The Father blesses us with every blessing in the heavens.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens." (Ephesians 1: 3).

The above text is from Ephesians 1: 3 - 14, the second Reading in the Sacred Liturgy of this Sunday.  Savor the message of the Holy Spirit for the Church.

I asked Abba Father for the Holy Spirit. The Father gave me not only what I asked for but gave me as well:
Prayer, Word of God, Eucharist, Penance, Ministry.
He gave me peace, pardon, power, purpose, Presence, protection and provision.
He gave me Faith, Patience, Wisdom, Courage and Contentment.

Let us bless "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens" for He is a Promise-Maker and a Promise-Keeper.

"In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy Spirit,  which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1: 13 - 14).

Amen.  Alleluia!

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Lord send me.

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” “Here I am,” I said; “send me!”  (Isaiah 6: 8).

The Prophet Isaiah had a vision of God in His Temple. In this vision, the Almighty has a message for the world.  “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”  “Here I am,”  said Isaiah “send me!”  (Isaiah 6: 8).

In today's Gospel (Matthew 10: 24 - 33).  Jesus once again instructs His disciples on the cost of discipleship.  In your missionary endeavors, I warn you to be prepared for anything. He concludes by giving them a great assurance of Divine protection and provision.  Without God's great faithfulness in keeping this promise, there will be no Church or missionaries today.
Read Christ's assurance and believe the word as the word of God and not the word of man.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.  Even all the hairs of your head are counted.  So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."  (Matthew 10:  29 - 31).

You are indeed worth more than many sparrows.

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Honey, please come back.

"Thus says the Lord:
Return, Israel, to the Lord, your God;
you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take with you words, and return to the Lord; Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity, and take what is good.  Let us offer the fruit of our lips."  (Hosea 14: 2 - 3).

Yahweh God in the above Scripture is pleading with His spouse, Israel who offended Him and keeps offending Him by her flagrant prostitution: "Honey, please come back. I am prepared to forgive and forget everything.  Only tell Me that you are sorry and we can start all over as if nothing happened."

This is no melodrama here. This is the true Heart of God as presented in Sacred Scripture.  We are all the wayward woman.

The Response the Holy Spirit prompts the Church to use in today's Sacred Liturgy is the very response of David when he was cornered by Prophet Nathan to admit his guilt of adultery and murder.

"Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offence. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.

Indeed you love truth in the heart;
then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom. O purify me, then I shall be clean; O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.

A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence, nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervour sustain me,
O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise.
(Psalm 51:3-4,8-9,12-14,17).

Ask for Mercy.
Be Merciful.
Completely trust Jesus for Mercy.

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Join hands with Me to complete this mission.

"Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."  (Matthew 10: 8).

In Matthew 10: 1 - 7, Jesus chose the Twelve Apostles and commissioned them to start building the new Church He came to found:  Heal the sick, cast out demons and preach the arrival of the Kingdom of God. He lays down two principles to guide their missionary work:

#1.  They had full scholarship. Tuition and board were free.  Their healing and teaching ministry will be done free of charge.
Christ recognizes that the Apostles still need food and lodging. He lays down the second principle of missionary work.
#2. "The laborer deserves his keep."  (Matthew 10: 10).
They are not to be anxious about their needs. The people they serve will be inspired to provide what they need.

Seekfirst the Kingdom of God and live as simply as I do.  If you take care of My business, I promise to take care of yours.
"Master, this is a deal."

The mustard seed continues to grow and has become a huge tree where every kind of bird makes its home.
Will you trust Jesus?  Will you join hands with Him to complete this project?

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To understand Jesus, you must understand the Kingdom He came to build.

"Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness."  (Matthew 10: 1).

The Twelve is now formally constituted into a body to speak and act as Jesus. Cast out evil spirits and cure every disease and illness.  Then Jesus mandated the definitive mission of the Twelve and the Church they would oversee:
Make the proclamation everywhere:
"THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND." (Matthew 10: 7).

This is our mission. To seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33).

But what is the Kingdom of God?
Pope Francis has something important to say about the Kingdom of God and our personal involvement in its realization.  In his recent Apostolic Exhortation, "Rejoice and Be Glad."

"Just as you cannot understand Christ apart from the kingdom he came to bring, so too your personal mission is inseparable from the building of that kingdom: “Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Your identification with Christ and his will involves a commitment to build with him that kingdom of love, justice and universal peace. Christ himself wants to experience this with you, in all the efforts and sacrifices that it entails, but also in all the joy and enrichment it brings. You cannot grow in holiness without committing yourself, body and soul, to giving your best to this endeavor. (Gaudate et Exsultate: REJOICE & BE GLAD).

