The invited guests refused to come.

"On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines." (Isaiah 25: 6).

Sunday 11th October 2020, 28th Week in Ordinary Time.

Consider this scenario: the king or president planned a state banquet to celebrate the wedding of his son. You are one of the lucky to receive an invitation. Let Jesus continue with this incredible story.

“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come." (Matthew 22: 2 - 3).

In this world, the Kingdom of God is the Church.  (Cf CCC 567).

You were invited to the great banquet where the king:
"Spread the table before you
in the sight of your foes; He anoints your head with oil; your cup overflows." (Cf Psalm 23: 5).

The King in the Parable is God the Father. The Son is Jesus Christ. "This mountain", in Isaiah 25 is the Church. You are one of the invited guests of honor. Here are some of the reactions of your fellow invited guests of honor: "Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business." To add insult to injury, "The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them." (Matthew 22: 6).

In America and Europe today, less than 25% of Catholics attend Sunday Mass and receive the Eucharist. How do you defend this? God is the cause, the principal cause of the prosperity of Europe and America. Does the King deserve to be treated with such scorn and indifference?

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, so that we may know what is the privilege and love that belongs to our invitation to the Eucharist.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

You are happy when you hear the word of God and observe it.

"Happy are those who hear the word of God and keep it." (Luke 11: 28).

Saturday 10th October 2020, 27th Week in Ordinary Time.

A woman shouted out to Jesus where He was teaching:
"Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!" Jesus responded by laying down a new rule in the Kingdom of God:
"Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

In the first Reading from Galatians, we read:  "Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3: 26). What does this mean? In the new dispensation, everything depends on faith. It is faith all the way.  How close are you to Jesus? It depends on your faith.

Below are a few things faith can do to bless our life everyday:
#1 Faith enlarges our hearts to receive the blessings of God.
#2 Faith enables us to rise above our fears.
#3 When you have faith, you see God's hand everywhere, always and at all times.
#4 Through faith, we enjoy the Sacrament of the Present Moment. You know  that Jesus is always in you, the hope of glory. Do you really believe this? When you truly believe this, you see Jesus close to you enabling you to handle any problem.

"Happy are those who hear the word of God and keep it." Those who hear the word of God and observe it are those who hear the word and believe the word they hear. No one observes the word he disbelieves.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Denis and St John Leonardi.

"Realize then that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham." (Galatians 3: 7).

Friday 9th October 2020, 27th Week in Ordinary is the feast of St Denis, First Bishop of Paris, martyr and companions, martyr. (3rd century). We honor too St John Leonardi (1541 - 1609). Italian priest. John qualified first as a pharmacist before he decided to become a priest. He founded the Order of Clerics Regular to serve sick people and those in prison.

Yesterday, we saw through Galatians 3 that we received the Holy Spirit through faith and not through works. St Paul continues teaching us the beautiful subject of Faith today. We are children of Abraham because we share in that powerful faith that made Abraham great. "Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith." (Galatians 3: 9).

How does faith impact our life from day to day?

#1 Faith is belief that Jesus will keep His promises come what may.
# 2 Jesus says: Fear is useless. What you need is faith.
#3 Lack of faith robs us of God's wonderful plans for us.

You may be at the threshold of your Promised Land. You need faith to push through the door.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

How to Recite the Divine Mercy Rosary

How to Recite the Chaplet:

(http://www.divinemercy.org)

The Chaplet of Mercy is recited using ordinary Rosary beads of five decades. The Chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska and followed by a closing prayer.

1. Make the Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. Optional Opening Prayers

St. Faustina’s Prayer for Sinners

O Jesus, eternal Truth, our Life, I call upon You and I beg Your mercy for poor sinners. O sweetest Heart of my Lord, full of pity and unfathomable mercy, I plead with You for poor sinners. O Most Sacred Heart, Fount of Mercy from which gush forth rays of inconceivable graces upon the entire human race, I beg of You light for poor sinners. O Jesus, be mindful of Your own bitter Passion and do not permit the loss of souls redeemed at so dear a price of Your most precious Blood. O Jesus, when I consider the great price of Your Blood, I rejoice at its immensity, for one drop alone would have been enough for the salvation of all sinners. Although sin is an abyss of wickedness and ingratitude, the price paid for us can never be equalled. Therefore, let every soul trust in the Passion of the Lord, and place its hope in His mercy. God will not deny His mercy to anyone. Heaven and earth may change, but God's mercy will never be exhausted. Oh, what immense joy burns in my heart when I contemplate Your incomprehensible goodness, O Jesus! I desire to bring all sinners to Your feet that they may glorify Your mercy throughout endless ages (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 72).

