Feast of the Seven Servants of Mary.

The Feast of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order. 

"Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 

"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it.

"What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life?

"Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

"He also said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the Kingdom of God has come in power.” (Mark 8: 34 - 9: 11).

Friday 17th February 2023 in the 6th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of the Seven Holy Brothers of the Servite Order, also known as the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  

On Friday, April 13, 1240, the hermits received a vision of Our Lady, who told them:

 

 "You will found a new order, and you will be my witnesses throughout the world. This is your name: Servants of Mary. This is your rule: that of Saint Augustine. And here is your distinctive sign: the black scapular, in memory of my sufferings." 

Ecclesiastical recognition for the order as a religious order was given in 1304.  They lead a life of prayer and penance.

Our reflection is from the Gospel of today: The Cost of Discipleship. Being a disciple of Jesus is not easy. It was not easy for the first Apostles: Peter, Paul, Andrew, James and John, etc. 

It was not easy for the seven saints we celebrate today. The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order. 

It was not easy for the young St Therese of Lisieux from whom I learned so much about the gentle yoke of Jesus. 

It is Jesus Himself in His locution to a Benedictine mystic in IN SINU JESU who showed me that I too can bear His sweet and gentle yoke tailor-made for me. 

"Suffering, for you, is the humble acceptance of every limitation, fatigue, humiliation, disappointment, and sorrow. It is the joyful acceptance of infirmity and weakness. It is adhesion to all the manifestations of My will, especially those that you are incapable of understanding in the present moment. Suffering offered in love is precious in My sight. Accept the sufferings that I allow and that I will for you; thus will you participate in My Passion through patience and accomplish the mission that I have entrusted to you." (IN SINU JESU - pg 146).

A most recent testimony of the simple spirituality of St Therese of the Child Jesus is Blosius. 

"Blosius, a great Benedictine mystic, says that the best form of mortification is to accept with all our heart, in spite of our repugnance, all that God sends or permits, good and evil, joy and suffering. I try to do this. Let us try to do it together, and to help one another to reach that absolute abandonment into the hands of God…."

Blessed Columba Marmion, o.s.b.

Anyone who wants can be a disciple of Jesus and bear his cross daily in his walk with Jesus. As St Therese teaches: You will discover that it is Christ inside you that enables you to bear the Cross. 

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Get behind Me Satan.

My Savior and my Redeemer. 

Jesus Christ is the Messiah. He is also the Way, the Truth and the Life. 

"Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 

"They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” 

"And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” 

"Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Christ.” Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

"He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly.

"Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Mark 8: 27 - 33).

Thursday 16th February 2023 in the 6th Week of Ordinary Time. 

The Gospel today separates prosperity Christians from real Communion of the Saints Christians. We Christians on earth are on a pilgrimage to heaven. This is the period of purification and walking the way of the Cross with Jesus. 

"He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly." 

Jesus spoke about His cross openly. In the Communion of the Saints, the Church Triumphant are the holy ones who walked with Christ the Way of the Cross and are today enjoying their reward in heaven. 

“But who do you say that I am?” Jesus is asking you today. If your reply includes: You are the Christ. You are the Way, the Truth and Life, then you may understand the necessity to follow Jesus Christ in His Way. 

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com 

The Feast of St Claude de la Columbiere, SJ.

Feast of St Claude de la Colombiere, SJ. 

"When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida, people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 

"He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked, “Do you see anything?” 

"Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.” 

"Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly. 

"Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.” (Mark 8: 22 - 26).

Wednesday February 15th in the 6th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Claude de la Colombiere of the Society of Jesus. (1641 - 1682). French Jesuit priest. Father Claude was a great preacher and writer. He is famous in history because he was the confessor of St Margaret Mary Alacoque, the visionary and mystic whom Jesus communicated the message of His Sacred Heart. St Margaret Mary had great challenges in making these messages accepted either in her convent or outside.

 St Claude de la Columbiere, her confessor discerned the genuineness of the revelations and lent his support in spreading the word. St Claude de la Columbiere died in 1682 at the age of 41 and was beatified in 1929 and canonized in 1992.

In our Gospel of today, Jesus healed a blind man in two steps. By faith, the friends of the blind man brought him to Jesus for healing. Just like by faith the friends of the Paralytic tore open the roof to bring him to Jesus for healing. In the two cases, Jesus saw the faith of the friends of the sick men and healed them. 

Both healing demonstrate the power of intercessionary prayer. Prayer is the most powerful gift of God to humans. Do not disdain intercessionary prayers. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful. Pray always. Pray everywhere. Pray for everything. 

