The Just man shall live by faith.

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall ­conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel." (Isaiah 7: 14)

Sunday of the 4th week of Advent. Ahaz, King of Judah and the anti-hero of today's Scripture Readings refused to ask for a sign from God. God wanted to help his beleaguered nation from certain crushing defeat. The sign was to encourage Ahaz to believe that God meant business.

Who is the hero of today's Scriptures?
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1: 20 - 21).

The anti-hero, Ahaz is governed by pride and selfishness. The hero, Joseph is ruled by the spirit of faith and obedience. He is the Just man of Habakkuk: "The just one who is righteous because of faith shall live." (Habakkuk 2: 4).

The anti-hero despises the numerous signs God sends him to assure him of His presence and faithfulness. The hero is always in the lookout for the sign of Jesus-Emmanuel: the Savior who is with us, who has become an active Presence. We adore You O Christ and bless You.

Jesus-Emmanuel I trust in You.
Jesus-Emmanuel I surrender myself completely to You.
Jesus-Emmanuel take care of everything.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of St Peter Canisius, Catechist and Evangelist.

"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).

Saturday 21 December 2019 is the first of St Peter Canisius of the Society of Jesus. (1521 - 1592), Priest and Doctor of the Church. Born in Holland. Worked all his life in Germany. Called the Apostle of Germany because of his key role in rolling back the advance of Lutheranism in Germany. He participated in the Council of Trent as a theologian. He founded several Jesuit Colleges. He wrote a famous and popular Catechism which was published in several languages and went into many editions.
The Church teaches that Jesus Christ is glorified when we honor the saints. I honor St Peter Canisius as my patron saint.

"Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Luke 1: 45). Elizabeth said this to Mary, thereby identifying Faith as one of Mary's strongest gifts. Our saint of today, St Peter Canisius must have been a man of great faith to have bloomed in a time of the greatest challenge to the Church.

"O Key of David, who open the gates of the eternal kingdom, come to liberate from prison the captive who lives in darkness."

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

How can this be?

“The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." (Luke 1: 35).

Friday 20 December 2019. To Mary's perplexed question: "How can this be?" we learn a revelation that gives joy and consolation to the heart.

Most of us are tense and nervous when we start a new project. The student teacher stepping into the classroom for the first time; the young doctor faced with his first surgical operation. All complex tasks are intimidating for the first time. Remember that Mary must have been 13 or 14 when she experienced the Annunciation.

Mary's question "how can this be?" would be normal to most people. It is the Archangel Gabriel's response that is pure consolation. God shared with every Christian His life-giving Spirit to abide with us forever. The Spirit is Paraclete, Advocate, Friend and always present in us and with us in all types of situations. My favorite title for the Holy Spirit is the Voice that speaks in Court. He has saved me from certain hardship in litigation by putting the right words in my mouth at precisely the right moment.

The Church teaches that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. Where Mary is, there is the Holy Spirit. It is not easy to know and cherish Mary without knowing and cherishing the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life.

"O Key of David, who open the gates of the eternal kingdom, come to liberate from prison the captive who lives in darkness."

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Dreamer and silent powerful Partner.

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her." (Matthew 1: 20).

Wednesday of the 3rd week of Advent. Here comes Joseph! The three members of the Holy Family are named in our Gospel of today. Mary, Joseph and Jesus Emmanuel.

While Mary spoke sparingly in the Gospels, Joseph the husband of Mary bore silent witness to the Gospel through his robust faith and humility. God communicated with Joseph through dreams and Joseph showed exceptional docilty and obedience. He protected Mary staunchly during her pregnancy and provided for his family through his manual labor.

Jesus Christ is glorified when we honor the saints. First in rank is the Blessed Virgin Mary. Next is St Joseph. In the Communion of the Saints, Mary and Joseph are very powerful intercessors in the Court of Heaven.

The name of Joseph is in the Canon of the Mass, coming after that of the Virgin Mary.  Pope Francis added the name of St Joseph to the three other Eucharistic Prayers. The cult of St Joseph is solid and universal in the Church. Thanks to what I read from the autobiography of St Teresa of Avila, I have a deep devotion to St Joseph and place my work under his powerful patronage.

"O Ruler of the House of Israel, who gave the law to Moses on Sinai,
come and save us with outstretched arm." (Gospel Antiphon).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

This is the family of Jesus Christ.

"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers." (Matthew 1: 1 - 2).

