Feast of the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus.

"The shepherds went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger."  (Luke 2: 16).

Today is the Feast of the Holy Family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus.  The Holy Family of Nazareth besides sharing their joys, hopes, griefs and the anxieties of daily living shared those of their neighbors.

Nobody can pretend that marriage and family life is easy. It is particularly under great stress today.  The Church points to many successful and happy families among her children. Let us consider a few of the habits of these families:

1. Prayer  (Absolute Necessity, Fountain of grace and mercy).
2. Word of God (God’s Manual). Source of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Secret of the saints.
3.  Eucharist (Bread of life & Food for the Journey)
4.  Sacrament of Reconciliation (Medicine for the Journey).  Add some self-denial.
5.  Examen (Look at your soul in the spiritual mirror at the end of the day).
6.  Spiritual Reading (GPS). When you pray, you talk to God. When you read, God talks to you.
7.   Ministry (Sharing your gifts & making them more abundant).
8.  A family that prays together stays together.

Prayer for a balanced family life: 
"Grant our family Lord, the gift of balance,  the grace of due proportion. May we pray when it is time to pray, work when it is time to work, laugh when it is time to laugh.  May our lives be whole, 
and wholly given to you."  Amen.

SeekFirstcommunity.com

Consider making Jesus first in everything as your New Year Resolution.

"Do not love the world or the things of the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world.  Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever." (1 John 2: 15 - 17).

On the 6th Day in the Octave of Christmas, the Holy Spirit gives the Church a chilling warning as we hasten to make plans and New Year resolutions for 2018.

Simply put:
Whoever does not seek the Kingdom of God above all else and adopt Jesus' way of doing and being righteous and His whole character does not have the love of the Father in his heart. (Cf Matthew 6: 33).

"For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]."  (John 1: 16 AMP).

SeekFirstcommunity.com

This Child is destined to be a sign of contradiction.

"Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted  (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”  (Luke 2:  34 - 35).

The above incident is one of the Infancy Narrative to feature Joseph and Mary.  Let us reflect on two other Bible incidents involving Mary :

"Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus."  (Luke 1:  30 - 31).

"Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"  (Luke 1: 41 - 43).

Simeon predicted that Jesus would be a sign of contradiction.  Jesus Himself said that families will be divided on account of Him. (Luke 12: 53; Matthew 10: 37). Mary shares the fate of His Son. Mary's blessedness has been challenged throughout history. Many Christians believe that Mary is the obstacle to Church unity.  Consider for a moment this prophecy:

"Then the Lord God said to the snake:.... .. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;
They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel."  (Genesis 3:  14-15).

The above passage has been interpreted since the early Church as the Proto-Gospel, predicting battles to be waged between Jesus and the Satanic Kingdom.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life."  (John 3: 16).

SeekFirstcommunity.com

There are still many dark sides to ourselves.

"Beloved:  Now this is the message that we have heard from him and proclaim to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all."  (1 John 1: 5 RM).

God is absolute light in whom there is no shadow of darkness.  But we Christians are not light. There are still many dark sides to ourselves.
Therefore, we need discernment of spirits to help us know when the good spirit is at work in us and when the dark spirit is in control. Whatever brings fear, worry or doubt in you is not from the Father of Light.

"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).

The spirit that causes such behaviors as above causes sadness, depression, fear, worry and doubts.

"In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."  (Galatians 5: 22 - 23).

Beloved, learn to discern the spirit at work in you in all things, always and everywhere.

"Almighty God, your incarnate Word fills us with the new light he brought to men. Let the light of faith in our hearts shine through all that we do and say. 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." (Prayer, Vespers Thursday in the Octave of Christmas). 

SeekFirstcommunity.com

John saw, heard and touched. He was therefore an eye witness.

"What we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us;
for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ."  (1 John 1: 3).

Today is the Feast of of St John the Divine, Apostle and Evangelist.

What is the Bible, Sacred Scripture all about?  REVELATION! God the Father revealed His eternal love for mankind through His Beloved Son, Jesus the Christ.  No human messenger captured this truth as did St John, the author of the 4th Gospel, the Book of Revelation and 3 epistles.  St John's account of his Jesus experience is eye witness.
He saw. He heard. He touched. He then bore witness.  His witness which is faithful and credible have unlocked for us the secrets of the Word of God.

Father, grant that we may grasp with proper understanding what John so marvelously brought to us.

SeekFirstcommunity.com

Prayer of St Francis de Sales

My yoke is tailored precisely for you.

Prayer of Blessed John Henry Newman

Blessed John Henry Newman had a great belief in Divine Providence.

Stephen trusted the promise of Jesus on the Holy Spirit.

"Now Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people.  Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedman...... came forward and debated with Stephen,  but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke."  (Acts 6:  8 - 10).

The Church celebrates today the feast of St Stephen, the 1st Martyr of the Christian Faith.  Coming right after the joys and festivities of Christmas jolts us into the true meaning of the Christ Event.  Joys and sorrows will be mixed in our Journey of Faith.

In this reflection, we shall dwell on one fulfilled promise of Jesus Christ during His public ministry.