To understand Jesus, you must understand the Kingdom which is His life's work. To be a Christian, you must seek first the kingdom of God and live as Jesus lived.

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Wherever love and joy is to be found, there is God.

"But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”  (Matthew 9: 34).

Jesus cast out a demon from a mute demoniac and the Pharisees accuse Him of working under the power of the prince of demons.

Joy, peace, encouragement can never come from the Devil.  UBI CARITAS (wherever love is to be found, there is God) is a popular song in the Church teaches that love comes only from God.  Jesus is love, peace, joy and mercy incarnate.  How can the Pharisees not see this?

St Paul advices his spiritual children:
"Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (Philippians 4: 8).
These qualities come only from God.

"Every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit."  (Matthew 7: 17 - 18). The Pharisees and their likes are known by their fruits.

How do you recognize the actions of God in your life?  What are the fruits? Joy, peace, love, encouragement? They are from God.  Sadness, fears, worries and doubts? They are from the Evil One.
Swing into spiritual warfare and reject them in the mighty Name of Jesus.

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The unbelievable faith of the official.

 “My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.”  (Matthew 9: 18).

An official whose daughter has just died said to Jesus: I believe that if You come with me to my house and lay Your hand on my dead daughter, she would be alive again.
Whence come the faith of this man? Why does one person have faith and another no faith? Can faith be developed?

The world today is witnessing an unprecedented crisis of faith.  It reminds us of the time of Hosea in the 8th century BC when the Kingdom of Israel had become very prosperous and experienced mass idolatry: idols of money, business, pleasure and all types of distractions.  Sounds familiar?  Large portions of the world today live in unbridled materialism.  Materialism has always opposed faith in the individual and society.

The official in the Gospel of today believed in Jesus.  He believed that Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our Faith. (Hebrews 12: 2).  The official believed that the words and person of Jesus produce miracles.

How can we develop such strong faith?  Faith is a pure gift of God which God is more willing to give than we to receive. Ask for faith with boldness. Study passages like the message of today in the Gospels and learn all that you can about faith.

How about the materialism that infects all of us?  This is a prayer I would like to make every day:

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."  (Proverbs 30: 7 - 9).

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My grace is sufficient for you.

 “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”  (2 Corinthians 12: 9).

If the grace of Christ is sufficient for the Apostle Paul, the same grace of Jesus will do exactly the same for us. To enjoy this favor, understand and trust the Divine Providence.  Then adopt these three steps to peace of heart and mind:

#1 Accept all that has happened.
#2 Accept everything that is happening.
#3  Cooperate with everything except what is sinful.

St Paul understood the mystery of Divine Providence and the Sufficiency of the Grace of God. His attitude underwent 360 degree change. Read St Paul's insight into mysteries of faith:

"I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.  Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong."  (2 Corinthians 12: 9 - 10).

Before you can boast of the things Paul boasted about, you must accept them.
Help us O Lord to know Your power working in us.

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The Lord promises full restoration.

"Thus says the Lord: On that day I will raise up the fallen hut of David;
I will wall up its breaches, raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old." (Amos 9: 11).

God castigated His people through His word proclaimed by Prophet Amos. God's anger lasts a moment. His mercy lasts forever.  The Chosen people that once dwelt in palaces and big mansions now lived in dilapidated huts.  From riches to rags.  God's ways are not our ways.  He strikes and He heals.

"There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.
A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to tear down, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance."  (Ecclesiastes 3: 1 - 4).

The Lord promises restoration to a long suffering people.  Are you waiting for restoration in any areas of your life? This promise is for all of us.
"I will restore my people Israel, they shall rebuild and inhabit their ruined cities, Plant vineyards and drink the wine, set out gardens and eat the fruits."  (Amos 9:  14).

"I, the LORD will do it." (Amos 9: 12).

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When will the new moon be over?

"See what days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –
days when I will bring famine on the country, a famine not of bread, a drought not of water, but of hearing the word of the Lord.
They will stagger from sea to sea,
wander from north to east,
seeking the word of the Lord
and failing to find it."  (Amos 8: 11 - 12).

Can a day actually come when people will hunger so much for the word of God?
"O God, when will this day come?" could be the unsurprising response of modern prophets worn out by constant rejection of their message. 

“When will the new moon be over,” you ask, “that we may sell our grain,
And the sabbath, that we may open the grain-bins?"  (Amos 8: 5).

The people rejected the Sabbath Rest which is a bonus bestowed by a loving God on His people. 
"They must realize that the Sabbath is the LORD's gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day."  (Exodus 16: 29 NLT).

"Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord."  (Matthew 11: 28).
Who will respond to this cry of Jesus?
"Human beings cannot live on bread alone, but need every word that God speaks."  (Matthew 4: 4), Jesus teaches.

