COUNT THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP BEFORE COMMITTING..
"Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14: 25 - 33).
Jesus weighed the cost of Discipleship carefully in the Garden of Gethsemane in an intense struggle of prayer with His Father the night before He died. As God, He knew what he was going to face.
Our salvation and eternal life meant so much to Him. He said Yes to His Father. "I will do it!"
Sunday September 7th 2025 in the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time. Monday September 8 is the glorious Birthday of the humble Virgin of Nazareth.
When you embark on a new project: building a home, a new career, moving to a new city, volunteering for a new ministry, etc.
Rule #1 is sit down and count the cost.
This will save you embarrassment and mockery from friends, family and neighbors.
"This fellow started something he is unable to complete. He is foolish."
Jesus is speaking to His disciples in this Gospel. Count the cost of Discipleship before you decide to follow Me.
To make good decisions, we need wisdom. Wisdom is the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Solomon asked for wisdom rather than wealth, health and power.
God answered him: "Here and now, I give you what you ask for." God added: And for what you did not ask for, I grant them to you in abundance! (Cf 1 Kings 3: 1 - 15).
The greatest wisdom is to know the shortcut to peace and prosperity in life.
Jesus gives this wisdom in the Sermon on the Mount:
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the rest will be given you." (Matthew 6: 33).
If you are unwilling to renounce all your possessions and seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, not only will you not enjoy the fullness of privileges in being a disciple of Jesus Christ but you will be like the man who started a building he can never complete.
In September, the Church honors the Sorrowful Heart of Mary.
Consider this truth for a moment: the Blessed Virgin Mary was pure and immaculate. She committed no sins. Why do we celebrate her sorrowful heart?
May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows obtain for us mercies from her Son Jesus.
For Prayers of Consecration to the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary, Litany, Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, etc click the link below:
KEEP HOLY SUNDAY!
THE GOOD NEWS:
While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath,
his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
Some Pharisees said,
“Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry?
How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them,
“The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.” (Luke 6: 1 - 5).
Sabbath Controversy.
Why are doing what is unlawful on Sunday?
Saturday in the 22nd week in Ordinary Time.
What are you doing on the Sabbath that is unlawful?
We should be doing Praise and Worship.
The Lord of the Sabbath teaches that there could be discrete exception to this rule.
"Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy." (Exodus 20: 8). The command to set apart the Sabbath is very important as seen from the way it is treated in Sacred Scriptures.
It is the exaggerated concern for the obligation and sanctity of the Sabbath Rest that gave rise to hundreds of minutiae rules concerning the basic command to keep holy the Lord's Day.
Throughout the Christian history, the Magisterium of the Church has not only expounded on the sacred character of the Sabbath but has taught that the Sabbath was instituted for the enjoyment of the People of God.
It is a day of worship of God. A day of rest for the whole family from the hustle and bustle involved in making a living.
It is a day to enjoy the parks, watch Christian movies. It is a day to visit the sick in the hospital.
The Sabbath Rest is Rehearsal for Eternal life.
One day, there will be no work.
By obeying the law of the Sabbath today, you build up your faith in this promise of God.
God plans to redeem man and creation from the present servitude. (Cf Romans 8:19-21).
It is more enjoyable to keep holy the Lord's Day than to do anything unlawful on the Sabbath Rest.
The Church honors the Sorrowful Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary in September.
For Prayers of Consecration to the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary, Litany, Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, etc click the link below:
FEAST TERESA OF KOLKATA, VIRGIN AND FOUNDRESS.
"The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.” Jesus answered them,
“Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.”
And he also told them a parable.
“No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.
Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.
And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good." (Luke 5: 33 - 39).
Friday 5th September 2025, in the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time is the First Friday in September. We honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the First Friday of every month.
The Church celebrates today the feast of St Teresa of Kolkata (1910 - 1997). Founder of the Missionaries of Charity.
Mother St Teresa was the founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, a congregation of women dedicated to helping the poor.
