FEAST OF ST FRANCIS OF PAOLA.

FEAST OF ST FRANCIS OF PAOLA. 

IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME I WILL ANSWER YOU. 

THE WORD OF GOD. 

"Thus says the LORD:

In a time of favor I answer you,

on the day of salvation I help you;

"and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,

To restore the land

and allot the desolate heritages,

"Saying to the prisoners: Come out!

To those in darkness: Show yourselves!

"Along the ways they shall find pasture,

on every bare height shall their pastures be.

They shall not hunger or thirst,

nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;

"For he who pities them leads them

and guides them beside springs of water.

I will cut a road through all my mountains,

and make my highways level.

"See, some shall come from afar,

others from the north and the west,

and some from the land of Syene.

"Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,

break forth into song, you mountains.

For the LORD comforts his people

and shows mercy to his afflicted.

"But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me;

my Lord has forgotten me."

Can a mother forget her infant,

be without tenderness for the child of her womb?

Even should she forget,

I will never forget you." (Isaiah 49: 8 - 15).

Wednesday 2nd April 2025 in the 4th Week in Lent is the feast of St Francis of Paola (1416 - 1507), Hermit. Francis attracted followers and they formed a community of Hermits with the Rules of the St Francis of Assisi to guide them. Gifted in diplomacy, the hermit Francis was used by the Church for sensitive diplomatic missions.

 St Francis of Paola is patron saint of the following:

• Plague

• Sterility

• Sailors, boatmen, mariners

• Travellers 

• Naval officers 

Our first Reading on Lenten weekday is full of God's gracious promises. The first thing that attracted me to Sacred Scriptures was the word Promise. 

Webster Defines Promise as:

"The meaning of PROMISE is a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified."

So, is God going to fulfill all the promises in Isaiah 49: 8 - 15?

The answer is upfront in the very first sentence:

"Thus says the LORD:

In a time of favor I answer you,

on the day of salvation I help you;"

 God answers every prayer. To deny this is to accuse God to be a liar which is outright heresy.

What is confusing for many people is the timing of God's answer. In our Scripture of today God says:

"In a time of favor I answer you,

on the day of salvation I help you;"

Another word for "In a time of favor", or on the day of salvation I help you;" is: IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME.

Every Promise God makes has a date and a time stamp. We do not know the date and the time.

Scripture promises that God will not be late to fulfill His promises by even one second.

Scripture urges us to wait for the timing of the fulfillment of the Promise of God. If you think the delay is unbearable, pray for the grace to wait. Saints Simeon and Anna are my patron saints. They waited long for the birth of Jesus. Both were rewarded to hold Jesus in their arms. I ask them to obtain for me the grace to wait. 

God says: In the fullness of time, I will make everything beautiful. (Cf Ecclesiastes 3: 11). And in fullness of time, I shall move fast. (Cf Isaiah 60: 22).

THE CHURCH HONORS THE EUCHARIST IN APRIL. 

"282. How is Christ present in the 

Eucharist?

 Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist in 

a unique and incomparable way. He is 

present in a true, real and substantial way, 

with his Body and his Blood, with his Soul 

and his Divinity. In the Eucharist, 

therefore, there is present in a sacramental way, that is, under the 

Eucharistic species of bread and wine, 

Christ whole and entire, God and Man."

My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink says the Lord. 

For Teachings, Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-holy-eucharist_31.html?m=1