You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

(Repeat three times)

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You!

3. Our Father

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.

4. Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

5. The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

6. The Eternal Father

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

7. On the 10 Small Beads of Each Decade

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

8. Repeat for the remaining decades

Saying the "Eternal Father" (6) on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" (7) on the following "Hail Mary" beads.

9. Conclude with Holy God (Repeat three times)

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

10. Optional Closing Prayers

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

O Greatly Merciful God, Infinite Goodness, today all mankind calls out from the abyss of its misery to Your mercy — to Your compassion, O God; and it is with its mighty voice of misery that it cries out. Gracious God, do not reject the prayer of this earth's exiles! O Lord, Goodness beyond our understanding, Who are acquainted with our misery through and through, and know that by our own power we cannot ascend to You, we implore You: anticipate us with Your grace and keep on increasing Your mercy in us, that we may faithfully do Your holy will all through our life and at death's hour. Let the omnipotence of Your mercy shield us from the darts of our salvation’s enemies, that we may with confidence, as Your children, await Your [Son’s] final coming — that day known to You alone. And we expect to obtain everything promised us by Jesus in spite of all our wretchedness. For Jesus is our Hope: through His merciful Heart, as through an open gate, we pass through to heaven (Diary, 1570).

(http://www.divinemercy.org)

Seekfirstcommunity.com 

What do you depend on? Word of God or your filthy works?

"Did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you heard?" (Galatians 3: 2).

Thursday 8th October 2020, 27th Week in Ordinary Time.

Our key Scripture for today is a blunt Question: "Did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you heard?"
The answer is of course we received the Spirit by faith in the message of Jesus Christ. For faith comes when we hear the word of God.

The word of God comes to us when we read the Sacred Scriptures, when we hear the Scripture preached or shared. I hear the message of Jesus Christ a lot when I read spiritual books. I read the book of St Louis Marie de Montfort, THE SECRET OF THE HOLY ROSARY and I fell in love with the Rosary. I call such books anointed. They produce the same effect in your mind that good preaching produces.

We are saved by grace through faith. Every single day, Jesus blesses us with numerous favors. We receive these favors through His merciful love. The favors we receive from God do not depend on our works, for example: Prayers, studying the Scripture, attending Church services, making offerings to the Church,  giving alms to the poor, sheltering the homeless, etc. All these are WORKS. God considers all of them filthy works. Let me give an example: Sometimes when I am in prayer, thoughts of the next meal flash in and out of my mind. I hate it but can't always stop it. So this prayer is not pure enough to offer God. But God does not reject the prayer.

To grow in faith, do the following:
#1 Believe the word of God you read or hear.
#2 Obey or practice what you believe.
#3 Teach or share what you practice.
#4 Trust your experiences of God's merciful works in your life.

Ask, seek, knock and receive for it is Your Father's will to give you the Kingdom.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of the Holy Rosary.

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb." (Luke 1: 28, 42. Entrance Antiphon).

Wednesday 7th October 2020, 27th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Today, the Church all over the world celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. We know the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Lady under many titles: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, etc. One Lady, many titles. Our Lady of the Rosary celebrates Mary as a powerful intercessor using the instrument of the Rosary. Here is what the Church says about the Rosary:

"The Rosary is very pleasing to our Mother in heaven; she herself has recommended it. There are two elements of the Holy Rosary: meditation on its mysteries and vocal prayer. The Rosary surely reaches the motherly heart of Mary and moves her to obtain abundant graces for us." (Roman Missal).

Two recent popes, Pope St Paul VI and Pope St John Paul II have highly recommended the Rosary. Most saints since the 1500s have said the Rosary without fail.

"Your Rosary is like a ladder that you climb step by step, drawing you closer to our Lady, which means finding Christ. It is a devotion which leads us to Christ through Mary." (Pope St Paul VI, Marialis Cultus).

THE SECRET OF THE HOLY ROSARY by St Louis Marie de Montfort helped to bring me back to the Church over 25 years ago. Since then I have said the Rosary every single day. Powerful pray. If you want to read 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

The One Thing that is necessary.

 “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10: 41 - 42).

Tuesday 6th October 2020, 27th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Bruno (1030 - 1101). Priest. German. Founder of the Carthusian Order. Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher (1811 - 1849). Virgin. Canadian. Founder of the Sisters of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary.

Jesus said to Martha: "You are anxious and worried about many things."  Martha was distracted by what to eat and drink and making sure that everything looks fine. Jesus told her. Only one thing is necessary.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus warns that the people who allow themselves to be distracted by the physical and material affairs of this world will miss the one thing that is necessary.
"The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful." (Matthew 13: 22).

