FEAST OF SAINTS MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE AND HEDWIG.

FEAST OF SAINTS MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE AND HEDWIG. 

THE GOODNEWS:

"At that time: So many people were crowding together that they were trampling one another underfoot. 

"Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples, “Beware of the leaven—that is, the hypocrisy—of the Pharisees.

“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops.

"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more. I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12: 1 - 7)

Friday 16th October 2026, in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of Saints Margaret Mary Alacoque and St Hedwig. 

St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647 - 1690).

St Margaret is the French Visitation Nun that brought the world the private revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Devotees of the Sacred Heart of Jesus owe St Margaret Mary eternal gratitude for her great work.

Jesus Christ used Margaret's spiritual director, St Claude de la Colombiere, SJ to translate Margaret's visions into what we know today as the Sacred Heart of Jesus Devotion. Thanks also to the Jesuit, St Claude of the Society of Jesus.

Today is also the feast of St Hedwig

 (1173 - 1243). Wife of the Duke of Poland and mother of 7 children. After the death of her husband, Hedwig took the habit of a Nun and lived the rest of her life in a Cistercian monastery that she and her late husband had founded.

In the Gospel of today, the Master touches a variety of topics. What touches me is:

"Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.

 Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.

 Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.” 

The subject of Divine Providence is the sweetest doctrine in the entire Bible and possibly in the entire magisterium of Church teachings. 

The Church Fathers and Doctors of the Church have amply added their reflections and writings to the elucidation of the mystery of Divine Providence. 

What is Divine Providence?

Five sparrows are sold for two small coins. Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.

Abba Father knows every single thing of the trillions of things He has created. He knows where they are. Each of these creatures worships Abba Father in its own way and Father delights in this worship. 

"Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.”

 We humans are created in God's image and likeness. We are created with immortal souls and are created to live with God forever.

If Father cares for sparrows and delights in sparrow worship, how much more you and me?

DIVINE PROVIDENCE From the Catechism of the Catholic Church :

321 Divine providence consists of the dispositions by which God guides all his creatures with wisdom and love to their ultimate end.

322 Christ invites us to filial trust in the providence of our heavenly Father (cf.Mt 6:26-34), and St. Peter the apostle repeats: "Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you" (I Pt 5:7; cf. Ps55:23).

323 Divine providence works also through the actions of creatures. To human beings God grants the ability to cooperate freely with his plans.

324 The fact that God permits physical and even moral evil is a mystery that God illuminates by his Son Jesus Christ who died and rose to vanquish evil. Faith gives us the certainty that God would not permit an evil if he did not cause a good to come from that very evil, by ways that we shall fully know only in eternal life."

October is the Holy Rosary Month. 

 “The Rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who loves His Mother.” (7) “If you say the Rosary faithfully until death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins you shall receive a never-fading crown of glory." (St Louis Marie de Monfort). 

Say the Holy Rosary every day in October. 

For Prayers, Consecration, Litany, Testimony of Jesus about those who pray the Rosary, click the link below:

https://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/09/october-devotion-to-holy-rosary.html?m=1

THE MEMORIAL OF ST TERESA OF JESUS.

THE MEMORIAL OF ST TERESA OF JESUS.

THE GOODNEWS:
"The Lord said:
“Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets
whom your fathers killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent
to the deeds of your ancestors,
for they killed them and you do the building.

Therefore, the wisdom of God said,
‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles;
some of them they will kill and persecute’
in order that this generation might be charged
with the blood of all the prophets
shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
who died between the altar and the temple building.

Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!

Woe to you, scholars of the law!
You have taken away the key of knowledge.
You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”

When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees
began to act with hostility toward him
and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say." (Luke 11: 47 - 54).

Thursday 15th October 2026 in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time is the Memorial of a great woman: St Teresa of Jesus, popularly known as St Teresa of Avila. (1515 - 1582). 

A Spanish Carmelite and great Reformer and Mystic. She was a great spiritual writer. She is one of the four women to be proclaimed Doctor of the Church.

The teaching of Teresa aims at bringing us to Jesus. She wants you and me to know Jesus more, so that we can love Him more and serve Him more.

Teresa cares deeply about Prayer as a means of union with God. Teresa and other Doctors of the Church are very interested in our eternal destiny. The academic doctors of theology are often speculative with little explicit intention to evangelize and catechize.
“Leave it all to God and leave your interests in His hands. He knows what is fitting for us…” wrote St Teresa of Jesus.