Tuesday of the 3rd week of Advent is the 17th Day of December, we are a week from the Eve of Christmas. The Church starts singing the O - Antiphons. The Gospel today is from the Genealogy of Jesus Christ according to St Matthew. Are you one of those bored by the Genealogy? Do you consider the Genealogy meaningless?

Some years ago, I had the fortune of engaging three bright Mormon young men in a weekly Bible conversation for seven weeks. I did not know much about the Mormon faith and did not have enough time to read up. So I prayed to the Paraclete, the Voice that speaks in Court to help me. The answer to that prayer was delightful and unforgettable.

The Mormons claimed that the need for a new Christian religion was because the Christian religion founded by Jesus Christ apostasized from the time of Emperor Constantine. So God was angry and not only rejected the Church but abrogated His promises. Right? I asked. Right, they answered in chorus. Then let us turn to the Gospel of Matthew. Each of my Mormon friends took turn in reading the Genealogy according to St Matthew. I asked if they were familiar with the life story of the principal characters in the Genealogy.

The Genealogy teaches that God is merciful and faithful. God did not choose the best and unfiltered humanity. He chose whom He pleases, a mixed bag.

"God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure." (Ephesians I: 5 NLT).

God is faithful to His intentions and promises. He is not Yes and No. He is always Yes.
"The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable." (Romans 11: 29).

"O Wisdom of the Most High,
ordering all things with strength and gentleness, come and teach us the way of truth."

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Who gave you this authority?

“By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21: 23).

Monday of the 3rd week of Advent. A confrontation between the chief priests and elders with Jesus over Authority. Consider the following facts:

The kingdom that Jesus came to set up has some commonalities with earthly kingdoms. For example :
1. King
2. A realm/domain
3. A government
4. Laws
5. Citizens

When Jesus threw out the money changers from the Temple, the recognized authorities of the Temple questioned His authority.
"Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?” By this question, Jesus points to the chief priests and elders the existence of a different type of authority.

In the trial of the Apostles Peter and John before the Sanhedrin, we see the Teacher Gamaliel allude to a different authority:
"So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself.  But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him." (Acts 5: 38 - 39).

The truth is that the Kingdom of God is already here and now. The Church is the seed of that Kingdom.
Where does the Pope get his authority? Not from the barrels of the gun as some dictators believe. Stalin quipped:  "How many military divisions does the Pope have?" Jesus answered that question to Pontius Pilate:
"My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place."

The question for us is:
Does King Jesus reign over your heart and mind and finances? If not, Advent is the Season of grace to place your life under the authority of Jesus Christ.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Be patient like a farmer.

"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient." (James 5: 7 - 8).

How long does it take a mango seedling to grow, bear fruits until that first greenish yellow mango fruit is ripened and ready to be eaten? About 1350 days in the tropics. How do I know? Because I planted a mango seedling to find out . What have I learned as a mango tree farmer?

#1 Patience is Power
"I waited, I waited for the Lord; who bent down and heard my cry"(Psalm 40: 1)

#2 This young mango seedling faced many challenges to its survival in its early years. Storms, strong winds, too much rain, insects; all threatened its existence. But it survived.

#3 The fruit came in the fullness of time. In the right season.

#4 The season for bearing fruit will also come for you if only you remain patient and wait for it.

#5 Fruit bearing season is different for every person.

How long must we wait for the Lord to answer our prayer?
In the fullness of time, God makes everything beautiful. God is faithful and loves those who wait for Him

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

St John of the Cross, Mystic and Doctor of the Church.

"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me, says the Lord." (Cf. Matthew  16: 24).

Saturday of the 2nd week of Advent is the feast of St John the Cross (1542 - 1591), Carmelite Priest and Doctor of the Church. Born in Spain near Avila, he cooperated with St Teresa of Avila, another Carmelite mystic and Doctor of the Church for the reform of the Carmelite Order. His Carmelite brothers did not take kindly to his ideas or severe discipline. They captured him and imprisoned him in a high attic where escape was virtually impossible. Providentially, he escaped and continued his writings. He wrote many profound works of mysticism of which THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL remains a spiritual classic.

"May I never boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Galatians 6: 14).

God endowed St John of the Cross with an outstanding dedication to self-denial and love of the Cross. May we obtain through his intercession similar gifts.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

God Himself taught this Virgin and Martyr.

"I am the Lord, your God, teaching you how to prevail, leading you on the way you should go." (Isaiah 48: 17).

