It is impossible to serve two masters.

“No one can serve two masters." (Matthew 6: 24).

Saturday of the 11th week in Ordinary. We celebrate today the feast of St Thomas More, Martyr. This principled man refused to serve two masters at the same time. Here is a short summary of his life.
"St Thomas More (1477 - 1535) was born in London and was Chancellor of King Henry VIII. As a family man, a public servant, and a writer, he displayed a rare combination of human warmth, Christian wisdom, and sense of humor." (Roman Missal).

From the CCC:
"We know that in everything God works for good for those who love him." The constant witness of the saints confirms this truth:

"St. Thomas More, shortly before his martyrdom, consoled his daughter: "Nothing can come but that that God wills. And I make me very sure that whatsoever that be, seem it never so bad in sight, it shall indeed be the best." (CCC 313).

The pagans are always tortured by these anxieties: "What are we to eat? What are we to drink? What are we to wear?" (Matthew 6: 31 - 32). Turn to God and trust in Him completely and let Him take care of everything you need.
"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil." (Matthew 6: 33 - 34).

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Your heart will follow your treasure.

"For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." (Matthew 6: 21).

Friday of the 11th week in Ordinary Time. Lord, why do you link our hearts with treasure? This is too close for comfort.

The teaching of Jesus today on treasure and the heart is good news. It is truth that can give you victory and freedom in your life:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.  But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal." (Matthew 6: 19 - 20).

During the great Depression, some people who stored up their treasures in the stock market committed suicide when the stock market crashed. These guys are surely losers in this world. May God have mercy on them in the Kingdom of God.

"I sought the Lord, and he answered me, delivered me from all my fears." (Psalm 34: 5).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Your Father knows what you need and when you need it.

"Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6: 8).

Thursday of the 11th week in Ordinary Time. Today, the Lord teaches the disciples the Great Our Father or the Lord's Prayer. Our key Scripture is from what Jesus said before He taught the Lord's Prayer: "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?" (Luke 11: 11). Even in our deep selfishness, we know the difference between a fish and a snake.
"You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free." Do you know one truth that will make you free? "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." It is the truth you understand and appropriate that will give you the victory and freedom you desire so desperately.

"Do you not yet understand? Do you not remember?" Jesus queried the disciples. Understand what Jesus is teaching us about the Father. The Father acknowledges everything He created but loves us tenderly as sons and daughters. He provides all living things with food. His plan for our life is peace and prosperity. The shortcut is: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and everything else will be given you besides." (Matthew 6: 33).

We are truly sons and daughters of God who deserves the best from God. (Romans 8: 15).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

God loves a cheerful giver.

"God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9: 7).

Wednesday of the 11th week in Ordinary Time. Our daily bible verse is from 2 Corinthians 9: 7).
"God loves a cheerful giver." Why on earth would anyone not be joyful and cheerful in giving to God and His works? Only one reason occurs to me. Not meanness. Not stinginess. But crass IGNORANCE!

Ignorance of elementary facts are dangerous. God is the source of every blessing, every gift, everything. He is the source of the food on the table from the seed, the sowing, harvesting, cooking and serving the food. God is the first cause of everything. He is the cause of the inspiration and the power to act.

Today's word continues to teach:
"Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work." (2 Corinthians 9: 8). Do you believe this? Faith is nothing more than hearing this word or reading this word of God now and believing it. I believe it with my whole heart. This is why the most joyful thing I do on every eve of the Lord's Day is writing that check for offering.

Giving to God and His Church does not only bring peace and joy to the heart but guarantees security. Taste and see that the Lord is faithful and merciful.

"Remember, the man who plants only a few seeds will not have much grain to gather. The man who plants many seeds will have much grain to gather." (2 Corinthians 9: 6 NLV).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

What do you do when life throws you a knock out punch?

"My soul, give praise to the Lord.
I will praise the Lord all my days,
make music to my God while I live." (Cf Psalm 146: 2).

Tuesday of the 11th week in Ordinary Time. What do you do when life throws you a knock out punch? David the man after God's heart is one who receives far more punches from life than anyone in the Bible. The trials did wonders to his character as the Bible predicts.

"Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1: 2 - 4).

And this one too:

"We even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance,  and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope,  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us." (Romans 5: 3 - 5).

David left us a winning formula for dealing with hard times. In one word, it is praise and thanksgiving. This is why we choose the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 146)for our reflection today.

"He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who alone made heaven and earth, the seas and all they contain.

"It is he who keeps faith for ever, who is just to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry, the Lord, who sets prisoners free.

"It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raises up those who are bowed down, the Lord, who protects the stranger and upholds the widow and orphan." (Psalm 146: 2, 5 - 9).

8 different mercies of God are listed in Psalm 146: 5 - 9. Relishing them is the way your faith grows.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Overcome evil by good.