The Missionaries of Charity is considered one of the 20th Century's greatest humanitarian organization.
Mother St Teresa was canonized as Saint Teresa of Kolkata on September 4th 2016 by Pope Francis.
Among her many international awards is the Nobel Peace Prize.
"By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus." (St Teresa of Kolkata).
St Teresa of Kolkata and the Missionaries of Charity serve the Poorest of the Poor.
The Gospel of today deals with fasting. Fasting, Prayer and Almsgiving are the 3 pillars of Christian spiritual life.
Do you fast? How often? What do you fast from?
On the three pillars of the spiritual life, the Church teaches:
CCC 1434: "The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others. Alongside the radical purification brought about by Baptism or martyrdom they cite as means of obtaining forgiveness of sins: efforts at reconciliation with one’s neighbor, tears of repentance, concern for the salvation of one’s neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the practice of charity “which covers a multitude of sins.”
Some Christians abstain from meat and alcohol on Friday and Wednesday. Others abstain also from television, movies and gambling.
"The prayer of adoration at night has the power and efficacy of that prayer made with fasting that I recommended to My apostles as the means of expelling demons from the souls whom they torture and oppress. For this reason, the demons fear and hate adoration made at night, while the angels rejoice over it, and place themselves at the service of the soul who desires to do it." (IN SINU JESU page 240).
The Church honors the Sorrowful Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary in September.
Below is what Jesus said to a mystic about His Mother.
"Be faithful to her Rosary. It is the shield and sword of spiritual combat. It assures your victory over the powers of darkness. Why? Because it is a humble prayer, a prayer that binds the soul who prays it to the victory of My Mother over the ancient serpent." (IN SINU JESU page 59).
For Prayers of Consecration to the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary, Litany, Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, etc click the link below:
FIRST FRIDAY IN SEPTEMBER 2025.
The 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which Jesus made through St Margaret Mary Alacoque to all who honor His Sacred Heart especially on the First Friday of every month by attending Holy Mass and receiving Holy Communion.
In the 9th month of the year 2025, we look at Promise #9.
#9. "I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored."
The 9th Promise is a very easy condition to fulfill. Get the Sacred Heart of Jesus picture or statue from a Catholic Bookstore or Amazon and place it in a prominent place in your home.
You can also print an image of the Sacred Heart off the Internet or from this website.
Ask your pastor to bless the Sacred Heart picture.
When the picture is blessed, it becomes a sacramental.
You can now tell Jesus: "Bless my home as You promised, Jesus. I have a blessed image of Your Sacred Heart in my house".
Honor this image by glancing at it from time to time and saying "Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I love You."
Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus this Friday by attending Holy Mass and receiving Holy Communion.
PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS OF Saint Gertrude the Great:
"O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
fountain of eternal life,
Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love.
You are my refuge and my sanctuary.
O my adorable and loving Saviour,
consume my heart with the burning fire
with which Yours is aflamed.
Pour down on my soul those graces
which flow from Your love.
Let my heart be united with Yours.
Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things.
May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions.
Amen."
For the 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sacred Heart devotional prayers and prayer intentions click the link below:
PUT OUT INTO THE DEEP.
"While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Put out into deep water
and lower your nets for a catch.”
Simon said in reply,
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this,
he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon,
“Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him." (Luke 5: 1 - 11).
Some saints who responded to Jesus and put out in Deep Water:
Maximilian Kolbe, Mother St Teresa of Kolkata, Mother Angelica of EWTN, Father Albert Lauer of Presentation Ministries, St Maria Faustina of the Divine Mercy and many others.
Jesus is calling everyone of us to intimate friendship with Him in the great adventure of Evangelization.
"Priests and religious who are tempted to follow a false philosophy of activism, pragmatism, and utilitarianism, or who waste their time on entertainments and distractions, will suffer God’s loving judgments. He will make bitter their false delights, destroy their enterprises, and weaken the efficacy of their work in order to wake them up to their calling of intimate friendship with Him as the source of happiness and the condition for all fruitfulness." (IN SINU JESU page 266).
