RSV-CE

A side effect of the Eucharistic miracle in today’s Gospel was that over four thousand people were satisfied after a meal (Mt 15:37). All too often in Scripture, a meal ends with dissatisfaction (Nm 21:5), breaking of faith (Gn 25:29-34), deception (Gn 27:25ff), and sometimes violence and death (Gn 37:25ff; Dn 5:1ff, 30).

Jesus’ Eucharistic meal with His apostles, the Last Supper, also ended in betrayal, denial, and death. However, in the Eucharist, Jesus has triumphed over human sins and failings. He has transformed human dissatisfaction into satisfaction (Mt 15:37), thanksgiving (Mt 15:36), and the joy of the heavenly banquet to come (Rv 19:9; see also Is 25:6).

The world and the devil attempt to sow dissatisfaction in us. In fact, worldly advertisements aim at identifying our dissatisfaction or creating dissatisfaction in the lives of those who are currently satisfied. Therefore, we must break away from the messages of the world to be able to fully receive the Bread from Heaven and be satisfied according to God’s standards.

Numerous Catholics today do not receive the Eucharist with reverence, love, attentiveness, and holiness, thus putting themselves at risk of dissatisfaction and even bodily harm (1 Cor 11:27-30; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1385). Jesus plans for His heavenly food to nourish rather than harm us, but it’s up to us to receive Him rightly. Fix your eyes on the Eucharistic Jesus (Heb 12:2). In the Eucharist, Jesus sacrificially satisfies our every need (Ps 145:16; 81:16, RSV-CE). Eat the flesh of the Son of Man (Jn 6:56) and be satisfied (Mt 15:37).

Prayer: Jesus, in the Eucharist, You have given me Your very best. May I be satisfied with this gift (Heb 13:5) and praise You always.

Promise: "Let us rejoice and be glad that He has saved us!" —Is 25:9

Praise: St. Francis Xavier obeyed Jesus' command to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. He evangelized many Asian 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 December 1, 2025, through January 30, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio May 7, 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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