In the Gospel of today, Jesus spoke out boldly as a great Prophet. The Scribes and the Pharisees heard Him and felt threatened by His words. Mark this very well. The Scribes and Pharisees would wait for the opportune time for revenge. Then they tell Pilate that they preferred Barnabas to be released and Jesus to be crucified.

Jesus was fearless in His ministry of proclamation of the word of God because He knew that God’s powerful and merciful Providence governs His life and calendar. The Time has not come for His enemies to act.

Do you believe and trust God's Divine Providence?

This Providence decreed October to be the Month of the Holy Rosary. Why? 

“The Rosary is my favorite prayer” – “How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening!” – “The Rosary is a prayer both so humble and simple and a theologically rich in Biblical content. I beg you to pray it”.
(St. Pope John Paul II).

Say the Holy Rosary every day in October.

For Prayers, Consecration, Litany, Testimony of Jesus about those who pray the Rosary, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/09/october-devotion-to-holy-rosary.html?m=1

THE FEAST OF ST CALLISTUS I, PONTIFF AND MARTYR.

FEAST of St Callistus, Pope and Martyr.

THE GOODNEWS:

"Brothers and sisters:

If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

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.

I warn you, as I warned you before,

that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, generosity,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Against such there is no law.

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh

with its passions and desires.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit."

(Galatians 5: 18 - 25).

Wednesday October 14th in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Callistus I.

How does history remember Pope St Callistus? From slave to pope to martyr.

Pope St Callistus was opposed openly by some of his Bishops, clergy and theologians. Why?

These people disagreed with some of his teaching.

Some members of the hierarchy also disagreed with the uncompromising stand of Callistus that the Church must show mercy and forgive even the worst of sinners. This struggle in the Church with the Rigorist faction outlived St Callistus who was martyred by Emperor Alexander Severus.

Our key Scripture for today evokes some word associations: Forgiveness, Retaliation, Litigation, etc.

What archetypes of evil does the Bible place the wicked person? "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).

In the same passage it says that those with such behavior will never see the Kingdom of God.

Now, if we desire to see the Kingdom of God, we must practice what Jesus teaches:

Forgiveness and not retaliation. Reconciliation and not litigation.

When we live as Christians in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will produce the fruits of the Spirit which are:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5: 22 - 23).

"If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit." (Galatians 5: 25).

This is the core teaching of our key Scripture for today?

"We will show Thee our love and gratitude, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, by keeping Thy sacred precepts, by rendering Thee atonement and reparation, by honoring the image of Thy Divine Heart and by confiding in Thine all-powerful assistance." (DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS).

October is the Holy Rosary Month.

“The Rosary is my favorite prayer” – “How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening!” – “The Rosary is a prayer both so humble and simple and a theologically rich in Biblical content. I beg you to pray it”.

(St. Pope John Paul II).

Say the Holy Rosary every day in October.

For Prayers, Consecration, Litany, Testimony of Jesus about those who pray the Rosary, click the link below:

https://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/09/october-devotion-to-holy-rosary.html?m=1

JESUS CHRIST OFFERS US GENUINE FREEDOM.

JESUS CHRIST OFFERS US GENUINE FREEDOM.

"Brothers and sisters:
For freedom Christ set us free;
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

It is I, Paul, who am telling you
that if you have yourselves circumcised,
Christ will be of no benefit to you.
Once again I declare to every man who has himself circumcised
that he is bound to observe the entire law.

You are separated from Christ,
you who are trying to be justified by law;

you have fallen from grace.

For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness.

For in Christ Jesus,
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything,
but only faith working through love.



"So Christ has truly set us free.

Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law." (Galatians 5: 1 - 6 NLT)

What if your country tells you: "You are free but you can't vote; you can't travel abroad, etc" You are entitled to ask: "Is this fake freedom?"

Jesus Christ suffered and died to give us true and genuine freedom. Freedom from sin, freedom from drug addiction and every type of compulsive behavior.

This type of freedom soars above and beyond circumstances and physical prison.
Like the word of God, this freedom cannot be chained. (Cf 2 Timothy 2: 9).

But it can be lost. Losing it is like a dog going back to its vomit. (Proverbs 26: 11; 2 Peter 2: 22)

Law is useless. What is needed is prayer, grace and mercy. Jesus we trust in You.