"When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say.  For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."  (Matthew 10: 19-20).

The Holy Spirit is called the Voice that speaks in court.  If you trust Him, all is well.  All manner of things will be well.  Jesus Christ has given us His unfailing words:
"Fear is useless; what is needed is trust."  Luke 8:50, Mark 5:36).
Stephen trusted the Holy Spirit.

SeekFirstcommunity.com

Happy Birthday 🎂 Jesus!

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God is with us” (Matthew 1:23)

Jesus, Our Emmanuel is born tonight.  If God is with us  and for us, who can be against us?  What can we not accomplish through His immense power?

Rejoice O Christians because Jesus Our Savior has come to save us.

Happy Birthday 🎂 Jesus! We the redeemed love you so much.

Merry Christmas family.  Peace and joy and mercy to you all and to all men of good will.

SeekFirstcommunity.com

Who is this Child?

"You have found favor with God."  (Luke 1: 30).

Today is the 4th Sunday of Advent.  It is also Christmas Eve and the end of the Advent Season.  Christmas Season begins tonight.

The Archangel Gabriel told Mary:  "You have found favor with God."  (Luke 1: 30).  I hope you too have found favor with God after 4 weeks of preparation for this great feast.

During the Advent Season, we met the following Bible characters and hopefully learned a few things from them:
Mary, the Virgin Mother of Jesus.
Joseph, the silent, faithful and obedient husband of Mary.
St John the Baptist, the single-minded, humble and courageous precursor of Jesus the Messiah.
Isaiah the prophet, who prophesied about the Messiah as no other prophet did.

The time of waiting is now over. As we welcome the Christ Child at Midnight Sunday, let us rejoice and be convinced that our God has truly come to save us and that He is indeed Emmanuel, the God who is with us.

SeekFirstcommunity.com

When Jesus knocks at the door of your heart on Christmas day, what will be your response.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me."  (Revelation 3: 20).

These are the words of Jesus to John in a vision in the Book of Revelation.  What do you think of these incredible words?  What is your response?

In a few days, we celebrate Christmas.  Jesus will be standing at the door of your heart begging you to let Him in.  Decide in advance how to respond.

"O King of all nations and keystone of the Church; come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!" (Gospel Acclamation, Saturday before Christmas).

SeekFirstcommunity.com

Hannah prayed for a son and the Lord gave her Samuel.

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him."  (1 Samuel 1: 27).

This is the testimony of Hannah, the mother of Samuel to the high priest Eli.  Hannah is one of my favorite Bible characters. Why?
Hannah believes in prayer.
She believes in miracle.
She has an incredible spirit of gratitude.

Let us relish her hymn of gratitude to God:

“My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory.”

“The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.”

“The LORD puts to death and gives life he casts down to the nether world; he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts.”

“He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage.”  (1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8).

Everything you need to affirm you, to give you the consolation of the truth from the Scriptures is here in the hymn of Hannah.

"O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!"  (Gospel Acclamation, Friday 3rd Week of Advent).

SeekFirstcommunity.com

How do you handle the inspiration and ideas dropped into your mind by the Holy Spirit?

"Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”  (Luke 1: 45).

Mary could have disbelieved the message of the Archangel Gabriel. But she chose to believe.  And for this, Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit pronounced her blessed.

Whenever God wants to do a big thing in my life, the first thing He does is give me the faith to believe that the project can be done.

As a high school teacher, I suddenly conceived an idea to go to London to do graduate studies. I had no scholarship nor money.  But mysteriously, I believed I could do it. The mission was accomplished.

At one time, I had the desire to buy a land and build a home in the city I was living.  Again I had no money but mysteriously believed it was possible.  To make a long story short, the project was accomplished on time.

Make no mistake about it.  Both the inspiration and power came from God. I did not know it at the time. But I knew it was not the power of positive thinking.

Scripture pronounces blessed he who believes that what was spoken to him by the Lord would be fulfilled.

How about you?  How many inspirations and ideas have you lost through unbelief?   Ask the Lord to give you the gift of Faith.

"O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law: come to save us, Lord our God!" (Gospel Acclamation, Thursday 3rd Week in Advent). 

SeekFirstcommunity.com

Mary prepared herself through Prayer and Scripture to receive the message of God.

"Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favor! The Lord is with you!" (Luke 1:28)

The Angel Gabriel also said to Mary:

+ Mary, do not be afraid, you have won God's favor.

+ The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow.

+ For God's promises can never fail.

Mary answered:

+ You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.

I like very much the reminder that God's promises never fail. Here are a few other instances of this word:

+  With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19: 26, Mark 10: 27)

+  What is impossible for man is possible for God (Luke 18: 27)

+  With God nothing is impossible (Luke 1: 37)

+  Nothing will be impossible for them (Genesis 11: 6)

+  Nothing will be impossible for you (Matthew 17: 20)

+  I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4: 13)

"O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!"  (Gospel Acclamation, Wednesday 3rd Week of Advent).

SeekFirstcommunity.com

Abba Father, remove our barrenness.

"But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years."  (Luke 1: 7)

"There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no children."  (Judges 13: 2 - 3).