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Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the First Friday of July 2018.

July 6, 2018 First Friday in July 2018.

The 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus:  Jesus promised 12 special favors to all those who will honor His Sacred Heart especially on the First Friday of every month.  In the 7th month of the year 2018, we look at Promise #7.

#7.  "Tepid souls shall become fervent."

What is tepid?  Tepid is defined as lukewarm, slightly warm, unenthusiastic, apathetic, half-hearted.
Listen to what Jesus said about such persons:
"Because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth."  (Revelation 3: 16).

Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus this Friday by attending Holy Mass.

For the 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, click the link below:

http://sfjweb.com/?q=content/sacred-heart-12-promises

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Is it easier to heal the body or the soul?

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”  (Matthew 9:   2).

Jesus was ministering in a room packed with people.  The friends of the paralytic man lowered him from the roof and dropped him in front of Jesus.  Their action is the "faith" that Jesus saw.  So you can see faith.

The bigger theme of the Gospel of today is the sin of the paralyzed man.  Since Jesus came to suffer and die for sin, He dealt first with the root and source of illness.  “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven." (Matthew 9: 2).  Jesus was immediately attacked for forgiving the man's sins. “This man is blaspheming.” (Matthew 9: 3).

The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world knows more than anyone the intricate connection between Sin, Suffering and Salvation.  He proves it:
"Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”  (Matthew 9: 5 - 6).

"Lord, send your mercy and your truth to rescue us from the snares of the devil, and we will praise you among the peoples and proclaim you to the nations, happy to be known as companions of your Son."  (Psalm Prayer, Lauds Thursday, July 5th, 13th Week in Ordinary Time).

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The message of Prophet Amos on the occasion of the Independence Anniversary.

"Seek good and not evil, that you may live; Then truly the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you as you claim. Hate evil and love good,
and let justice prevail at the gate;
Then it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will have pity on the remnant of Joseph."  (Amos 5: 14 - 15).

America celebrates its Independence Anniversary today.  The exhortation from the Prophet Amos in today's Scripture reminds us that genuine freedom is a gift from God.   To safeguard this freedom, the nation must pursue goodness and justice.
The prophet concludes his persuasive nudge to the nation thus:
"But if you would offer me burnt offerings, then let justice surge like waters, and righteousness like an unfailing stream."  (Amos 5:  22, 24).

"Father of all nations and ages,
we recall the day when our country
claimed its place among the family of nations; for what has baen achieved we give you thanks,
for the work that still remains we ask your help, and as you have called us from many peoples to be one nation, grant that, under your Providence, our country may share your blessings with all the peoples of the earth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen." (Collect of the Mass of Independence Day).

Happy Independence to you all.

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I command you stop doubting and you start believing now.

"Do not be unbelieving, but believe.”  (John 20: 27).

The above text is a sharp rebuke of of Thomas the Apostle by Jesus. Thomas insisted that he had to see with his two eyes, stick his fingers into the nail holes before he would believe.
What is the principal error of Thomas? Against reason, he refused to believe the testimony of credible witnesses.  He discounted the affirmation of Peter and the other apostles and Mary Magdalene who had become eye witnesses to the apparitions of Jesus after the Resurrection.  Faith comes from believing the testimony of credible witnesses.   There are just a few things in life you can see and touch. Vast majority of things we believe because someone we trust tells us so.

Disbelief, unbelief, unreasonable doubt are crippling mental states. Can you believe that there are folks among us today who deny the Holocaust? Victims of these barbarism still live among us.

Jesus told Thomas, "Stop doubting and believe.”  (John 20: 27).  This command was all that Thomas needed to make him a super believer.  Jesus too can command our doubts, fears and worries disappear.  Let us ask Him:

Lord Jesus, command that we no longer be faithless but strong believers in You and Your mission.   Say but a word Jesus and our doubts will be gone. Amen.

Today is the feast of St Thomas the Apostle, martyr and great missionary to India.  This feast is a Solemnity in India.
St Thomas pray for us.

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How far and how long are you prepared to follow Me?

“Teacher,  I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”  Another of [his] disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”  But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”  (Matthew 8: 19 - 22).

Two enthusiastic would be disciples received one answer to their application to follow Jesus:
You must count carefully the cost of discipleship.  How far and how long are you prepared to follow Me? What will you do when the going becomes tough?  I will show you what a prudent and faithful disciple looks like.  That disciple followed Me from the beginning of my ministry to the end.

“What sort of servant, then, is faithful wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give them their food at the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at his employment. I tell you solemnly, he will place him over everything he owns.” (Matthew 24: 45 – 48)

Pope St John Paul II writing on faithfulness says:
It is good to be faithful for one day.
It is better to be faithful for ten years.
It excellent and blessed to be faithful day after day to the end.