Tuesday October 13 in the 28th week in Ordinary Time.

The word to live by today is from Galatians 5: 1 - 6.

Here is an alternative translation:

"We have freedom now because Christ made us free. So stand strong. Do not change and go back into the slavery of the law." (International Children Bible)

How do we stand firm so that the dog does not go back to its vomit?

It will be impossible for us to maintain our freedom as Christians without a solid plan for living our Christian faith day by day.

That plan may consist of the following elements:

#1 Daily Prayer: Jesus calls Prayer a vital necessity.
#2. Word of God (God’s Manual).
#3. Eucharist (Bread of life and Food for the Journey).
#4. Penance and Examen (Medicine for the Journey).
#5. Spiritual Reading (Our GPS: When you pray, you talk to God. When you read, God talks to you. St Ambrose, St Augustine, St Vincent de Paul).
#6. Ministry (Sharing your gifts & making them more abundant).

Habit has power. The above 6 Daily Habits of Saints will help anyone retain the freedom that Jesus bestows on us.

"Live by the Spirit." (Galatians 5: 16).

Be Free from fears, worries and doubts.

I believe the Scriptures that Christ has set us free through His redemptive death.

Why don't I feel this freedom and victory always in my life?

The Letter to the Galatians teaches that we appropriate this freedom by faith.

When I am attacked by fear, worry or doubt, I declare by faith that Christ has set me free. I walk by faith and not by sight or feeling.

What is the pathway to this freedom?

Through the Spirit, we pray to receive the mercy and grace that we need. Therefore the pathway to victory and freedom is prayer, grace and mercy.

"For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness." (Galatians 5: 1 - 6).

October is the Holy Rosary Month.

"I am the Lady of the Rosary." – Our Lady of Fatima, 1917.


Say the Holy Rosary every day in October.

For Prayers, Consecration, Litany, Testimony of Jesus about those who pray the Rosary, click the link below:


http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/09/october-devotion-to-holy-rosary.html?m=1

NO MORE SIGNS FOR YOU.

NO MORE SIGNS FOR YOU. 

THE GOSPEL:

"While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,

“This generation is an evil generation;

it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,

except the sign of Jonah.

Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninivites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

At the judgment 

the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.

At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it,

because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,

and there is something greater than Jonah here.” (Luke 11: 29 - 32).

Monday 12th March in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time. 

Jesus told the crowd in today's Gospel:  No more miracles for you. You keep looking for a big sign from heaven to prove that I am the Messiah.

 But what happened to Jonah is the only sign you will get. 

My friends, where are you today in your spiritual walk with Jesus as we approach Advent 2026? 

Are you still looking for more signs to strengthen your faith?

Listen to what Abraham said to Dives in the Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus. 

The former rich man who wore purple robes for show and dined sumptuously every day denied Lazarus a little sign that his life matters. Abraham told him in the after life, that his brothers have more than enough signs from the Church. 

"If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead." (Luke 16: 31).

We have in the Church all the signs we need.

 The Church of the living God is the sign of salvation. 

This Church subsists in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ.

This Church has visible structures: The Vatican, St Peter's Square, Basilicas, Cathedrals, Churches, Schools. Every one of these structures has a name, an address and a history. 

The Catholic Church exists in almost every country in the world. This attests to her universality. 

The Church has one Shepherd, the Pope.

 One Liturgy, the Holy Mass. The Catholic Church  holds the entire Deposit of Faith. That is, the Church has the fullness of truth. 

What more are we looking for? Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. 

You know the Way. Follow it. 

There will be no more signs till the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 

October is the Holy Rosary Month.

1. Ten Hail Marys at a time, the Rosary turns a worried heart into a fortress.

"By the Rosary you can obtain everything." – St. Thérèse of Lisieux

2. The world sharpens its weapons. The Christian picks up beads.

"…her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today." – St. Padre Pio. 

3. One decade can quiet a storm no amount of worry ever could.

"There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is…" – Sr. Lucia of Fatima

4. Hold the Rosary, and you are holding the hand of Mary, who has never once let go.

"…as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer." – Pope St. John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002)

Say the Holy Rosary every day in October.

For Prayers, Consecration, Litany, Testimony of Jesus about those who pray the Rosary, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/09/october-devotion-to-holy-rosary.html?m=1

THE INVITED GUESTS REFUSED TO COME.

The Invited Guests refused to come.

"Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables, saying,

“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.

"He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.

"A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’

"Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

"The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

"Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’

"The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests.

"But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. The king said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’

"But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.]” (Matthew 22: 1 - 14).

Sunday 11th October 2026 in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time.

Today's Parable of the King's Invited Guests who spurned his invitation and turned murderous is one of the saddest parables in the Gospel.

This Parable may be an allegory of how Jesus is spurned and insulted in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Unlike the Parable, many of the invited guests in the Eucharist come.

But some do not have the wedding garments.

They do not recognize the presence or the dignity of the Host.

They lack the respectful manners required in such a gathering. They dress in such a way to show their carefree attitude.

Would they dare to dress the way they do as guests of a house party by the mayor, governor or even their boss?

Wake up Christians. Do not make your King angry lest He orders:
"Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."

October is the Holy Rosary Month.

"O sinner, be not discouraged, but have recourse to Mary in all your necessities. Call her to your assistance, for such is the divine Will that she should help in every kind of necessity." (St Basil the Great).

Say the Holy Rosary every day in October.

For Prayers, Consecration, Litany, Testimony of Jesus about those who pray the Rosary, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/09/october-devotion-to-holy-rosary.html?m=1

MARY HEARS THE WORD OF GOD AND OBSERVES IT.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND KEEP IT.

"While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him,

“Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.”

"He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” (Luke 11: 27 - 28).

Saturday 10th October 2026 in the 27th Week in Ordinary Time. We celebrate the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Jesus said to the woman who praised His saintly Mother:

“Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

What is the word of God? What did Mary hear and observed?

1. Mary heard the message of the Archangel Gabriel and believed it and said Yes to the Will and Plan of God for her life.

2. Mary heard the inspired prophecy of Elizabeth:
"You are blessed among women."
Mary believed and responded :
"All generations shall call me blessed." She believed the inspired message of Elizabeth and responded with her own inspired words which became a prophecy.

3. Simeon the aged holy Prophet said to Mary at the Presentation:
A sword will pierce your heart because of this little boy.
Mary responded in total silence of submission to the Will and Plan of God for her Boy.

The above are a few examples to show that Mary's life is completely oriented to hearing God's word and saying Yes to God.

How about you and I?
Although we were not born in Immaculate Conception, we were reborn again in holy Baptism as the children of God and adopted brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.

Do you know that you can rew your Baptismal Promises not once a year at Easter but once a day during your morning prayer. It takes about a minute. The effect of this ritual is life changing.

This is an example of how to do it:

"Father, I Abby declare that I am Your child and the sister of Your Son Jesus Christ. I desire to embrace Your holy, almighty and merciful will for me in everything today.

I renounce sins completely. I renounce Satan and all his lies and tricks and seductions. So help me Father. Amen."

One minute a day doing this every morning can change your life forever.

The Seed is the word of God.
Believe in the word of God.

Share the word of God.
Practice what you believe.

October is the Holy Rosary Month.

“The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors.” – Pope Pius XI

Say the Holy Rosary every day in October.

For Prayers, Consecration, Litany, Testimony of Jesus about those who pray the Rosary, click the link below:

https://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/09/october-devotion-to-holy-rosary.html?m=1

ABBA FATHER GIVES THE BEST GIFTS.

ABOVE ALL, PRAY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT.

THE FATHER DOES NOT RATION THE HOLY SPIRIT.

"Jesus said to his disciples:

“Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says,

‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’

"And he says in reply from within,

‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’

"I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

"For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

"What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?

"If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11: 5 - 13).

Thursday October 8th 2026 in the 27th Week in Ordinary Time.

In the Gospel of today, Jesus gives one of His most profound and beautiful teaching on the Prayer of Petition.

This is more than a catechesis. It is a profound promise from a Father who can never lie to His children.

On September 8th, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, facing the image of Mary at her Altar in the Basilica, I asked Mary: What are the promises in the Bible that should shape my prayers and petitions to God. Thousands! I understand from Mary. Every word of God contains a promise. God remembers His promises forever.

Here is what I got from reflecting on Jesus' teaching today on the Prayer of Petition:

#1. Prayer works more than most people believe.

#2. One of the greatest and most consequential falsehood of the Big Liar is that God does not answer prayers.

Consequently why bother praying?

#3. Ask the Lord to open your mind and heart and show you how many of your prayers have been answered.

Most times, there is a lag between the time of your petition and the answer.

It would appear that it is our responsibility to track our petitions and our answered prayers. Why? So that we can give due thanks to God. Some years ago, an elderly Christian woman said to me: God does not eat barbecue, stake or drink champagne. His food is Thanksgiving from His grateful children.

3. Persistence breaks Resistance. This lesson is known by the midnight visitor and he applied it to his advantage.

#4. God's commitment to answer prayers is ironclad. This is the unanimous teaching of Sacred Scripture,  Sacred Magisterium, all the Church fathers and doctors and all the saints.

You will be amazed by God's mighty, merciful and mysterious Providence when it comes to prayers.

#5. What is the the Best and Highest Thing to pray for?

THE HOLY SPIRIT! THE HOLY SPIRIT! THE HOLY SPIRIT!

Prayer is the Activator of Power. Power is the dominant attribute of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer and the Holy Spirit are like inseparable twins.

The Bible commands: "Taste and See that the Lord is good."

If you do not pray habitually, you will never be able to taste; much less attest to the truth that God is good.

#6. Do not be unbelieving. Believe and experience the joy of answered prayer. It is sweet.

Testimony to answered prayer:

I sent prayer intentions containing 4 points to EWTN on the occasion of Divine Mercy Sunday some years ago. Fortunately, I made a copy of the prayer requests and the date and pinned it to the wall near my workstation.

I forgot all about it till about five years later. When I looked at the prayer requests after five years, I was shocked to see that God answered everyone of the prayer intentions. I had been enjoying peace and serenity in all the areas of the prayer petitions without giving God one iota of thanks!

Come to God in prayer full of confidence and expectant faith and battle God in prayer if necessary.

God may delay but He will not deny you the request inspired by the Holy Spirit.

October is the Holy Rosary Month.

"Your Rosary is like a ladder that you climb step by step, drawing you closer to our Lady, which means finding Christ. It is a devotion which leads us to Christ through Mary." (Pope St Paul VI, Marialis Cultus).

Say the Holy Rosary every day in October.

For Prayers, Consecration, Litany, Testimony of Jesus about those who pray the Rosary, click the link below:

https://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/09/october-devotion-to-holy-rosary.html?m=1

THE MEMORIAL OF THE HOLY ROSARY.

THE MEMORIAL OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY.

"Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him,

"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."

"He said to them, "When you pray, say:

"Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins

for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,

and do not subject us to the final test." (Luke 11: 1 - 4).

Wednesday 7th October 2026 in the 27th Week in Ordinary Time is the Memorial of the Holy Rosary. 

The Blessed Virgin Mary is known as the Lady under many titles: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, etc. Our Lady of of Lourdes, Our Lady of the Rosary, etc. 

The Rosary celebrates Mary as a powerful intercessor using the instrument of the Rosary Prayer.

 Every sin and failure to act in charity is influenced by the demons.

It is obvious that we are in the era of Spiritual Warfare. If we are not, the Scriptures will not urge us again and again to be vigilant. The devil, our enemy never sleeps.

"The Rosary is the means by which I attach souls to myself. The Rosary assures souls of my presence and of my protection." (IN SINU JESU).

 Yes. Protection in the spiritual warfare raging everywhere today in: families, work places, schools, offices, roads, etc.

We hear of demonic possessions and infestations. Do not take these happenings lightly. The Church does not ignore the many signs of the activities of evil spirits everywhere today. Neither should we. Jesus Christ speaking to one mystic says that the Holy Rosary is one of the most effective offensive and defensive tools against the Enemy of mankind.

Here is what the Church teaches about the Rosary:

"The Rosary is very pleasing to our Mother in heaven; she herself has recommended it. There are two elements of the Holy Rosary: meditation on its mysteries and vocal prayer. The Rosary surely reaches the motherly heart of Mary and moves her to obtain abundant graces for us." (Roman Missal).

Two recent popes, Pope St Paul VI and Pope St John Paul II have highly recommended the Rosary. Most saints since the 1500s have said the Rosary without fail.

"Your Rosary is like a ladder that you climb step by step, drawing you closer to our Lady, which means finding Christ. It is a devotion which leads us to Christ through Mary." (Pope St Paul VI, Marialis Cultus).