"Offer no resistance to one who is evil." (Matthew 5: 39).

Monday of the 11th week in Ordinary Time. In the Gospel of today (Matthew 5: 38 - 42), we see Jesus transform the moral law and overlaid it with a higher code for the citizens of the Kingdom that He came to establish. How did Jesus do this? The main principles are in today's Gospel. But the practicum is in the first Reading for today (2 Corinthians 6: 1 - 10).

Before going to the first Reading, let us consider a few principles. The existence of the stubborn persistence of evil in the world is the major cause of unbelief today. When you tell people that Christ has destroyed evil, they are unbelieving because of the apparent dominance of evil everywhere. Jesus teaches that the Answer to Evil is the CROSS.
"Offer no resistance to one who is evil." (Matthew 5: 39). This Scripture verse offers us the CROSS through which we too can destroy evil. Remember "The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christianity."
Let us see the practicum from Paul's letter to the Corinthians:

"We prove we are servants of God by great fortitude in times of suffering: in times of hardship and distress; when we are flogged, or sent to prison, or mobbed; labouring, sleepless, starving. ((2 Corinthians 6: 4 - 5 & follows).

How did the early Christians overcome the most powerful empire ever designed by man? The early Christians conquered the super powerful Roman Empire through the Cross. They were crucified, thrown to wild beasts in amphitheaters all over the empire and experienced everything that Paul mentioned in the first Reading. They did not receive the grace of God in vain because God is a Promise-Maker and a Promise-Keeper.
For God says:

“In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.” (2 Corinthians 6: 2).

Those who persevere in this struggle are already saved.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Blessed Trinity is a mystery.

"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
the God who is, who was, and who is to come." (Cf Revelation 1: 8).

Sunday of the 11th week in Ordinary Time is Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so revealed our Lord Jesus Christ. So believes all who call themselves Christians and are baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

How do we go about describing the God who is One in Three and at the same time the most perfect Unity. I would rather trust what the Church teaches:

"The Trinity is a mystery of faith in the strict sense, one of the "mysteries that are hidden in God, which can never be known unless they are revealed by God". To be sure, God has left traces of his Trinitarian being in his work of creation and in his Revelation throughout the Old Testament. But his inmost Being as Holy Trinity is a mystery that is inaccessible to reason alone or even to Israel's faith before the Incarnation of God's Son and the sending of the Holy Spirit." (CCC 237).

"Blest be God the Father,
and the Only Begotten Son of God,
and also the Holy Spirit,
for he has shown us his merciful love." (Entrance Antiphon).

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Become a new creation.

"So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Corinthians 5: 17).

Saturday of the 10th week in Ordinary Time. We can be "a new creation" or remain the old creature. But we can not be both. This is the word to live by for today.

Brethren, how do we become a new creation? What does the Scriptures say? Listen:
That old self corrupted by worldly and deceitful ideas must be discarded. Then you must allow the daily consumption of the word of God to reshape and renew your thoughts, words and actions. When this is accomplished, you will no longer conform to the sinful patterns of this world. Your desires will be transformed. Your friends will say: "What happened to you? You are different." You will smile and bear witness to the power of the name of Jesus. (Cf Romans 12: 2, Ephesians 4: 22 - 23. Etc)

It is all God's work. (Cf 2 Corinthians 5: 14 - 31).

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We hold fragile genuine riches in clay vessels.

"But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us." (2 Corinthians 4: 7).

Friday of the 10th week in Ordinary Time. Treasure in earthen vessel? We are the vessels. What treasure are we holding? Much genuine treasures:

#1 The Holy Spirit
#2 The Eucharist
#3 The Gift of Reconciliation
#4 The word of God
#5 Faith

All these and many more give us extraordinary power to be used by God for ministry. Let us consider our weaknesses as earthen vessels:

#1 Physical
#2 Spiritual
#3 Mental
#4 Moral

No government, company or business can entrust its critical resources and assets to the baggage that we present to God. Yet what happens? The The Father embraces us "so that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us."

Consider some extraordinary people God used in our days:
#1 Mother St Teresa of Kolkata.
#2 St John Paul II.
Like the Blessed Virgin Mary, they said YES to God and the rest is history.

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I shall not be discouraged in the wonderful ministry God gave me through His mercy.

"Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy shown us, we are not discouraged." (2 Corinthians 4: 1).

Thursday of the 10th week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church. St Anthony of Padua (1195 to 1231) was a Franciscan friar who was filled with the Holy Spirit and faith and was never discouraged by setbacks in the ministry the Lord entrusted him. His preaching ministry took him from North Africa to Italy and France. He is known as the Evangelical Doctor because he based all his teaching and preaching on the Gospel.