Barrenness is the theme the Holy Spirit appears to give the Church today to chew and digest in this Tuesday of the final Week in Advent.  The scriptures come from Judges 13: 2-7, 24-25 and Luke 1: 5-25.  

I sense the Lord asking me: "What fruits have you produced for my Kingdom?" Tough question.

Are you also barren in an area that matters most in life?  What God did for Zechariah and Elizabeth and Manoah and his wife, God can do for you and for me.  Let us pray to God to open our hearts in faith.

Abba Father, in Your mercy, take away all barrenness and bitterness from our hearts and make us fruitful so that we can glorify Your Name.  Amen.

"O root of Jesse’s stem,
sign of God’s love for all his people:
Come to save us without delay!"  (Gospel Acclamation for Today).

SeekFirstcommunity.com

Lord Jesus, prepare our hearts to experience Your presence this Christmas.

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.” (Matthew 1: 23).

But Jesus is also God in us and God for us. 

At a moment of great crisis many years ago, I was inspired to read Exodus 14: 13-14.  I did and realized that God was with me.  I became calm and peaceful convinced that God would help me.  God is the Unseen Actor.  He wanted me to be a spectator.  I overcame my fears and triumphed in the crisis. Just as I experienced Emmanuel on that unforgettable occasion, you too can experience Him anytime you wish.  How?

You can experience Emmanuel when you receive the Eucharist or  when you sit quietly before the Blessed Sacrament and exercise your faith in His promise.  You can experience Jesus when you pray or when you read the word.  Again it is very important to consciously affirm your trust in the promise He made to be always with you.
We can experience God when we read devout books.  When you pray, you speak to God.  When you read, God speaks to you.  (St Vincent de Paul). 

How awesome it will be for you and me to know with certainty that  Jesus, God-with-us is indeed with us. 

Consider for a moment what this will mean for you.  Awareness of His mysterious presence conquers fear, worry and doubts.
 If Jesus is with you, then all is well; all is accomplished.

"Father, help us to keep in mind that Christ our Savior lives with you in glory and promised to be with us until the end of time….." (Collect  in the 7th Sunday of Easter).

"O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!"  (Gospel Acclamation, Monday 3rd Week of Advent).

SeekFirstcommunity.com

Rejoice, Pray and Give Thanks Always, Everywhere in Everything.

"Rejoice always.  Pray without ceasing.  In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."  (1 Thessalonians 5: 16 - 18).

Third Sunday in Advent.  Gaudate Sunday.  The Scriptures urge us to overflow with joy because Christ Jesus our Lord is almost here.

Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5 gives us three things to do Always:
#1.  Rejoice.
#2.  Pray.
#3.  Thank.

These three things are Key to the mystery of the Christian life.  Why rejoice, pray and be thankful always, everywhere and in everything?

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."  (Romans 8: 28 NLT).

What do you say to that? "God is in control" is not just a mere platitude but a profound theology.

Now let us listen to the Elder who lived and walked with Jesus for three years and paid the full cost of Discipleship:

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."  (James 1: 2 - 4).

"Say to the fearful of heart:
Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God, he comes with vindication;
With divine recompense he comes to save you."  (Isaiah 35: 4).

SeekFirstcommunity.com

Behold the Lord is coming in splendor to visit His people with peace.

 “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;  but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased."  (Matthew 17: 11 - 12).

Elijah the great prophet came back in the persona of John the Baptist to prepare the way of the Lord, to make straight His paths and people did not recognize the hour or the opportunity.  Although he appeared like a fire whose words were as a flaming furnace, yet people took little notice. The noise in the world was too loud and impenetrable for the message of salvation.

This is Advent, less than ten days to Christmas. Arise from your sleep.  Do not allow Christmas shopping and any other frenzied activities to obscure the true meaning of the Season.

The Lord is surely coming in splendor to visit His people. Prepare to welcome Him.

SeekFirstcommunity.com

Who can please the world?

“To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,  ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn."  (Matthew 11:  16 - 17).

Who can please the world? Nobody.  Stop trying.  It is far easier to please God than to please the world.  God looks at your heart and your goodwill and makes excuses for your weakness.  The world is capricious and erratic and expects you to be a winner 100% of the time for 100% of the people.  Impossible you would say.  So, what do you do?  Aim at pleasing God.  It is easier and less complicated.  At least you have a Manual (Bible) to check what God wants of you.

"To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul,
my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be disgraced;
do not let my enemies gloat over me. No one is disgraced who waits for you, but only those who are treacherous without cause."  (Psalm 25: 1 - 3)

SeekFirstcommunity.com

Fear, worry and doubts are not from God.

I will help you, says the Lord your God.

"For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.  Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel."   (Isaiah 41:13-14 NIV)

Fear, worry and doubts are not from God.  God Never Fails!
"Fear is useless; what is needed is trust."  (Luke  8: 50).

"Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, "God has lost track of me.  He doesn't care what happens to me"? Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?"

"God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath.  And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired,  gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind." 
(Isaiah 40:27 -  31  MSG)

Wait on God’s answer;  wait for His help.

SeekFirstcommunity.com