THIS IS MY BODY. THIS IS MY BLOOD.

THE EUCHARIST PREFIGURED. 

THE GOODNEWS:

"When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.

"The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.

"When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.

"When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, 

“This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”

"He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.”

"But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” 

"Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.

"Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, 

he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.

"They all ate and were satisfied. 

"And they picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children." (Matthew 14: 13 - 21).

Sunday August 2th 2026 in the 18th Week in Ordinary Time. 

Our Scripture reflection for this Sunday (Matthew 14: 13 - 21), reminds us immediately of Eucharistic narrative where at the Last Supper:

Jesus Takes, Blesses, Breaks, Gives the Bread of life.

Is this sequence of action accident or purposeful? 

The Church has interpreted the Feeding of the Crowd as a type and shadow of the Eucharist which is the defining institution of the Kingdom to come.

 Note that it must have been this same sequence of actions that opened the eyes of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus to recognize Jesus. (See Luke 24).

But what do we learn about the Eucharist from the feeding of the crowd? 

"They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full." (Matthew 14: 20).

You shall eat and be satisfied.

Nothing prefigures the Eucharist as closely as this Scripture from Isaiah, our first Reading today:

"All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, buy grain and eat;

 Come, buy grain without money, wine and milk without cost! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what does not satisfy?" (Isaiah 55: 1 - 2).

The Eucharist is the rich food and rich wine prefigured in Isaiah 55.

"You have given us, O Lord, bread from heaven, endowed with all delights and sweetness in every taste." (Wisdom 16: 20).

August is the Month dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Mary says: "In the end. My Immaculate Heart will triumph." 

For Prayers of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Litany, Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, etc click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/06/immaculate-heart-of-mary-consecration.html?m=10

THE MEMORIAL OF ST ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, CSSR, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH. THE MEMORIAL OF ST ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, CSSR, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.

THE  

MEMORIAL OF ST ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, BISHOP, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH AND FOUNDER OF A RELIGIOUS ORDER.

THE GOODNEWS:
Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus
and said to his servants,

“This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;


that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”

Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison
on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,
for John had said to him,


“It is not lawful for you to have her.”


Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,
for they regarded him as a prophet.


But at a birthday celebration for Herod,
the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests
and delighted Herod so much
that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.

Prompted by her mother, she said,


“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”


The king was distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,
he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.

His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,


who took it to her mother.

His disciples came and took away the corpse
and buried him; and they went and told Jesus."

Saturday August 1st 2026 in the 17th Week in Ordinary Time is the the Memorial of St Alphonsus Liguori CSSR, Bishop and Doctor of the Church and a founder of the Redemptorists.

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696 - 1787) is Italian.
St Alphonsus founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists).

The Redemptorists are active today in missionary work all over the world.

Alphonsus Liguori was trained in civil and canon law.

He was an eminent moral theologian and sought after for his gifts as a confessor and spiritual director.

St Alphonsus Liguori was also a writer and publisher of many books. He was gifted exceptionally by God. He was a very sick man most of his long life.

One of the most delightful contributions of St Alphonsus Liguori is his teaching on the precious doctrine of Divine Providence.

God's mighty, merciful and mysterious Providence governs all things.
There is no exception to this divine law.


This teaching can be found in a very small book called: UNIFORMITY WITH GOD'S WILL.

St Alphonsus Liguori is one of the most eminent Mariologists in the Church. His work on the Blessed Virgin Mary is still a classic today.

St Alphonsus Liguori is the patron saint of moral theologians.


We read in today's Gospel about the Beheading of John the Baptist.

When we die as martyrs, we are most like Jesus. This is why the Church honors martyrs very highly.


If someone asks you:
How do you know that Heaven is real? Your answer could be among others: Look at the martyrs. Intelligent and beautiful men and women! Could they have thrown away the only life they had for nothing?

Think of all the Apostles and Saints: Cecilia, Agatha, Thomas More, Lawrence, Edmond Campion, Paul Miki, Miguel Pro, Maximilian Kolbe, Charles Lwanga and companions and others.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10: 28)

August is the Month dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Mary says: "In the end. My Immaculate Heart will triumph."