This is why the Blessed Virgin Mary is called the most excellent and faithful disciple of Jesus.  She received the message of salvation from the Archangel Gabriel. She followed Jesus learning everything she could. She walked the Via Dolorosa with her Son to Calvary.  She received the body of her Son from the Cross from the Roman soldiers. She laid Him in the tomb and witnessed the sealing of the tomb.
Call this: faithful from womb to tomb.
A disciple of Jesus must be prepared to give all.

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Woman, go in peace. You are free of your issues.

“Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”  (Mark 5: 34).

Who heard this most beautiful words from the lips of Jesus?
"A woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.  She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse." (Mark 5: 25 - 26).

Sounds familiar?  First a few details about the woman.  After she had become bankrupt without getting cured, a friend suggested she try Jesus.  The amazing thing is that from hearing about Jesus and His ministry, she believed that Jesus would heal her.  The Scriptures say that faith comes from hearing. Not any type of hearing but hearing the word of God.  (Romans 10: 17).

“Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”  (Mark 5: 34).

This woman had faith and humility. She was dogged in her perseverance to regain her health. She believed the story about Jesus. She committed to finding Jesus wherever He might be. When she found Jesus, she pushed everybody out of the way and did as she planned:   “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” (Mark 5: 28).

"Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but what is still possible for you to do." (Pope St John XXIII).

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Lord I am not worthy to receive You in my house.

“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed."  (Matthew 8: 8).

Do you recognize the Scripture above as our prayer before Holy Communion?  These are the words of a Roman Centurion to Jesus.  The Church uses it as the most appropriate prayer to excite us to faith and humility. Ask yourself this question:  If a military officer from pagan Rome can rise to this level of faith and humility, why not you?  Why after years and years of Holy Communion  can one deny Jesus the faith and reverence He expects and deserves in this great Sacrament? I think of three possible reasons:

1. "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."  (St Jerome).
2. "Ignorance of God is the principle and explanation of moral deviations." (CCC 2087).
3.  Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God."  (Matthew 22: 29).

The situation can be remedied.  You can start growing and enjoying your faith by resolving today to give 15 minutes of your time every day to reading the Bible.

I believe in prayer.
I believe in the word of God.
I believe in miracle.
I Ieave the rest to God.

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The message of Peter and Paul still goes out through all the world.

"Peter said to Jesus: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus replied: You are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church."  (Matthew 16: 16, 18).

Today is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. These are the two great pillars of the Church.  Peter became the first Pope while Paul became the first missionary.  Both were martyred in Rome under Emperor Nero.

The message of these two Apostles still goes out through all the world.

"O God, who on the Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul
give us the noble and holy joy of this day, grant, we pray, that your Church may in all things follow the teaching of those through whom she received the beginnings of right religion.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."
(Collect on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul).

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The consequences of building on unstable foundation.

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock." (Matthew 7: 24 - 25)

Who do you hire to build a solid family home that will last many years?  Will you not employ the best builder?

"Unless the LORD build the house,
they labor in vain who build.
Unless the LORD guard the city,
in vain does the guard keep watch."  (Psalm 127: 1)

The Lord Himself is the expert Builder.

Below are a few Gospel principles that ensure we build our spiritual life home on solid rock and not on sand:

"Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves." (James 1: 22)
Power comes from acting/doing.

"He [Jesus] replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” (Luke 11: 28)
Blessings come from obeying the word.

"For it is not those who hear the law who are just in the sight of God; rather, those who observe the law will be justified." (Romans 2: 13)
Emphasis again is on observing, acting and doing. 

"Children, let no one deceive you. The person who acts in righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous." (1 John 3: 7)

Believe what you read.
Teach what you believe.
Practice what you teach.

"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13: 17)
Change happens not because of what you know but because of what you do daily.

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Their fruits will expose them.

"By their fruits you will know them."  (Matthew 7: 16 & 20).

Jesus warns us to beware of false prophets. They sneak in smiling and looking very innocent.  Give them a little time and they will be exposed by the bad fruits they bear.
The false prophets seek to corrupt sound doctrine and leave trails of  fruitless works of darkness:  "immorality, impurity, licentiousness,  idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like."  (Galatians 5: 19 - 21).

To detect and expose the false prophets, we need the word of God and the spirit of discernment.

On discernment, the Church says:  "Finally, discernment unmasks the lie of temptation, whose object appears to be good, a "delight to the eyes" and desirable, when in reality its fruit is death."  (CCC 2847).

"By their fruits you will know them."  (Matthew 7: 16 & 20). Be Vigilant!

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