St Anthony is renowned also as a ready helper in difficult cases. Some years ago, Microsoft seized one of my important email addresses. I did everything to get it back but no success. Then I had the inspiration to pray to St Anthony of Padua and within a few hours got back the email address.

St Anthony believed that God in His mercy gave him a wonderful ministry of spreading His Good News to others and discouragement is not an option. Today's key Scripture inspires me to believe the same.

St Anthony of Padua pray for us.

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Not many of us should become teachers.

"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." (Matthew 5: 19).

Wednesday of the 10th week in Ordinary Time. Call the message from our Master and Teacher today "a double-edged sword." Teacher beware! You teach not only by what you say. Every action of yours is closely scrutinized. I have heard people talk about teachers and preachers in these terms: "He is real. He is not real."

How do you react with this kind of warning from St James?
"Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you realize that we will be judged more strictly, for we all fall short in many respects. If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body also." (James 3: 1 - 2).

Are you concerned or discouraged by the warnings? No need to.  We take consolation from the promise of the Spirit:
"Live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh......  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: 16, 22-23).

We are not qualified to take credit for anything in our ministry. Our qualification comes from God,  who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant by giving us the Holy Spirit. (Cf 2 Corinthians 3: 4 - 6).

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This man encourages us to remain faithful to Jesus.

"When he [Barnabas] arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,  for he was a good man, filled with the holy Spirit and faith." (Acts 11: 23 - 24).

Tuesday of the 10th week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Barnabas the Apostle. Barnabas introduced St Paul to the other Apostle in Jerusalem and later did missionary work with Paul.

Barnabas' special gift of the Holy Spirit is encouraging the brethren. The gift of encouragement is sorely needed in the Church today. Without encouragement, many people will give up fruitful ministry at the first setback.

Who is the Barnabas in your life? Who are you encouraging to remain faithful to Jesus in firmness of heart? How do you encourage? You encourage as the Lord encourages you. (Cf 2 Corinthians 1: 3 - 4). You can encourage with words via text messages, emails, letters. You can pray for the servant of God regularly. You can offer financial help. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance on how you can become an encourager of the brethren.

"I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
But I have called you friends,
because I have told you
everything I have heard from my Father." (John 15: 15).

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New Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church.

"The disciples devoted themselves with one accord to prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus." (Cf Acts 1: 14).
 
Today is Monday of the 10th week in Ordinary Time. Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church, a brand new feast "instituted by Pope Francis on February 11, 2018 — the 160th anniversary of the apparition of Mary at Lourdes."

“Behold, your son.... Behold, your mother.” (Cf John 19: 26 - 27).

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the only human being that witnessed all the mysteries of our salvation from Conception to Death of Jesus to the Birth of the Church on Pentecost Sunday. Is this an accident or mere coincidence?

O God, Father of mercies, Your Only Begotten Son, as he hung upon the Cross, chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, his Mother, to be our Mother also; grant with the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary that Your Church will grow to embrace all people. (Cf Collect of the feast).

"Happy are you, holy Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise,
for from you arose the sun of justice, Christ our God." (Gospel Acclamation).

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Father send Your Spirit into our lives with the power of a mighty wind.

"They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke of the marvels of God." (Acts 2: 4, 11).

Pentecost Sunday 2019. The Birthday 🎂 of the Church. Happy Birthday our dear Mother and Teacher!

"The mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church, which is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. This joint mission henceforth brings Christ's faithful to share in his communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit prepares men and goes out to them with his grace, in order to draw them to Christ. (CCC 737).

"Father of light, from whom every good gift comes, send your Spirit into our lives with the power of a mighty wind, and by the flame of your wisdom open the horizons of our minds. Loosen our tongues to sing praises your in words beyond the power of speech, for without your Spirit man could never raise his voice in words of peace or announce the truth that Jesus is Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." (Pentecost Collect).

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The sweet Providence of Jesus provided for Paul in Rome.

"He [Paul] remained for two full years in his lodgings. He received all who came to him, and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 28: 30 - 31).

Saturday of the 7th week of Easter. The end of the Easter Season. Sunday is Solemnity of Pentecost. Paul has now arrived in Rome after a scary sea voyage. He will be tried by the Emperor. Our Scripture text today is the very last verses of the Acts of the Apostles. What strikes you in this Scripture? It is a happy ending for Paul and consolation for us.
Although Paul was under house arrest, he was allowed to remain in his own lodgings. He was free to receive whomever he wished.
"And with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."

What a happy set of circumstances! Is this situation accident, luck or just a happy break for Paul? It is the providence of Jesus that arranged these circumstances for Paul. Why? In order to encourage Paul and every disciple of Jesus that the Lord is faithful. He will always be with us in every situation.

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Bless the Lord my soul.