The Sovereign Decree of the Pre-Ordained Heart.


​"The Almighty, looking down from the throne of His majesty upon all the daughters of men, saw one who was worthy to be the Mother of the Word Incarnate...

In the same eternal decree in which He predestined the Incarnation of Divine Wisdom, He also appointed the immaculate purity and holiness of Mary."
— Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus.

​In the grand teleology of salvation history, the Virgin Mary was never a divine afterthought or a mere contingency plan. Divine Providence, in an unalterable, eternal decree, linked the Person of Jesus and His Holy Mother in a singular blueprint of redemption.

Her Immaculate Heart was conceived in the Mind of God before the creation of the stars, specifically designed to serve as the pure, unblemished tabernacle for the Incarnate Word.


​
​Contemplate the profound intentionality behind the creation of the Virgin Mary's Heart.

Long before the fall of Adam, Divine Providence foresaw the sanctuary required for the Savior of the world.

Her Immaculate Heart is the supreme masterpiece of the Holy Spirit, fashioned with absolute precision so that no stain of sin, self-love, or worldliness could ever cross its threshold.
​
Realize that your life today is encompassed within that same divine, providential care. Nothing in your present circumstances—your duties, your interior struggles, or your daily trials—is accidental. Divine Providence has brought you to the dawn of this month of August to enter into the quiet, unshakeable sanctuary of Mary’s Heart.

Allow the Holy Spirit to realign your priorities today, redirecting your soul from passing temporal anxieties toward the eternal purpose for which you were created.
​
Prayer

​Immaculate Heart of Mary, pre-ordained by Divine Providence for the glory of the Incarnation, rule and guide my soul today.

For Prayers of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Litany, Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, etc click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/06/immaculate-heart-of-mary-consecration.html?m=10

THE MEMORIAL OF ST IGNATIUS LOYOLA, PRIEST AND FOUNDER.

MEMORIAL OF ST IGNATIUS LOYOLA, PRIEST & FOUNDER.

THE GOODNEWS:
"Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.


"They were astonished and said,

“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?

Is he not the carpenter’s son?

"Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

Are not his sisters all with us?

"Where did this man get all this?”

"And they took offense at him.

"But Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.”

"And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith." (Matthew 13: 54 - 58).

Friday 31st July in the 17th week in Ordinary Time is the Memorial of  St Ignatius Loyola.


St Ignatius Loyola is a saint forged in suffering and fire.

Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) is the Basque nobleman‑turned‑soldier whose life was shattered—and then remade—by a cannonball at Pamplona in 1521.

During his long convalescence, with only The Life of Christ and Lives of the Saints to read, he experienced a profound conversion: from chasing worldly glory to desiring only to serve Christ.

That pivot is the heart of his story: God often uses brokenness to redirect a life toward holiness.


After his conversion, Ignatius withdrew to a cave near Manresa, where for months he lived in intense prayer, penance, and discernment.

  It was there that he began writing what would become the Spiritual Exercises—a structured retreat guide designed to help people “find God in all things” and make free, faithful choices.

The Exercises are not just a book but a school of prayer: they train the heart to notice God’s movements (consolation and desolation), to test spirits, and to choose in line with the Gospel.


Ignatius gathered companions at Paris (including Francis Xavier and Peter Faber), and in 1540 Pope Paul III approved the Society of Jesus.

Ignatius became its first Superior General, sending Jesuits as missionaries, educators, and confessors “wherever there was hope of bringing greater good.”

The order’s charism flows from a key moment on the road to Rome (La Storta):

Ignatius received the assurance that God had “placed him with Christ the Son”—not merely as a follower, but as one called to carry the cross with Jesus. 

That vision grounds the Jesuit motto Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam (“For the greater glory of God”).



In our Gospel today from Matthew 13: 54 - 58, the people who listened to Jesus in the Synagogue were put off because Jesus did not come from a prestigious background.

They scorned the Son of Mary and the Carpenter's son.

We know that Jesus fulfilled His ministry of teaching, healing and feeding people regardless of public opinion.

How much are we conditioned by public opinion?