Friday of the 2nd week of Advent is the feast of St Lucy (+304), Virgin and Martyr. Lucy died a martyr under Emperor Diocletian. Lucy had been venerated as a saint from antiquity. Her name is included in the Roman Canon.

Look at our Scripture for today:
"I am the Lord, your God, teaching you how to prevail, leading you on the way you should go."
One of the titles of God that I like very much is: TEACHER OF ALL MANKIND. Imagine a toddler being taught by her mother how to walk, eat, talk, write, etc. So does God do for you and for me. But God is simply not only the Teacher of all mankind (homo sapiens). He is the Teacher of all living things. I am incredulous watching wildlife and observing how ferocious wild animals are so tender towards their young ones or mourn them when they are dead. Who taught them? God!

But how does God teach us? The answer is in the Responsorial Psalm of today:
"Happy indeed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners nor sits in the company of scoffers, but whose delight is the law of the Lord and who ponders his law day and night." (Psalm 1: 1 - 2).

God teaches us what is best for us through His word. Are you teachable? Do you delight in the word of God? It is not too late. Advent is a Season we are promised plenty of God's unmerited favor. Come today to the throne of grace and mercy with boldness to receive grace now.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Patroness.

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God." (Luke 1: 30).

Thursday of the 2nd week of Advent is the feast of of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe started in 1531 long before the United States of America. Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a young Mexican man. She was dressed as a simple pregnant Mexican woman. She left an imprint of herself on her dress. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe houses this miraculous dress still with the original imprint. The Basilica has become a place of popular pilgrimage for millions down the centuries. Although I have not fulfilled my desire to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, I have visited a replica Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe  in Port Arthur, Texas. Great experience!

Who is Mary? Mary the Mother of our Savior and Redeemer is called by the great Church document, Lumen Gentium: "A sign of certain hope and comfort to the pilgrim People of God." (CCC 972).Hope of what? Hope of the ultimate blessing for humanity: Eternal life and bliss with GOD forever.

The Church declares that "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion." (CCC 971). Mary is not god or goddess.  "All generations will call me blessed." This is not the will of man but a prophecy. Her apparition in Mexico in 1531 caused the conversion of about 9 million Mexicans from idol worship to the true faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Do not be afraid to call upon Mary in all of your necessities.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Do you wait for the Lord? Be confident. God will never be late!

"Even the youths shall be exhausted, and the young men will all give up.  But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40: 30-31 TLB).

Wednesday of the 2nd week of Advent is the feast of St Damasus 1 (305 - 384), Pope. You may never have heard of Pope Damasus but this man has far more impact in the Church than many well-known popes.
He summoned the 1st Council of Constantinople. He promoted the veneration of martyrs. He commissioned St Jerome to translate the Bible into the Vulgate which remained the official version for over 1000 years. Pope St Damasus changed the liturgical language of the Church from Greek to Latin.

The Holy Scriptures say everywhere that it is good to wait for the Lord. This is the core message for us today.
"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Do you wait for the Lord for anything? Health, family well-being, financial peace, job, a new car, home? You should find much comfort in today's word of God.

"Don’t be impatient. Wait for the Lord, and he will come and save you! Be brave, stouthearted, and courageous. Yes, wait and he will help you." (Psalm 27: 14 TLB).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The lost and found sheep.

"What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? (Matthew 18: 12).

Tuesday of the 2nd week of Advent. The Lord puts before us the parable of the Lost and Found Sheep. How do you feel when you lose or misplace something valuable? I do not consider myself a miser. I confess that I embarrass myself how diligently I search for something until I find it. Or I am forced to stop searching because the search has become absurd and ridiculous.

Once upon a time, I prepared for weeks to teach Young Adults Confirmation class, a 7 weeks course. I walked into the classroom on the first night and found just one sheep. Just one sheep? To make a long story short, I declined to go ahead with the course. The Lord came after me quickly. First, He sent the young man's mother to confront me the following Sunday. "I worked so hard to convince my son to register for the course with the hope that the course and the Confirmation Sacrament would lead him back to the Church."

The very next Sunday, we had the Parable of the Lost Sheep as the Gospel. At the end of the Mass, I have got more than enough lesson and rebuke for my misdeed.

"And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.  In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost." (Matthew 18: 13 - 14).

"Paris is worth a Mass," so the saying goes. If bringing home one lost sheep causes rejoicing in Heaven, God forbid that I will deny Heaven such a joy!

