The Israelites learn of their sacred history and Divine Providence from Joshua.

JOSHUA recounts the Sacred History and Divine Providence in the life of Israel. 

"Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leaders, their judges and their officers. When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people: 

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: In times past your fathers, down to Terah, father of Abraham and Nahor, dwelt beyond the River and served other gods.

"But I brought your father Abraham from the region beyond the River and led him through the entire land of Canaan.

"I made his descendants numerous, and gave him Isaac. To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned the mountain region of Seir in which to settle, while Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.

“Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and smote Egypt with the prodigies which I wrought in her midst. 

"Afterward I led you out of Egypt, and when you reached the sea, the Egyptians pursued your fathers to the Red Sea with chariots and horsemen.

"Because they cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between your people and the Egyptians, upon whom he brought the sea so that it engulfed them.

"After you witnessed what I did to Egypt, and dwelt a long time in the desert, I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I delivered them into your power. You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them, the two kings of the Amorites, before you. 

"Then Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, prepared to war against Israel. He summoned Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you; but I would not listen to Balaam. On the contrary, he had to bless you, and I saved you from him.

"Once you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, but I delivered them also into your power. 

"And I sent the hornets ahead of you that drove them (the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites) out of your way; it was not your sword or your bow.

“I gave you a land which you had not tilled and cities which you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.” (Joshua 24: 1 - 13).

Friday August 18th 2023 in the 19th Week of Ordinary Time.

Our key Scripture for today is from Joshua 24: 1 - 13.

Call this Scripture: The Sacred History of Israel and the working of Divine Providence in the People chosen by God to be His family.

What is Divine Providence?

It is the Plan, Purpose, Design, Blueprint in the mind of God for a people or an individual. This Plan or Purpose was not conceived Yesterday.  This Design or Blueprint has been in the mind of God from Eternity.

"LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago."

 (Isaiah 25: 1 NIV).

God chose and called Abraham to be the Father of the Chosen People. From Abraham, Joshua traced the history to the conquest of the Promised Land.

Do you have a family history? Do you have a personal history of God's dealings in your life, containing the landmarks, Ups and Downs? Do you have a personal diary, a journal recording important events in your life?

Today's first Reading is to challenge us to review our sacred history of God's Providence in our lives. You will be amazed to discover events similar to the following:

“Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and smote Egypt with the prodigies which I wrought in her midst...

"Because they cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between your people and the Egyptians, upon whom he brought the sea so that it engulfed them.... 

"Once you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, but I delivered them also into your power.... 

FINALLY NOTE:

"I gave you a land which you had not tilled and cities which you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.”

From the beginning of the Journey to the End, God's mighty, merciful and mysterious Providence watched over the people to do them good. 

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

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Pray for all those you offend to forgive you.

Pray for all those you offend and you will be a Forgiver. 

"Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?”

"Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.

"That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants.

"When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. 

"At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’

"Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. 

"When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’

"Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt.

"Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. 

"His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’

"Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. 

"So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”

"When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan." (Matthew 18: 21 - 19: 1).

Thursday August 17th 2023 in the 19th Week of Ordinary Time.

Why did Jesus conclude the teaching on Our Father, the Lord's Prayer by stating unequivocally a precondition for the forgiveness of our sins and reconciliation with the Father? 

This is obviously an important theme for Jesus because He taught it again in today's Gospel in Matthew 18:21–35, which concluded thus: "Then in anger his master handed him [the unforgiving servant] over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”

Reconciliation is crucial to enjoying the privileges of filial adoption. A girl who ran away from home and lived a lawless life for a couple of years may be hesitant as she approaches home. The prodigal son understands that there are consequences to vagrancy and knows the importance of Reconciliation.

Many people claim that forgiveness of the other person is hard. Really? 

Lessons that help forgiveness:

#1. Forgive at once.

#2. Forgive everyone without discrimination.

#3. Forgive always.

#4. Forgive everywhere.

#5. "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." Forgive everyone. This step is modeled for us from the Cross.  Jesus forgave in real time those who were killing Him. He did not wait until Easter Sunday when He rose from the dead to forgive.

#6.  Pray everyday for all those whom you have offended, known or unknown to forgive you and set you free.

Jesus Christ invites us to a life of continual conversion so that we can pray Our Father (the Lord's Prayer) with confidence.

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

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Stephen of Hungary.

Feast of St Stephen of Hungary. 

"Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the headland of Pisgah which faces Jericho, and the Lord showed him all the land—Gilead, and as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, the circuit of the Jordan with the lowlands at Jericho, city of palms, and as far as Zoar.

"The Lord then said to him, “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that I would give to their descendants. I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you shall not cross over.”

"So there, in the land of Moab, Moses, the servant of the Lord, died as the Lord had said; and he was buried in the ravine opposite Beth-peor in the land of Moab, but to this day no one knows the place of his burial.

"Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated.

"For thirty days the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab, till they had completed the period of grief and mourning for Moses.

"Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom, since Moses had laid his hands upon him; and so the children of Israel gave him their obedience, thus carrying out the Lord’s command to Moses.

"Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He had no equal in all the signs and wonders the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and against all his land, and for the might and the terrifying power that Moses exhibited in the sight of all Israel."

 (Deuteronomy 34: 1 - 12).

Wednesday 16th August 2023 in the 19th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Stephen of Hungary. 