In September, the Church honors the Sorrowful Heart of Mary. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows obtain for us mercies from her Son Jesus.
For Prayers of Consecration to the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary, Litany, Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, etc click the link below:
THE MEMORIAL OF ST GREGORY THE GREAT, PONTIFF AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.
JESUS HEALS PETER'S MOTHER-IN-LAW.
"After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.
Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her.
He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.
She got up immediately and waited on them.
"At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him.
He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
And demons also came out from many, shouting,
“You are the Son of God.”
But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ." (Luke 4: 38...44).
Wednesday September 3rd in the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time is Memorial of St Gregory the Great, Pontiff and Doctor of the Church.
We honor today the Servant of the Servants of God, St Gregory the Great. (540 - 604).
Gregory was Pope and Doctor of the Church.
When God chose and anointed David, He exclaimed with delight: "I have chosen David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him. My hand will be with him; my arm will make him strong." (Psalm 89: 21 - 22). This Scripture can be applied to Pope Gregory the Great. Gregory was the David of his days.
St. Gregory the Great was called from the City Hall where he was the Mayor of Rome to be fisher of men.
He left everything and followed Jesus.
He used his wealth to found six monasteries before he was elected Pope.
He is noted in history for instituting liturgical reforms and initiating missionary endeavors.
It was due to St Gregory that missionaries were first sent to England.
Quotes from St Gregory:
"Meditate daily on the words of your Creator. Learn the Heart of God in the words of God, that your soul may be enkindled with greater longing for heavenly joys."
Another inspiration from St Gregory:"A SPIRITUAL GUIDE SHOULD BE SILENT WHEN DISCRETION REQUIRES AND SPEAK WHEN WORDS ARE OF SERVICE. OTHERWISE HE MAY SAY WHAT HE SHOULD NOT OR BE SILENT WHEN HE SHOULD SPEAK." (ST GREGORY THE GREAT, POPE & DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH."
In the Gospel,
Simon Peter, his family and other disciples interceded with Jesus to heal his mother-in-law.
Jesus stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.
Why do we not intercede more often with Jesus to heal our loved ones and friends?
On the same day at sunset, "all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them. And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.” But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ."
Some of the sick Jesus healed include demon possessed people. Jesus cast out the demons. When was the last time you interceded with Jesus with expectant faith to heal physical, spiritual, emotional or financial maladies of a loved one or friend?
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28 - 30).
"I am Jesus. Mine it is to save, to heal, to vivify, and to make lovely in the sight of My Father the souls that consent to the operations of My mercy and to the secret action of the Holy Spirit. When you speak to My priests, remind them of the power and efficacy of a single act of confidence in My merciful love. Confidence opens the door to all the treasures of My kingdom. To one who has confidence in My merciful love, I can refuse nothing." (IN SINU JESU page 105).
The Church honors the Sorrowful Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary in September.
For Prayers of Consecration to the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary, Litany, Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, etc click the link below:
JESUS EXPELS DEMON.
WE DO NOT POSSESS THE SPIRIT OF FEAR BUT THE SPIRIT OF POWER.
"Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.
He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority.
"In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon
and he cried out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
"Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”
"Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm.
"They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word?
For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region."
(Luke 4:31-37).
Tuesday 1st September 2025 in the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time.
In today's Gospel, Jesus came face to face with a demoniac.
Sometime ago, I read a book called THE SAINTS THAT BATTLED SATAN.
Some of the saints in this book are:
Anthony the Abbot, Francis of Assisi, Dominic, Ignatius Loyola, Teresa of Avila, Benedict, John of Vianney, Martin de Poress and others.
I was depressed as a result of reading stories after stories of endless struggles with the powers of darkness.
Then I became filled with consolation as I realized that this is a necessary knowledge for every true disciple of Jesus.
Whether you like it or not, you cannot escape your own spiritual combats.
"Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”
"Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm."
The people were amazed that with a word of authority, Jesus expelled the devil from the man.
What is authority?
Authority means power.
Listen to Jesus in the promise of the Gift of the Father in Acts 1: 8.
"You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes."
Only then can you bear witness to Me and do My work.
The Holy Spirit power is critical to witnessing and evangelization.
Witnessing and evangelization involves spiritual warfare.
The Holy Spirit is therefore the Spirit of power above every other attribute He has.
The miracles of Jesus which are the works of Jesus like in the Gospel of today are works of authority or power. The words of Jesus in the Gospel are words of authority or power.
The words or sayings of Jesus are authoritative. That means they produce at once what they say.
The miracle itself or works of wonders clarify the words of Jesus.
In Jesus, words and actions form a mysterious unity.
"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Revelation 19: 10). Whatever Jesus says must happen!
We the Baptized do not have the spirit of fear. Many of us act in fear as if possessed by the spirit of fear.
In Baptism, we receive the Spirit of power. This is the Spirit that marks the children of God the Father and not the spirit of cowardice, which is evil and impure spirit.
"Hence the apostle Paul rightly says: You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake. He tells us why it is Christ’s gift that his chosen ones should suffer for him:
The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us." (St Bede the Venerable).
How then do we activate the Holy Spirit in our lives?
Faith acting through Prayer is the Activator of the Holy Spirit. Mary says: "I believe what you have told me. Now let it be done to me according to your promise." (Cf Luke 1: 37 - 38).
Following this declaration of Mary, Jesus became instantly incarnate in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus says in IN SINU JESU:
"Be faithful to her Rosary. It is the shield and sword of spiritual combat. It assures your victory over the powers of darkness. Why? Because it is a humble prayer, a prayer that binds the soul who prays it to the victory of My Mother over the ancient serpent." (IN SINU JESU page 59).
The Church honors the Sorrowful Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary in September.
Below is what Jesus said to a mystic about His Mother.
"Be faithful to her Rosary. It is the shield and sword of spiritual combat. It assures your victory over the powers of darkness. Why? Because it is a humble prayer, a prayer that binds the soul who prays it to the victory of My Mother over the ancient serpent." (IN SINU JESU page 59).
For Prayers of Consecration to the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary, Litany, Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, etc click the link below:
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS ON JESUS.
"Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Is this not the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”
And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away." (Luke 4: 16 - 30).
Monday 1st September 2025 in the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time.
Jesus did in the synagogue in His home town Nazareth what He had never done before. He stated clearly for everyone to hear that He is the Man. The Messiah chosen to fulfill the long held promises and desires of the people.
“Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4: 21).
What does this bold proclamation remind us?
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” (Luke 2: 29 - 32).
Simeon the Prophet, a devout man filled with the Holy Spirit testified that "Today" God fulfilled His promise to Israel when he beheld the Child Jesus in the Temple.
For thirty years, Jesus spent His life in Nazareth most of it as a self-employed carpenter hidden from the world.
Does the Spirit of God in you ever tug your heart to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind and to let the oppressed go free?
In the Baptism of the Christ (Matthew 3: 16 - 17), Jesus is anointed by the Holy Spirit for a Mission:
#1 Bring the Good News to the poor.
#2 Proclaim liberty to captives.
#3 Recovery of sight to the blind.
#4 Grant freedom to the oppressed, etc.
Our own Baptism and Mission are intertwined with the Baptism and Mission of Jesus. When we own our Baptism and accept our Mission, we blossom and become saint
The Church honors the Sorrowful Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary in September.
Below is what Jesus said to a mystic about His Mother.
"Be faithful to her Rosary. It is the shield and sword of spiritual combat. It assures your victory over the powers of darkness. Why? Because it is a humble prayer, a prayer that binds the soul who prays it to the victory of My Mother over the ancient serpent." (IN SINU JESU page 59).
For Prayers of Consecration to the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary, Litany, Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, etc click the link below:
