Wednesday, November 06, 2024
Tuesday, November 05, 2024
THE WISDOM OF FIRST COUNTING THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP.
COUNT THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP BEFORE YOU COMMIT YOURSELF.
Jesus weighed the cost of Discipleship carefully in the Garden of Gethsemane in an intense struggle of prayer with His Father the night before He died. As God, He knew what he was going to face. Our salvation and eternal life meant so much to Him. He said Yes to His Father. "I will do it!"
"Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
"Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
"In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14: 25 - 33).
Wednesday 6th November 2024 in the 31st Week of Ordinary Time.
When you embark on a new project: building a home, a new career, moving to a new city, volunteering for a new ministry, etc. Rule #1 is sit down and count the cost. This will save you embarrassment and mockery from friends, family and neighbors. "This fellow started something he is unable to complete. He is foolish."
Jesus is speaking to His disciples here. Count the cost of Discipleship before you decide to follow Me.
To make good decisions, we need wisdom. Wisdom is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Solomon asked for wisdom rather than wealth, health and power. God answered him: "Here and now, I give you what you ask for." God added: And for what you did not ask for, I grant them to you in abundance! (Cf 1 Kings 3: 1 - 15).
The greatest wisdom is to know the shortcut to peace and prosperity in life. Jesus gives this in the Sermon on the Mount:
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the rest will be given you." (Matthew 6: 33).
If you are unwilling to renounce all your possessions and seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, not only will you not enjoy being a disciple of Jesus Christ but you will be like the man who started a building he can never complete.
November is the Month we pray for the Souls in PURGATORY.
“If only you knew with what great longing these holy souls yearn for relief from their suffering. Ingratitude has never entered Heaven.” – (St. Margaret Mary).
For Catholic Church teaching on the Souls in PURGATORY and how to help them, click the link below:
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/10/10-ways-to-assist-poor-souls-in.html
Monday, November 04, 2024
DO NOT DESPISE YOUR INVITATION TO THE MARRIAGE FEAST OF THE LAMB.
I WANT MY HOUSE TO BE FULL.
"One of those at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”
"He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
"When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’
"But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
"The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’
"And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’
"And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’
"The servant went and reported this to his master.
"Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
"The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’
"The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner." (Luke 14: 15 - 24).
Tuesday November 5th 2024 in the 31st Week of Ordinary Time.
The context of today's parable is the enthusiastic statement of a fellow dinner guest with Jesus:
"One of those at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”
Dining in the Kingdom of God is the summit of blessings. It is the ultimate aspiration.
The Marriage feast of the Lamb is the mother of all feasts.
"Blessed are you who are invited to the Supper of the Lord."
"I want My House to be full." Jesus said.
Why will anyone in his right mind turn down such an invitation?
The answer is that there is something akin to insanity with regard to pride and sin. When the Prodigal Son came back to his senses, he wondered why he ever did what he did. Ran away from the gorgeous home of his loving father to live like a scum of the earth for a number of years.
The Church is the seed of the Kingdom of God on earth. The Eucharist is the Marriage feast of the Lamb on this side of Heaven.
If you have been avoiding the Eucharist, forget your foolish pride and ask the gracious Lord to rescue you from "the highways and hedgerows" before it is too late.
November is the Month we pray for the Souls in PURGATORY.
“I saw my guardian angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames, which were burning them, did not touch me at all. My guardian angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God.” (St. Maria Faustina Kowalski).
For Catholic Church teaching on the Souls in PURGATORY and how to help them, click the link below:
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/10/10-ways-to-assist-poor-souls-in.html
Sunday, November 03, 2024
MEMORIAL OF ST CHARLES BORROMEO, BISHOP.
MEMORIAL OF ST CHARLES BORROMEO, BISHOP.
"On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.
"He said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
"Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you and because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:12 - 14).
Monday November 4th the 31st Week in Ordinary TIME is the Memorial of St Charles Borromeo, Bishop. (1538 - 1584).
St Charles Borromeo was Cardinal and Archbishop of the famous See of Milan, the See of St Ambrose. Borromeo was born into wealth and splendor but was not possessed by his wealth and patrimony.
St Charles Borromeo was one of the architects of the successful conclusion of the Council of Trent. A great reformer, he worked hard for the implementation of the decrees of the Council. He established seminaries and had catechisms produced.
Thanksgiving Day is weeks away. It marks the beginning of the holiday season. Parties, dinners and invitations to family, friends and colleagues are being planned.
Jesus looks forward to dinner invitations since it gives Him a teaching opportunity to meet the kind of crowd He did not reach on daily basis. Here Jesus gives a difficult lesson to the aristocratic group gathered for the dinner and frankly to us as well.
Who do you plan to invite to your home this Thanksgiving, Christmas and parties? What are your motives behind your guest list?
"Invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind," advises Jesus.
Why this group?
"Blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you."
Jesus challenges our self-centeredness. Why are humans so self centered? Even little children act always in a quid pro quo manner. They give to only those who give them something. Jesus set a new standard in the Kingdom. Act like your Heavenly Father, who is lavishly generous to All His children, Jesus admonishes.
"All you who are thirsty, come to the water!
You who have no money, come, buy grain and eat; Come, buy grain without money, wine and milk without cost!" (Isaiah 55: 1).
Jesus offers the Bread of life free of charge.
Be generous to the poor and the disadvantaged this holiday season.