St Stephen of Hungary was born in 969 and died on August 15th 1038). Monarch.

St Stephen was crowned king of Hungary on Christmas day 1001 by Emperor Otto III by the permission of Pope Sylvester II. 

 

Stephen earned his greatness in Christian history by founding monasteries and organizing dioceses thereby transforming Hungary into a Christian nation. St Stephen and his wife Blessed Gisela were the parents of St. Emeric.

St Stephen is the patron saint of: Hungary, kings, bricklayers and masons.

Our key Scripture is from the first Reading: Deuteronomy 34: 1 - 12. This reading brings to a conclusion the epic story of Moses which was started in Exodus 1.

We recap what we learned about this towering figure of the Bible below:

Moses the humble shepherd of the priest of Madian is chosen, called and anointed as the man who will lead Israel out of Egypt, receive The Ten Commandments from God and deliver it to the People. 

God choose the people the world consider absurd to serve Him in high office. 

Consider the profile of Moses at Exodus 1:

• 80 years humble Shepherd. 

• Possible speech impediment. 

• Fugitive from the criminal justice system of powerful Egypt. 

Why did God choose such a man?

Because this is who God is and how He works. God choose people despised by this world and promote them to do great things. Call it the mystery of Divine Providence. 

In the Magnificat, Mary reveals the divine template when it comes to the Choice, the Call and the Anointing of His collaborators:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.

The Mighty One has done great thingsfor me, and holy is his name." (Luke 1: 46 - 49).

This template of Choice, Call and Anointing applies to the Patriarchs: (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) David, Mary, John the Baptist, etc. 

At the end of the life of Moses, God said to His best friend Moses:

“This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that I would give to their descendants. I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you shall not cross over.”

Call this the mystery of Divine Providence. 

Here is the great Epitaph to Moses from the Holy Bible:

"Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He had no equal in all the signs and wonders the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and against all his land, and for the might and the terrifying power that Moses exhibited in the sight of all Israel." (Cf Deuteronomy 34: 1 - 12).

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

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

Happy Feast of your Assumption into Heaven O Blessed Virgin Mother! 

"Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order:

"Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereign­ty and every authority and power. 

"For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for “he subjected everything under his feet." (1 Corinthians 15: 20 – 27)

Tuesday 15th August 2023 of the  19th Week in Ordinary Time is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Just as in  the Transfiguration of Jesus, Mary's Son confirms our hope of transformation at the general Resurrection, the Assumption of Mary reveals our hope and destiny.

In heaven, there is a hierarchy of merits. There is also a "proper order" (Order of glory) in the resurrection of the body:

1st. Christ

2nd. Mary

3rd. Then at the end of time, everyone who belongs to Christ.

It is God's plan and wisdom that Mary will be raised body and soul into heaven before the general resurrection of the body. This is an ancient belief of the Church. The Church made this teaching a doctrine of faith on 1st November 1950. Pope Pius XII in an Apostolic Constitution defined the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven.  As it is bound on earth, so it is in heaven.

The Assumption of Mary fulfilled one of the prayer intentions of Jesus in the Last Supper:

"Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world." (John 17: 24).

The Blessed Virgin Mary is primus inter pares, ie first among equals in the order of privileges.  Mary our Mother goes before us. Where she is, there shall we be.

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

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of St Maximilian Kolbe, OFM.

FEAST OF ST MAXIMILIAN KOLBE, OFM 

"Moses said to the people:

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you but to fear the Lord, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord which I enjoin on you today for your own good?

"Think! The heavens, even the highest heavens, belong to the Lord, your God, as well as the earth and everything on it. 

"Yet in his love for your fathers the Lord was so attached to them as to choose you, their descendants, in preference to all other peoples, as indeed he has now done. 

Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiff-necked.

"For the Lord, your God, is the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes; who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him. 

"So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.

"The Lord, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve; hold fast to him and swear by his name. He is your glory, he, your God, who has done for you those great and terrible things which your own eyes have seen. 

"Your ancestors went down to Egypt seventy strong, and now the Lord, your God, has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.” (Deuteronomy 10: 12 - 22).

Monday 14th August 2023 in the 19th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Maximilian Kolbe, OFM.

 (1894 - 1941), Polish. Priest and Martyr. 

Maximilian is known for his profound love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. He founded the "City of the Immaculate." (Immaculata). An avid evangelizer, he used the press and the written word to propagate the Gospel. He was a missionary in Japan. Arrested by the Gestapo in Poland, Kolbe was sent to Auschwitz. St Maximilian took the place of a young father who was condemned for execution by the Gestapo. St Maximilian exhibited a greater love for his co-prisoner who cried about his wife and children who would miss him. The Gestapo executed St Maximilian Kolbe and made him a martyr.

Our key Scripture is from the first Reading Deuteronomy 10: 12 - 22. This love letter of the word of God to His Elect and Children deserves to be read line by line several times. 

What captured my heart is the first paragraph below:

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you but to fear the Lord, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord which I enjoin on you today for your own good?"

The Bible teaches that the FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE KEY TO WISDOM. It is also the Key to all the conceivable Promises of God in the Bible.

The FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE 7TH of the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Since I got the above LIGHT a couple of weeks ago, I have been praying earnestly for the FEAR OF THE LORD to the Holy Spirit. I desire everything promised to those who fear the Lord.

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

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com