The saints fortify their hearts with prayer and the word of God. That is why they are fearless.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the life. Follow Him.

We honor the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July. Today is the last day of the month of July.

In August, the Church honors the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Mary says: "In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph."

In the last reflection in July on the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, we consider the Triumph of the Lamb and the Ignatian Vision.

The eternal adoration of the Precious Blood and the holy inebriation of the soul in Christ.

The final consummation of all things, where the entire cosmos is perfectly ordered under the headship of Christ, fulfilling the grand design of Divine Providence.

Ignatian Reflection:

"Blood of Christ, inebriate me."

On this Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola, we pray to be entirely consumed by the saving stream of Calvary.

Through the action of the Holy Spirit and the maternal care of the Virgin Mary, Providence guides our souls into this divine intimacy—losing ourselves entirely to the love of Jesus, so that we may live ultimately Ad maiorem Dei gloriam (For the greater glory of God).


For Prayers and Prayer intentions for the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2024/06/july-devotion-to-precious-body-of-jesus.html?m=1

THE FEAST OF ST PETER CHRYSOLOGOS. BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.

THE FEAST OF ST PETER CHRYSOLOGOS, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH. 

THE DRAGNET - AN IMAGE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

THE GOODNEWS:

 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind;

 

when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad.

 

So it will be at the close of the age.

 The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous,

 and throw them into the furnace of fire;

 there men will weep and gnash their teeth.

 "Have you understood all this?" They said to him, "Yes."

 And he said to them, 

"Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there." (Matthew 13: 47 - 53).

Thursday July 30th in the 17th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Peter Chrysologos. 

Saint Peter Chrysologus, whose name means “golden-worded,” was a fifth-century bishop of Ravenna celebrated for his short, clear homilies that brought the mysteries of the faith—especially the Incarnation and the sacraments—to ordinary people.

 Born in Imola and consecrated bishop in 433, he combated lingering pagan practices and defended orthodox teaching on Christ’s humanity and divinity.  

In 1729 the Church named him a Doctor of the Church, honoring his “golden” preaching that continues to instruct and inspire. 

Our key Scripture for today deals with the most important subject of the Four Last Things. There are Four Last Things glaring at us: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell.

The Four Last Things are implied twice this week by Jesus in Matthew 13. The Church teaches clearly the Four Last Things in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

 "The Last Judgment will occur when Christ returns. Only the Father knows the hour..." (CCC 1040).

Now that we know the truth about the Last Judgment, we will be blessed if we live accordingly.

We honor the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July. 

The Grace of Final Perseverance. 

Trusting in the Precious Blood for salvation at the hour of death.

The ultimate fulfillment of human purpose (teleology) is realized when the soul, sustained by the Holy Spirit, enters eternal glory through the merits of Christ.

For Prayers and Prayer intentions for the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2024/06/july-devotion-to-precious-body-of-jesus.html?m=1

THE MEMORIAL OF SAINTS MARTHA, MARY AND LAZARUS. DISCIPLES AND FRIENDS OF JESUS.

THE MEMORIAL OF SAINTS MARTHA, MARY AND LAZARUS. DISCIPLES AND FRIENDS OF THE LORD. 

"Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died]. 

"When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home.

"Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 

But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”

"Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” 

Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” 

"Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 

"She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” (John 11: 19 - 27).

Wednesday 29th July 2026 in the 17th Week in Ordinary Time is the Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus.

“This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”  (John 11: 4)

Our adversity is always an opportunity for God to be glorified. 

Man's extremity is God's opportunity. Man's security is 

Satan's opportunity. 

 Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary was dead and the sisters sent word to Jesus about it.   Jesus said to Martha:  “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?”   (John 11:  40). 

 And Jesus said, “Lazarus, come out!”  (John 11: 43). And then commanded:  “Untie him and let him go.” (John 11: 44).

The faith of Martha in the Resurrection amazes me. “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” (John 11: 27).

The whole point of our Christian religion hinges on faith. God called Abraham and made a great promise to him. He responded in obedience of faith.

 God announced the Incarnation to Mary. She too responded in obedience of faith. 

Chapter 11 of Hebrews is a list of Who is Who in the Bible. 