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

"Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1: 38).

Monday of the 2nd week of Advent is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (Moved from Sunday December 8th). What is the Immaculate Conception?

"To become the mother of the Savior, Mary "was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role." The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as "full of grace". In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God's grace." (CCC 490).

In other words, the Immaculate Conception is the special Gift God bestowed on Mary for her Mission.
Mission = Mother of the Redeemer.
Enabling gift is her sinlessness from the moment of conception.

I experienced my annunciation moment when I returned to the practice of the faith after 20 years of AWOL. God used my brokenness and placed me in a desert for a considerable time. One evening, I broke out in desperate prayer addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The response to that prayer is unforgettable:
"ALL you need is the Holy Spirit." I went searching to find out what is the Holy Spirit. Many years after the blessed elocution, I came to understand what my response will always be: "Lord, let ALL that I need be always the Holy Spirit."

Do you believe that God can speak to you through a silent inner voice, through Sacred Scriptures, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, in the Mass, through a human being?

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou among women." (Luke 1: 28)."

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Second Week of Advent - A Kairos of Grace.

"The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord." (Isaiah 11: 2 - 3).

Second Sunday of Advent. The Prophet Isaiah prophesying some 700 years before the Birth of Jesus gives us the sharpest profile of the Messiah. In this profile, we see that the Son of Man and Son of Mary will be Son of God.

What the Church teaches as the Seven Gifts and 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit are attributes of God.

Fathers of the Church have taught for centuries that Jesus Christ became Man so that we humans may become gods. We become gods through the transformative work of the Holy Spirit. A transformation that starts in our Baptism. The Church's liturgical cycle provides some key growth points in this Journey of Faith. Lent and Advent are the principal seasons of the liturgical year.

"Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you."  (Isaiah 49: 8).

Faith is accepting the word of God as true.  Then act according to the the word you believe.

Advent is Now. A Time (Kairos) of divine favor.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of St Ambrose of Milan.

"Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus: Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 10: 5, 6 - 7).

Saturday of the 1st week of Advent is the feast of St Ambrose (340 - 397), Bishop and Doctor of the Church. St Ambrose was still unbaptized and mayor of the imperial city of Milan when he was elected the Bishop of Milan. Aided by the Holy Spirit, Ambrose quickly rose to the challenges of his calling. God gave him the courage of an apostle and made him an outstanding teacher in the Church. He was famous for his care of the poor and his apostolic zeal and opposition to the Arian heresy which was the scourge of the Church in the 4th and 5th century. St Ambrose converted and baptized St Augustine.

The Twelve Apostles sent out to mission by Jesus in our Gospel of today has a worthy successor in St Ambrose. Why are the saints a critical part of our Christian heritage?

#1 Honoring the saints glorifies Jesus, the Prince of all the saints.
#2 How do we know that Christianity is true? Because of the lives of the saints. The saints modeled the life of Jesus Christ and many of them laid down their lives to defend the truth of the Faith.

"Lead us, who have been strengthened by the power of this Sacrament, O Lord, so to profit from the teaching of Saint Ambrose that, hastening fearlessly along your paths, we may be prepared for the delights of the eternal banquet.
Through Christ our Lord." (Prayer after Communion, feast of St Ambrose).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Do you believe that I can do this?

“Son of David, have pity on us!” When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him." (Matthew 9: 27 - 28).

Friday of the 1st week of Advent is the First Friday in December and the feast of St Nicholas (4th century). St. Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra in present day Turkey. He was at the Council of Nicaea and signed the famous document, the Nicene Creed. His deep concern for the poor and needy netted him the title of Santa Claus throughout the centuries.

In our Scripture verse for today, Jesus asks a point blank question: “Do you believe that I can do this?” When you come to Jesus for intervention in your health, family issues, job, money, tools and possessions, do you come with expectant faith? Or is your attitude: If Jesus does not provide the health or money quickly, I will go to my expert doctor or my bank manager.

Brethren, read the dialog below. Believe what you read. Practice what you believe.
“Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” (Matthew 9 : 28 - 29).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus this Friday, December 6, 2019.

December 6th, 2019  -  First Friday in December.

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 12th and last month of the year 2019, we look at Promise #12.

#12. "The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour."

Friends, this is a tremendous promise. Let us thank our Lord Jesus Christ for such a generous offer. You will appreciate this promise when you are close to death. No fear. No worry. No doubt about your eternal destiny.