Mary turned her eyes upon Jesus and learned the one thing that is necessary.
St Bruno whose feast we celebrate today chose to serve God in the solitude of the monastery.
Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher helped establish the first Canadian parish solidarity for young women. She had a very busy life like Martha.

What is the one thing that is necessary? The only thing that is necessary is the Kingdom of God and His holiness. If you seek this above all things, God promises to provide ALL your needs.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of the Secretary of Mercy, St Maria Faustina.

“Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10: 29).

Monday 5th October 2020, 27th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of the Secretary of Mercy, St Maria Faustina Kowalski (1905 - 1938). Polish. Nun of the Blessed Sacrament.

Jesus Christ our Merciful Savior communicated with St Maria Faustina His desire to have the Divine Mercy Devotion established. Maria was not well educated but she worked very hard to accomplish this divine purpose. Before she died in 1938, she left the world a book which has since become a classic: "Diary of St Maria Faustina Kowalski." This book recounts the conversations of the mystic Maria Faustina  with Jesus and established the Divine Mercy Devotion.

Our key Scripture for today is from the Parable of the Good Samaritan, (Luke 10: 25 - 37). You may call this a story of mercy.
What is mercy? From the Parable, we may say that mercy is when someone shows you pity in a moment of great need.

One day after shopping for groceries at Walmart, I was $5 short at the checkout counter. As I started to remove some groceries to make the right amount, the man behind me stepped forward and told the cashier he would pay the $5. I thanked him profusely in spite of my embarrassment. The man showed me mercy which I appreciated immensely.
One Saturday morning, I was again in the checkout counter in the same Walmart store. The man in front of me made a small purchase about $5. He did not have enough cash on him. I stepped forward and told the cashier to add it to my bill. The man refused to accept the offer. I pleaded with him to accept the little help and told him how someone helped me when I was in a similar situation some weeks ago.  I was sad to see him walk away without his grocery. He refused to give me the opportunity to show mercy and be a good neighbor.

Be a good neighbor.
Allow someone to be a good neighbor to you. Jesus is always a good neighbor.

Jesus gave us the Divine Mercy Devotion through St Maria Faustina. This devotion is summarized through the ABC of Mercy:

A = Ask for mercy.
B = Be Merciful.
C = Completely trust Jesus for mercy.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Vineyard of the Lord is the Church.

"Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit." (Matthew 21: 43).

Sunday 4th October 2020, 27th Week in Ordinary Time.

The Church is the seed of the kingdom of God in this world. The Prophet Isaiah foresaw this when he said: "The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel." Why then is the Vineyard of the Lord planted with such care and equipped with all the wherewithal to produce great fruits be unproductive and utter disappointment? Because the shepherds/managers who were hired to manage the business looked after themselves and not the sheep or the vineyard? They feast on the fattened sheep and drank from the choicest grapes but neglected the sheep and the vineyard.

The day of reckoning and accountability came suddenly without warning and the tenants were not ready.

How can we escape such fate? By commitment to work and grow the Lord's Vineyard. The Kingdom of God and the holiness of life that goes with it must be the first priority in our lives  We must believe firmly that the Lord of the Vineyard will compensate us generously.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The demons are subject to us in the name of Jesus.

"The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” (Luke 10: 17).

Saturday 3rd October 2020, 26th Week in Ordinary Time. First Saturday in October, the month of Mary.

The jubilant disciples declared to Jesus: "The demons are subject to us because of your name." This is what impressed most the student missionaries. Do you believe in demons? Today, belief in demonic spirits seems to have gone out of fashion. Note that the heart of our faith are truths revealed by Sacred Scripture, embedded in Sacred Tradition and confirmed by the authoritative teaching of Magisterium. So this truth about demonic spirits cannot be in fashion or out of fashion.

Here is what the Holy Church teaches about demons:
"Satan or the devil and the other demons are fallen angels who have freely refused to serve God and his plan. Their choice against God is definitive. They try to associate man in their revolt against God." (CCC 414).

Rebellion, disobedience are characteristics of the evil one and its minions. Another universal character trait of the devil is falsehood, lies and distractions. The devil is is incapable of telling the truth.

Every Christian by virtue of his Baptism is anointed and empowered to subjugate  demons in the Name of Jesus. How do we come to this power? Faith. Faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of Christ. The more you hear the word, the more it makes an impression on your mind until one day, it reaches the critical mass and you find that you have come to believe what you have been hearing. At this point, you are ready to act.

Act in trust and confidence and you will rejoice that the demons are subject to you in the Name of Jesus.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of the Guardian Angels.

