The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

"Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom.

"After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.

"Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.

"After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.

"When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, 

“Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” 

And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

"But they did not understand what he said to them. 

"He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; 

"And his mother kept all these things in her heart." (Luke 2: 41 - 51).

Saturday June 17th in the 10th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

Mary was intimately involved in the Jesus Revolution from the Annunciation to the Birth of the Church on Pentecost Sunday. 

Mary supplied the stories of the key events of the lives of Jesus to the early House Churches. These stories became the raw material for the Gospels. On the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we thank Mary, the Mother of God and the Mother of Church for her immense gifts to us. 

"Turn to My Mother in every need of yours. I have made her the Immaculate Mediatrix of all My graces. All that I would give you, I want you to have through her." (IN SINU JESU, Thursday, January 3, 2008 The Holy Name of Jesus). 

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=1

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of our Lady of Sorrows.

"Simeon said to Mary: Behold, this child is destined for the ruin and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign of contradiction; and your own soul a sword will pierce." (Luke 2: 34 35).

Tuesday 15th September 2020, 24th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.

"At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last." (Stabat Mater). Thus was the prophecy of Simeon at the Presentation of the Child Jesus fulfilled. "Your own soul a sword will pierce."

"Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home." (John 19: 25 - 27).

Here the Mother of Sorrows received her everlasting vocation:
“Behold, your mother.”  Mary may have murmured silently: "Be it done to me according to Your word." And she became our Mother from that instance.

What do you make of the Sorrows of Mary? Was it necessary? Superfluous? An overkill? The Church teaches: "Our Mother Mary teaches us to live, together with her, beside the cross of her Son. In her suffering, she reminds us of the malice of sin and shows us the way of true repentance." (Roman Missal). How do we summarize this? The Apostle Peter says it best in the Communion Antiphon:

"Rejoice when you share in the sufferings of Christ, that you may also rejoice exultantly when his glory is revealed." (1 Peter 4: 13).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary.

"My beloved, avoid idolatry." (1 Corinthians 10: 14).

Saturday 12th September 2020, 23rd Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Almost back to back on the celebration of the Birthday of Mary is the feast of her Most Holy Name. The Church in her teaching authority interpretes for us the role of Mary in the economy of salvation. Here is what the Church teaches about the feast of today, Most Holy Name of Mary:

"God the Father is glorified by the exalted role in salvation of the Blessed Virgin Mary." Thus her name is a name of honor, to be venerated and called upon with filial trust and devotion." (Roman Missal). There is a lot to unpack here.

In our key Scripture, St Paul warns the Corinthians to avoid idolatry. The Corinthians mixed meat offered to Idols with other food stuff. You can call idolatry impurity: mixing what is pure with what is impure. This is against the first Commandment that places God first and always first in our heart, mind and soul. "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons.  You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons." (1 Corinthians 10: 21).

What can become idols for us today?
Family, health, job, money, food, possessions. If you worry too much about the future which is totally beyond your control, you make idol of it.

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary especially through the Holy Rosary is a sure antidote to idolatry.

For the the 15 Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, click the link below:

http://seekfirstcommunity.com/2020/08/the-15-promises-of-mary-to-those-who.html?m=1

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com