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

Seekfirstcommunity.com

Have you ever trusted the Lord in health and in sickness?

"Trust in the Lord for ever,
for the Lord is the everlasting Rock." (Isaiah 26: 4).

Thursday of the 1st week of Advent. What a powerful Scripture we have today for our Advent 2019 Journey of Faith.

Trust in the Lord forever!
Do you trust in the Lord forever?
Have you ever trusted in the Lord forever?
In sickness and in health?
In poverty and riches?
In full stomach and empty stomach?
In popularity and loneliness?

The reason why you must trust in the Lord forever is because "the Lord is an eternal Rock."
God never fails.
He never disappoints.
He never delays.
The Lord is ever faithful (semper fidelis).

Faithfulness is said to be the very essence of God. When I did a word study on Faithfulness, I found it is one of the 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit. I found this on Faithfulness from the dictionary:

"True, devoted, staunch.
Faithful, constant, loyal imply qualities of stability, dependability, and devotion. Faithful implies long-continued and steadfast fidelity to whatever one is bound to by a pledge, duty, or obligation: a faithful friend."

I liked what I read. With this in mind, I reread one of my favorite Bible verse with the word "faithfulness".

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3: 22 - 23 NIV).

In another version:
"The Lord’s acts of mercy are not exhausted, his compassion is not spent;
They are renewed each morning—great is your faithfulness!"
(Lamentations 3: 22 - 23 NABRE).

I decided that I can trust in the Lord forever. I will take the Lord as my eternal Rock! I will be like a wise man who built his house on rock!

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Have you tried to imagine Heaven?

"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).

Wednesday in the 1st week of Advent is the feast of St John Damascene (675 - 749) priest, religious, Doctor of the Church. Before his ordination to the priesthood in 726, he was finance minister to the Caliph.  His work of life was mostly study and writing where he produced books in dogmatic theology. But his defense of the use of images is his striking contribution to the history of the development of theology. Without John Damascene, we may not be able to use these images in worship or in our devotions: Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, Mary and the Saints. Thank you St John Damascene.

When we celebrated the Solemnity of Christ the King, we reflected on the nature of the Kingdom that Jesus Christ came to establish.
We noted the core themes of His Kingship. Now let us recall the key attributes of the Son of Man from Daniel 7:

#1 Dominion and kingship
#2 Splendor
#3 Everlasting /eternal
#4 Indestructible
#5 Universal

Daniel saw clearly in the vision of the night Jesus Christ and the Kingdom He established through His death on the Cross.

Today, we are served the vision of Isaiah of the Kingdom, the New Earth. Isaiah calls it: "The Mountain." Consider some of the characteristics:

#1 Great Banquet
#2 No death. No tears.
#3 No sin. No reproaches.
#4 Universal reconciliation.

When you put together a composite of these visions, a very striking picture of the King and the Kingdom begin to emerge. Paul writes that no eye has seen, nor ear heard nor has it ever entered into the mind of man what God has prepared for those who love Him. The Sacred Scriptures give a tiny glimpse of that future.

Today's Gospel from Matthew 15 is a prefiguration of what will happen "on this Mountain."
"They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over—seven baskets full." (Matthew 15: 37). Abundance and generosity of God will be in full display.

I am very excited. How about you?

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of St Francis Xavier, Model of Missionary Zeal!

“Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16: 15 - 16).

Tuesday of the 1st week of Advent is the feast of St Francis Xavier (1506 - 1552), priest and missionary. "Born in Navarre, Spain, he studied in Paris where he became a follower of St Ignatius Loyola. He was one of the first seven members of the Society of Jesus. Francis tirelessly proclaimed the Gospel in India, China and Japan bringing over 30,000 souls to Christ." (Roman Missal).

Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. This is exactly what St Francis Xavier did. This endeavor earned him the recognition as one of the greatest missionaries after St Paul. He is the co-patron of the Missions.

The world has changed greatly since the days of St Paul and of our St Francis Xavier who was born in the 16th century. Then, not everyone could participate in evangelization. Today, because of the wide availability of technology, everyone can distribute and share the word even if you can not create content. A good part of the work I do in evangelization is sharing and distributing content created by other people. I use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.
To be able to do this effectively, one needs the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit and Prayer. There is so much fake content in the cyber world. "Buyer Beware!"

"Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." Most of us should be able to keep this sacred mandate.

St Francis Xavier pray for us.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com