 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." (Matthew 18: 10).

Friday 2nd October 2020, 26th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of the Guardian Angels.

Our Father God in His loving Providence has provided each of His children a Guardian Angel. Are you aware of this stupendous fact? Fortunately for us, whether we are aware of our Guardian Angel that accompanies us on the journey of life or not, the Angel still performs all its duties lovingly towards us. Our Guardian Angels report to God not us. Here is what the Church teaches about our Guardian Angel:

"Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life." Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God." (CCC 336).

Your Guardian Angel is a friend who protects you in danger and can direct your steps when you are lost. It shepherds you away from moral dangers from situations that can imperil your soul. When you have a warm and personal relationship with your Guardian Angel, you enjoy more privileges. Saints recommend praying to your Guardian Angel when you wake up in the morning and when you are ready to go to bed at night.

For a Guardian Angel Prayer, click the link below:

http://seekfirstcommunity.com/2020/10/guardian-angel-prayer.html?m=1

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com

Guardian Angel Prayer

Angel of God, 

my guardian and my friend, 

To whom I have been entrusted by God's merciful love. 

Enlighten, guide, direct and protect me this day/night. 

Amen.

SeekFirstcommunity.com 

First Friday in October 2020. Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

October 2, 2020 - First Friday in October.

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 10th month of the year 2020, we look at Promise #10.

#10.  "I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts."

Do not think: "I am not excited by this promise.  I am not a priest."  We are all priests by virtue of our Baptism. Jesus Christ chose and ordained a tiny percentage of men to celebrate the Sacraments.  The first mission of the Church is evangelization.  You are an evangelist. Moreover, the first 3 Spiritual Works of Mercy instruct us:
#1. Instruct the ignorant.
#2. Counsel the doubtful.
#3. Admonish sinners.

Jesus promises to give you power to touch the most hardened of sinners.  These sinners could be in the family. They could be friends or neighbors.  Will you refuse such a gift?

Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus this Friday by attending Holy Mass if you can or reciting the Sacred Heart Prayer and meditating on the 12 Promises below.

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

http://seekfirstcommunity.com/2020/08/12-promises-of-sacred-heart-of-jesus.html?m=1

Seekfirstcommunity.com

The Feast of the Simple One: St Therese of the Child Jesus.

"Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children." (Matthew 11: 25).

Thursday 1st October 2020, 26th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of the Little Flower, St Therese of the Child Jesus, also known as St Therese of Lisieux. (1873 - 1897). French. Carmelite Nun and Doctor of the Church.

St Therese is one of the most beloved saints in the Church. She is a powerful intercessor and her contribution to the history of spirituality can be summarized thus:

#1 Utter simplicity in everything.
#2 Profound trust in Divine Providence.

St Therese you may say was chosen to be St Therese before she was born. At the age of 6, she had a profound faith in the Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and in the Blessed Sacrament. Asked one day how she was so sure of this, her response was disarming and profound: Jesus said: "This is My Body. This is My Blood." Since Jesus is God and Almighty, nothing is impossible for Him. Does this not remind us of the Blessed Virgin Mary? To the word that She would conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Son of God, she replied: "Be it done to me according to Your word."

There is a direct connection between faith and simplicity. The more complicated you are in your mind, habits and behavior, the more difficult it is to believe.
"Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 18: 3).

Be simple like Jesus and Therese. Dare to Believe.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of St St Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church.

"Blessed indeed is he who ponders the law of the Lord day and night:
he will yield his fruit in due season." (Cf Psalm 1: 1 - 2. Entrance Antiphon on the Feast of St Jerome).

Wednesday 30th September 2020, 26th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Jerome (342 - 420). From Dalmatia in former Yugoslavia. Priest, Doctor of the Church. Translated the Bible into the Latin Vulgate. "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ" is his famous saying.

We chose our key Scripture for today from the great promise of God to those who love His word and study it season and out of season. Note that a similar promise is made to Joshua:
"Do not let this book of the law depart from your lips. Recite it by day and by night, that you may carefully observe all that is written in it; then you will attain your goal; then you will succeed." (Joshua 1: 8).

If you are still not excited by the promises of investing in the word of God, consider this:
"When I found your words, I devoured them; your words were my joy, the happiness of my heart,
Because I bear your name, Lord, God of hosts." (Jeremiah 15: 16).
When Jeremiah devoured the word of God, what did he find? Incomparable happiness and joy.

I too discovered the word of God in a career crisis while working for a large multinational company in Paris. The word that was waiting for me to discover was Exodus 14: 13 - 14. I was blown away by God's utter faithfulness to His gracious promise. I resolved to read the Scriptures everyday from that day. It has been over 35 years and God is still blessing me through His word.