"There is no problem or difficulty that cannot be solved or resolved by faithful persevering recourse to My Mother’s most holy Rosary. The Rosary is My Mother’s gift to the poor and to the simple, to the little ones who alone are capable of hearing the Gospel in all its purity and of responding to it with a generous heart. It is to such as these—the childlike and the weak, the poor and the trusting—that the Rosary is given. It is to such as these that the Rosary belongs." (IN SINU JESU).
November is the Month we pray for the Souls in PURGATORY.
“The fire of Purgatory is the same as the fire of Hell; the difference between them is that the fire of Purgatory is not everlasting." (St John Vianney).
For Catholic Church teaching on the Souls in PURGATORY and how to help them, click the link below:
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/10/10-ways-to-assist-poor-souls-in.html
Saturday, November 02, 2024
LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.
LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.
"One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
'He is One and there is no other than he.'
And 'to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself'
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
"You are not far from the kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions." (Mark 12: 28 - 34).
Sunday 3rd November 2024 in the 31st Week in Ordinary Time.
Should it be very hard to love Abba Father above everything? Treating our neighbor exactly the way you want to be treated does not appear an impossible feat.
Today's teaching of Jesus is not a suggestion but a command.
Moses concluded his teaching on the love of God thus:
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today." (Deuteronomy 6: 2 - 6).
"Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today."
This means: Pay great attention to these words.
Below is God's gold standard in loving us:
"I am always patient and kind with you. I do not compare you unfairly to other people. I treat you as a unique and irrepeatable person. I don't dishonor you. I respect your uniqueness. I don't burst into anger when you sin nor do I keep a record of your wrongs. My love does not delight in evil but rejoices in your successes and accomplishments. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (Cf 1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
God wants us to apply this standard to our neighbor.
When we obey God and make Him the top priority in our universe, we enjoy a full and rich life.
"Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“Fear the LORD, your God, and keep, throughout the days of your lives, all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you, and thus have long life." (Deuteronomy 6: 2).
Our response should be:
"I love you, O LORD, my strength, O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer." (Psalm 18: 2 - 3).
Do not be readers but doer of the word.
"Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord;
and my Father will love him and we will come to him." (John 14: 23).
A few examples of Saints who loved God in their own ways:
The Little Flower, St Therese of the Child Jesus may put her doctrine of Love this way: "I, Therese I am incapable of doing great things. I am not a scholar nor can I boast of great gifts of grace. I am going to do the little things with great love."
Therese lived this doctrine. It pleased Jesus so much that He awarded Therese Doctor of the Church.
St Catherine of Siena may put her doctrine of love this way:
"I will seek to know the Will of God in everything. I will endeavor to do it. In the Will of God is our peace." Jesus was also very pleased with Catherine and made her a great teacher in the Church with the title of Doctor of the Church.
St Ignatius Loyola sought loving God with all his heart, mind and soul through doing everything "For the Greater Glory of God."
Whether you choose St Therese's "Way of Love" or St Catherine's "Will of God," you will find that all ways lead to Jesus.
The masters of spirituality list the Seven Daily Habits of Saints thus:
Prayer
Word of God
Eucharist
Reconciliation
Examination of Conscience
Faith sharing (ministry)
Spiritual reading
"I love you, O Lord, my strength,
O Lord, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer." (Responsorial Psalm 18).
November is the Month dedicated to praying for the Poor Souls in Purgatory.
"If during life, we have been kind to the suffering souls in purgatory, God will see that help be not denied us after death.” (St Paul of the Cross).
Remember the Poor Souls in Purgatory daily in your prayers.
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/10/10-ways-to-assist-poor-souls-in.html
Friday, November 01, 2024
ALL SOULS DAY: WE REMEMBER THE SUFFERING SOULS IN PURGATORY.
ALL SOULS DAY. NOVEMBER 2.
THE COMMEMORATION OF THE SOULS OF THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED.
"Jesus said to the crowds:
“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.
"And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day.
"For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” (John 6: 37 - 40).
Saturday 2nd November 2024 in the 30th Week in Ordinary Time is the Commemoration of all the holy souls in Purgatory.
Jesus prays, yearns, cries for the salvation of all men and women. The loving mercy of God makes this possible through the providential existence of Purgatory. Without Purgatory, only a few people will be saved. Without Purgatory, Christian Hope will be very thin. When we pray in the Creed: "I believe in life everlasting", we should thank God for Purgatory.
The Church teaches from the very beginning that:
"All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven." (CCC 1030).
Where do people go for the cleansing or purification after they take their last breath and close their eyes in death? "The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned." (CCC 1031).
The unbelievers think that the dead are lost and would decay in the ground like organic matters. They do not believe that man has a soul. But the word of God answers the unbelievers thus:
"They [the dead] seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace." (Wisdom 3: 2 - 3).
PURGATORY: ONLY GOD CAN MEND A BROKEN EGG.
We celebrate the feast of All Souls because the Church teaches that the souls in Purgatory can benefit from our prayers.
The Book of Wisdom, our first Reading gives us the end game of Divine Providence on the Souls in Purgatory:
"Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself." (Wisdom 3: 5 - 6).
"My intercession is everlasting even in the glory of eternity because I chose to keep the wounds in My hands and in My feet and in My side. They constitute an uninterrupted pleading for the sake of all: for those in glory that they may go from light to light and from sweetness to sweetness; for those on earth that they may find in My wounds healing, purity, and holiness; and for the souls in purgatory that by the merits of My holy wounds they may be refreshed and delivered." (IN SINU JESU, Friday, March 28, 2008).
Remember the Poor Souls in Purgatory daily in your prayers.
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/10/10-ways-to-assist-poor-souls-in.html
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