"Bless the Lord, my soul; and do not forget all his gifts." (Psalm 103: 2).

Friday of the 7th week of Easter is also the First Friday of June. Our reflection today is taken from the Responsorial Psalm 103, verse 2. This Psalm is titled the Psalm of David and is in praise of divine goodness. David, the "man after God's heart" gives us the secret of enduring loving relationship with God: Thanksgiving and Praise.

David remembers every one of God's favors to him and frequently composes psalms to celebrate new favors. For example, he lists particular favors below:
"Who pardons all your sins, and heals all your ills,
Who redeems your life from the pit, and crowns you with mercy and compassion,
Who fills your days with good things, so your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." (Psalm 103: 3 - 5).

Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. We have the opportunity for a special renewal by the Holy Spirit. All we need is the desire and asking for it. David had a great boost of the Holy Spirit after he was anointed by the Prophet Samuel. When the Holy Spirit is established in us, remembering God's gifts will be automatic. The Holy Spirit will constantly remind us of these gifts.

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Honor Jesus in the First Friday of June 2019.

June 7th First Friday in June 2019.

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 6th month of the year 2019, we look at Promise #6.

#6.  "Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy."

June is the Month the Church honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

"O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and life-giving fountain of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, and glowing furnace of love, You are my sanctuary.  O adorable and glorious Savior, consume my heart with that burning fire that ever inflames Your Heart.
Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your Love.  Let my heart be one with, and in all things conformed to, Yours. May Your Will be the rule of both my desires and my actions. Amen."  (St Alphonsus Ligouri, Bishop and Doctor of the Church).

"Jesus has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation, "is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that. . . love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings" without exception."  (CCC 478).

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

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

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

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Where is your Jerusalem?

“Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.” (Acts 23: 11).

Thursday of the 7th week of Easter.
Paul was under voluntary house arrest when Jesus appeared to him at night and promoted him in his ministry. "I am happy with the work you have done in Jerusalem. I here and now promote you to go up to Rome."

Where is your Jerusalem? How do you account for your stewardship? Remember the commission? We are to bear witness to 4 things:

#1 The Death of Jesus.
#2 Testimony of Scripture to the suffering and death of Jesus: (Luke 24: 44 - 46).
#3 The Resurrection of Jesus.
#4 The power of the Name of Jesus.

Are you ready for the New Pentecost?

Eternal Father, prepare us for the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Let Your Spirit come upon us with the power to fill us with His gifts and make us always willing to embrace Your gracious will every moment of our lives. Amen.

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Lord, prepare us for spiritual warfare.

"Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the church of God that he acquired with his own blood." (Acts 20: 28).

Wednesday of the 7th week of Easter. The above Scripture fits the life and mission of St Boniface (680 - 754), the Apostle to Germany whose feast the Church celebrates today. Born in England and sent to evangelize Germany, he was consecrated to the truth as the first Bishop of Germany. Boniface was martyred by the natives. The people who martyred him did not know that the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church. The German Church flourished to the benefit of Christianity.

What did Jesus mean when He prayed for us:  "Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth." He prayed that our minds will remember and understand the wonderful truth He came to teach us. Baptism of the Holy Spirit brings us the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. It is also preparation for spiritual warfare. Do you not yet understand? Do you not remember that you too must suffer before you come to everlasting life?

But do not be afraid. Jesus our Captain and Leader has gone there before us and He tells us: "Have courage. I have overcome the world." St Boniface too overcame the world. He is honored all over the world on his feast day.

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T'is not from chance our comfort springs.

"The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of all I have told you." (John 14: 26).

Tuesday of the 7th week of Easter. There are 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit. There are 12 fruits of the same awesome Spirit. When I became acquainted with the Holy Spirit and began to appreciate Him more and more, what I appreciated most is the subject of our Scripture reflection: The Holy Spirit helps me to understand the Scriptures that I have appropriated and secondly, the Holy Spirit reminds me of the good things God is doing for me. It is impossible to offer praises and thanks if you do not know what God is doing for you. I thank the Holy Spirit every morning for this wonderful gifts.

Consider for a moment what God is doing for you:

"The child of God can fear no ill,
His chosen, dread no foe;
We leave our fate with thee, and wait Thy bidding when to go.
‘Tis not from chance our comfort springs, Thou art our trust, O King of kings." (Liturgy of the Hours).

What does this mean? Not even a single comfort you enjoy in life comes from chance, luck or accident. Every good thing that comes to you is from God's gracious ordaining. We find exactly the same idea in 2 Corinthians 1: 3 where God is called "Father of mercies and God of ALL comforts."
Did you notice the word ALL. It means TODO, no exception. It is impossible for you to know all these without the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

On Sunday the 9th of June, as we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, each of us has the opportunity to be renewed with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

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