Lord, help us to follow the example of St Jerome in reflecting on Your word day and night. May Your word prepare us to offer You a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving always and everywhere. Amen.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of the Archangels: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1: 51).

Tuesday 29th September 2020, 26th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Jesus' encounter with Nathanael (Bartholomew) in the Gospel of today confirms the existence of angels, a fact known in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Here is the meaning of the names of the Archangels:

Micha-El: Who is like God?
Gabri-El: God’s strength” or “Power of God”
Rapha-El: “God heals”
El means God.

By the ministry of the angels, our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving come before the presence of Almighty God. The Archangel Michael is assigned to guard the Church. ( Cf Daniel 12: 1). Pope Leo XIII who had a vision of this in the Sanctuary composed the Prayer to St Michael which became an inspired and principal prayer in spiritual warfare. Many Catholics say this prayer daily.
Click the link below to print a copy for yourself.

http://seekfirstcommunity.com/?m=1

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com 

St Michael the Archangel Prayer

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.

SeekFirstcommunity.com

Who is the greatest amongst us?

"An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest." (Luke 9: 46).

Monday 28th September 2020, 26th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of two martyrs:  St Wenceslaus (907 - 927). King and Martyr. Saintly monarch. Murdered by his own brother in a sibling rivalry that reminds us of Cain and Abel. St Lorenzo Ruiz (+1630). Filipino layman and his companions. Martyred in Japan with other Christian missionaries.

Who is the greatest among us? The Apostles were caught asking this question. You recognize this sin as the spirit of rivalry condemned as one of the works of the flesh by St Paul in a letter to the Galatian Christians:
"Now the works of the flesh are obvious: 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).

Jesus praised St John the Baptist as the greatest person born of a woman in the Kingdom of God. You may rank St Wenceslaus and St Lorenzo and companions whom we honor today as great in the Kingdom of God. They heard the word of Jesus Christ and believed Him and laid down their lives for Him. All the Apostles whom Jesus reproached in our Gospel of today repented and went on to lay down their lives for Jesus and became great in the Kingdom of God. They give many of us hope. The game is not over.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Who enters the Kingdom of God first and who enters last?

“Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him." (Matthew 21: 31 - 32).

Sunday 27th September 2020, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Who enters the Kingdom of God first and why? Let us look at the list of the invited: High priests, priests, Pharisees, scribes, scholars, judges,  tax collectors, prostitutes, brigands, and all the other deplorables.
Jesus, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kingdom tells us that the "tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you." This is an incredible reversal of perking order. But why? Because John the Baptist came and preached righteousness and mercy and the great ones rejected him. The tax collectors and prostitutes heard him and embraced his message. The chief priests and elders and their friends saw what was happening and refused to change their minds. So they merited the condemnation of Christ for the hardness of heart and pride.

God who shows His almighty power in His mercy and forgiveness will welcome the chief priests, elders and Pharisees if they change their minds and accept His mercy. Mercy and forgiveness are constant in salvation history.
Ask for mercy.
Be merciful.
Completely trust Jesus for mercy.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs, Twins and Great Physicians.

“Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” (Luke 9: 44).

Saturday 26th September 2020, 25th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of two great physicians, twins Cosmas and Damian martyred under Emperor Diocletian +305. Cosmas and Damian combined a supernatural gift of healing with sound medical training and practice. What is extraordinary about these two doctors is that they offered their services completely free of charge. Because they did so, it pleased Christ, the Divine Physician to work through them. He crowned their life with a martyr's crown and raised them to eternal glory.

Listen to our key Scripture for today: “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” If an important person tells me: "Pay attention to this fact." I will sit upright, lean forward and listen intently. When God said to Joshua: "You must have these words constantly on your mind," Joshua recognized immediately that God was giving him a formula for success and Joshua paid great attention and succeeded greatly in his work. The disciples of Jesus did not pay attention to what Jesus told them here and it caused a huge problem for them. Frustrations and denials.

Now Jesus is telling us to pay great attention to this truth and never to forget: "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” In other words, we must understand thoroughly the significance of the Paschal Mystery, that is the mystery of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our life, peace and success depends on it. God chose the Cross as the means of our salvation.

You shall know the truth and the truth you know shall set you free. Set you free from what? Sin, addiction, fear, worry, doubt, sickness, ignorance and poverty? You think really? It is the promise of Jesus Christ that the supernatural truth you know can set you free. Cosmas and Damian witnessed this a lot in their practice and today every honest medical doctor can attest to this truth.

“Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com