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com 

The Feast of St Cyril and Methodius, great missionaries.

The Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Missionaries. 

The Holy Spirit reminds us of the wonderful things God is doing in our lives. 

"The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

"They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. 

"When Jesus became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?

"Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?” They answered him, “Twelve.” “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?” They answered him, “Seven.”

"He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” (Mark 8: 14 - 21).

Tuesday February 14th in the 6th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of two great missionaries who are brothers: Saints Cyril (+869)and Methodius

 (+885), Priest and Bishop respectively.

They evangelized parts of Europe in the 9th century, notably Moravia (present-day Czech Republic).  By faith, Saints Cyril and Methodius faced trials and persecution to bring the Good News to the Slavic nations. 

Pope John Paul II proclaimed them patron saints of Europe, along with St. Benedict, the abbot.

In our Gospel of today from Mark 8: 14 - 21, Jesus teaches us a vital lesson about how to grow our relationship with God. He sees a teaching opportunity in the disciples' total forgetfulness of recent miracles of multiplication of bread. 

If we forget the good things God is doing for us, then we could be in very shallow relationship with God. If your children forget most of the good things you do for them, they will never grow to appreciate or love you very much. 

Scripture teaches that every good thing we have and enjoy in life comes from God. It teaches too that the Holy Spirit teaches us to remember all that God is doing for us. I like this truth very much. I pray every day to the Holy Spirit to remind me of everything God has done for me during the day. I do this during the examination of conscience. I write down the main points into dated landmarks. Over time, I create a yearly timeline. 

If you want to grow in intimate relationship with God, it is your responsibility to record and remember the good things God is doing for you. 

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com 

Offer Me your best time and talent and treasure.

Offer Me your best time, talent and treasure. 

"The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.” 

"Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of the soil.

"In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil, while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock.

"The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not.

"Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen. So the Lord said to Cain: “Why are you so resentful and crestfallen? If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.”

"Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out in the field.” When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 

"Then the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He answered, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

"The Lord then said: “What have you done! Listen: your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil! Therefore you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 

"If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce. You shall become a restless wanderer on the earth.”

"Cain said to the Lord: “My punishment is too great to bear. Since you have now banished me from the soil, and I must avoid your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, any­one may kill me at sight.”

“Not so!” the Lord said to him. “If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold.” So the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight.

"Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she called Seth. “God has granted me more offspring in place of Abel,” she said, “because Cain slew him.” (Genesis 4: 1 - 15, 25).

Monday February 13th 2023 in the 6th Week of Ordinary Time. 

The story of Cain and Abel is one of the Bible stories we mastered as kids. I believe this interesting story is in every year of the 3 Year lectionary cycle. 

What is the teaching and application? 

1. There is a sowing time and a harvest time. 

2. By faith, Abel offers God the choicest of his lambs. 

3. Bring the best of your time, talent and treasure to the Lord. 

4. The Lord God owns everything. 

5. You can never outdo God in generosity. 

6. A sacrifice of Thanksgiving honors God. 

7. The Eucharist is the first and foremost of the sacrifice that honors God. 

Now that you know this, you will be blessed if you do it. 

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Choose wisdom. Choose life.

Choose life and enjoy life. 

"If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you;

"If you trust in God, you too shall live; he has set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. 

"Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.

"Immense is the wisdom of the Lord he is mighty in power, and all-seeing. 

"The eyes of God are on those who fear him; he understands man’s every deed. No one does he command to act unjustly, to none does he give license to sin." (Sirach 15: 15 - 20).

Sunday 12th February 2023 of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time. 

Our reflection on the word of the Holy Spirit for the Churches this Sunday is from the first Reading. The Book of Sirach is from the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament. The message this Sunday is simple. Seek wisdom. Find wisdom at all cost. 

Why wisdom? Because wisdom is the gift that enables you to make good choices. The opposite of wisdom is foolishness. An example is the Prodigal Son. He made bad choices. See where it landed him. 

In the Gospel, Jesus says:

"Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

It is utter folly to choose a life that is opposed to the eternal word of God. The consequences will be concrete and immediate. This is because one has chosen to live a life that is opposed to the Divine Providence of God for him. 

"If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you."

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com 

The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. 

World Day of Prayer for the Sick. 

"The LORD God called to Adam and asked him, "Where are you?"

He answered, "I heard you in the garden;

but I was afraid, because I was naked,

so I hid myself."

"Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked?

You have eaten, then,

from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!"

"The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me—

she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it."

"The LORD God then asked the woman,

"Why did you do such a thing?"

"The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it."