The common thing among all of them is Faith. 

They all accomplished impossible things because of Faith.

 If you do not have faith, you are simply not in the game.

 You have to do everything to get faith, to increase faith and to use and enjoy your faith. 

Are you bound and "tied hand and feet" by Unbelief? 

 If God can raise Lazarus from the grave after four days, He certainly can restore your marriage, health, finances, job, etc.

Faith is saying YES to God so that He will do what He promises to do.

"I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word.

More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the LORD."  (Psalm 30: 5 - 6 RM)

Faith that is firm is also patient. 

Do you have faith in the promise of God to you? 

How long are you able to wait for the fulfillment of the promise? 

If your faith is firm then you can wait as long as it takes. 

How to increase your faith:

You increase your faith by exercising your faith. 

You exercise your faith in three ways:

1. Thank God for everything He does for you. 

2. Pray for every need, everything. 

3. Memorize and Repeat Scriptures about faith and belief. 

The Church honors the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July. 

Healing and Deliverance Through the Wounds of Christ. 

Physical, emotional, and spiritual healing flowing from the side of Christ.

 God coordinates all human suffering toward a higher supernatural good, offering restoration through the merits of His Son.

"if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7). 

Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ purify and heal us. 

 For Prayers and Prayer Prayer intentions for the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2024/06/july-devotion-to-precious-body-of-jesus.html?m=1

THE ENEMY SOWED THE WEEDS.

THE WEEDS IN THE FIELD.

"Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.

His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

"He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.

"The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.

"The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

"Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.

They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

"Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.

Whoever has ears ought to hear.” (Matthew 13: 36 - 43).

Tuesday July 28th in the 17th week in Ordinary Time.

What is the take away from the Parable of the Weeds?

1. Be patient with God's plan for the salvation of the world.

2. God's thoughts are not our thoughts. God's ways are not our ways. (Cf Isaiah 55: 8 - 9).

3. Wait for the Lord and His timing in ALL THINGS. (Cf Psalm 27: 14).

The Church honors the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July.

The Blood of Martyrs and the Growth of the Church.

The historical witness of those who shed their blood for the faith.

Teleology in history demonstrates that the sacrifices of the saints are never in vain, but are woven by Providence into the expansion of the Mystical Body.

"How much more, then, will the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" (Cf Hebrews 9: 14)

Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ purify and heal us.

For Prayers and Prayer intentions for the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2024/06/july-devotion-to-precious-body-of-jesus.html?m=1

THE WAS WAS AS TINY AS A MUSTARD SEED.

THE CHURCH WAS ONCE LIKE A TINY MUSTARD SEED.

THE CHURCH STARTED AS A TINY MUSTARD SEED.

"Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. 

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field.

"It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.

 It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”

"He spoke to them another parable. 

“The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”

"All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. 

He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:

"I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world." (Matthew 13: 31 - 35).

 Monday July 27, 2026. 

We reflect on the Parable of the Mustard Seed in the Gospel of today.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed gives us an insight into God's law in creation.

 Everything is created small.

The tiny mustard seed like the tiny acorn seed is born very small.

 Its laws or principles of growth are written inside the seed by its Creator.

The seed receives the early and later rain and continues to unfold following the laws of its nature. 

The farmer does not control the process. 

When the mustard seed is fully grown, it is ready to fulfill its destiny. 

It welcomes the birds on its branches.

The Church is the People of God, the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

 The seed of the Kingdom of God on earth is the Church. (Cf CCC 249). 

It started very small in a tiny corner of the vast Roman Empire.

 Today the tiny Acorn has grown branches and spread throughout the world.

The Church as the People of God, the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit needs the transformative power of the Holy Spirit to form it into its destiny.

"The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." (James 1: 18).

We honor the Most Precious Blood of Jesus in July. 

The Blessed Virgin Mary as The Refuge of Sinners. 

The Virgin Mary is the dispenser of the graces merited by the Blood of her Son. 

Divine Providence establishes Mary's maternal mediation as a secure harbor, ensuring no soul seeking God is left without hope.

For Devotion, Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ and other prayers, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/04/devotion-to-most-precious-blood-of.html?m=1