"Then the LORD God said to the serpent:

"Because you have done this, you shall be banned

from all the animals

and from all the wild creatures;

On your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat

all the days of your life.

"I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

He will strike at your head,

while you strike at his heel."

"To the woman he said:

"I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing;

in pain shall you bring forth children.

Yet your urge shall be for your husband,

and he shall be your master."

"To the man he said: "Because you listened to your wife

and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,

"Cursed be the ground because of you!

In toil shall you eat its yield

all the days of your life.

Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you, as you eat of the plants of the field.

By the sweat of your face

shall you get bread to eat,

Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken;

For you are dirt,

and to dirt you shall return."

"The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

"For the man and his wife the LORD God made leather garments, with which he clothed them.

"Then the LORD God said: "See! The man has become like one of us, knowing what is good and what is evil!

Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand

to take fruit from the tree of life also, and thus eat of it and live forever."

"The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken.

When he expelled the man,

he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword,

to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3: 9 - 24).

Saturday February 11th 2023 in the 5th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. This feast marks the apparitions of Our Blessed Mother Mary to St Bernadette Soubirous. It is also the World Day of Prayers for the Sick. 

Pope John Paul II instituted February 11 as the World Day of Prayer for the Sick. 

In the first Reading, the Lord said to Satan in the Garden:

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;

He will strike at your head,

while you strike at his heel."

God's intention in creation was not that humans will die of poisons and illnesses. Death was the work of the Devil.  About the Fall, our Redemption was prophesied in Genesis 3: 15.

We see the Blessed Virgin Mary literally fullfilling this prophecy in Lourdes in the feast of today. 

Lourdes in France became a place of healing. People from all nations and faith have experienced physical, spiritual and emotional healing in Lourdes. 

The Responsorial Psalm 90 expresses well our faith and gratitude. 

"In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge." We are comforted by the truth that in every change in life, God remains faithful. 

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Scholastica OSB, Virgin and Foundress.

The Feast of St Scholastica, Virgin and Foundress of a Religious Order. 

"Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the Lord God had made.

"The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” 

"The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’” 

"But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil.”

"The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

"When they heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden." (Genesis 3: 1 - 8).

Friday 10th February 2023 in the 5th Week of February  is the feast of St Scholastica, Virgin and Religious. (480 - 547). Italian. Religious nun.  She founded the Benedictine Nuns that continue to serve the Church for 1500 years. Scholastica is the twin sister of the great St Benedict. St Scholastica is the patron saint of education, convulsive children and  Benedictine Nuns.

The first Reading from Genesis 3: 1 - 8 is one of the best known Scripture in the Bible. Call it the Story of the tragic Fall. At the root of the Fall of Adam and Eve is their lack of faith in God. Eve chose to trust the words of the Serpent over the words of God. 

Every trial in life is a trial of faith. Who do you believe? God or Satan, the Father of lies. At the heart of Religion is Worship. God created us. We worship Him and show allegiance to Him. The Fall of Adam and Eve introduced a necessary and important element into Religion: Sacrifice. God is not a vengeful God. So God made Thanksgiving the very heart of Sacrifice. 

What a happy fault of Adam and Eve that brought Jesus Christ to come as our Redeemer and Savior. How fortunate we are for the faults of Adam and Eve. 

I was asked recently: What are my obstacles to faith? To trusting God completely? The powerful, merciful and mysterious Providence of God is the greatest obstacle. 

Others have answered: the obstinate evil and suffering in the world. This group may point to the category 7.8 earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria in the past couple of days. 

The Church light of the world urges us to trust in the mighty, merciful and mysterious Providence of God that governs all things. In all changes, our God remains faithful. 

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Don't be afraid to bargain with God.

"Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. 

"Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.

"He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”

"She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”

"Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone." (Mark 7: 24 - 30).

Thursday February 9th in the 5th Week of Ordinary Time. 

I like the story of the woman in today's Gospel a lot. First, we do not know her name. She is labeled as a Syrophoenician woman. Did you notice what she did when she approached Jesus? "She came and fell at his feet." Her great needs powered faith. She inwardly decided not to be discouraged by Jesus initial refusal of her request, she decided that she was determined to haggle with God. 

We can dialog, argue and haggle with God and persuade God to show His merciful love to our needs. 

Abraham, Moses and David bargained and God yielded to them. 

I come from a country where haggling for prices is a way of commerce. I am happy to haggle with God in my prayers from time to time. 

Do not be afraid to bargain with God in your prayers. Tell God: "I am asking what You promised. Give me this or in accordance with your merciful, mighty and mysterious Providence, give me 10,000 patience. Give me one or the other." Amen! 

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com