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary. 

Why a special month for the Holy Rosary? Because the Rosary is very important in the life of the Church and in the life of individual Christian.

A FAMILY THAT PRAYS THE ROSARY TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER.

Say the Holy Rosary every day in October.

For Prayers, Consecration, Litany, Testimony of Jesus about those who pray the Rosary, click the link below:

https://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/09/october-devotion-to-holy-rosary.html?m=1

THE FEAST OF SAINTS ROSE MARIE DUROCHER AND BRUNO.

FEAST OF BLESSED MARIE-ROSE DUROCHER, RELIGIOUS & FOUNDRESS, 

AND ST BRUNO, FOUNDER OF THE CARTHUSIANS.

MARTHA AND MARY. SISTERS. HOLY AND DIFFERENT.

Mary has chosen the better part.

THE GOODNEWS:

"Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.

"She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.

"Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me."

"The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.

"There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her." (Luke 10: 38 - 42).

Tuesday, 6th October in the 27th Week in Ordinary Time.

The story of two sisters Martha and Mary teaches us great lessons of faith, hope and love.

Martha and Mary are sisters and live in the same house. Their differences in outlook give Jesus a teaching opportunity to address a problem that is endemic in our society today. Our lives are distracted by too many gadgets, information overload, mindless multitasking and many other things.

Jesus says to Martha and us:

"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."

What is the better part that Mary has chosen? Mary chose to honor their Guest. Mary chose the will of God for her at this moment.

When you choose the will of God for you here and now instead of your own will, you have chosen the better part. The will of God is always the better part. In God's will is our peace. Our Shalom!

How do we know the will of God? It is not complicated at all. The easiest way is to ask God. "Lord what will You have me do?" God is our Father who wants the very best for His children. He can never deceive us. He promises us to ask and we shall receive.

God speaks to us in Sacred Scripture. Scripture is the very word of God. As you sit at the feet of Jesus like Mary each day to listen to Scripture, little by little you begin to know "the better part" for you in everything. This is what Scripture calls wisdom. Wisdom is the gift of choosing what God wants you to choose in every given situation.

Think of today's great Gospel message from another perspective.

Martha appears addicted to work. Mary is laid back and seems to relish the Sacrament of the Present Moment.

How do we get addicted to activity? What is the cause? How did it start?

Fear of man? Desire to please?

Desire to win at all cost?

Love of money?

Love of pleasure?

Jesus said to Martha:

"You are worried and distracted by many things."

In short, you are an activity addict.

What is the remedy for this hyper addiction?

"Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46: 11).

Enjoy the Sacrament of the Present Moment.

What can we do every day to help you to heal from this condition?

1. Daily Prayer.

2. Daily word of God.

3. Frequent Eucharist and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

4. Affirm constantly that God is in control.

Since you know this, do it and you will be blessed.

TWO SAINTS WHO CHOSE THE BETTER PART

Brethren, the Church gives us two witnesses today. One left a brilliant career for the silence of a mountain. The other spent her days in hard, ordinary service and kept her heart at the feet of Jesus. The Church has always taught that the faithful on earth, the souls being purified and the saints in heaven are one Body of Christ, bound together by prayer. (Cf CCC 946 - 962). The hidden prayer of the saints holds up the busy work of the whole Church.

SAINT OF THE DAY: ST BRUNO (c. 1030 - 1101). German. Priest, Hermit and Founder of the Carthusian Order.

[IMAGE: St Bruno and the Chartreuse]

Dear friends, meet a man who walked away from success to find God.

Bruno was born around 1030 in Cologne, Germany. A brilliant student, he became head of the cathedral school at Reims and taught theology for nearly twenty years. One of his pupils became Pope Urban II.

Then came the test. Manasses, the archbishop of Reims, was accused of simony, the buying of Church office. Bruno stood against him. He lost his post and his home.

In 1084, with six companions, Bruno climbed into the wild Chartreuse mountains near Grenoble. Bishop St Hugh gave them the land. They built small hermit cells around a common church. The Carthusian Order was born: silence, solitude and prayer.

Urban II later called his old teacher to Rome as adviser. Bruno obeyed. But he refused the archbishopric of Reggio and returned to solitude in Calabria. He died there on 6th October 1101.

Bruno wrote no rule. His sons wrote it later. Yet the Carthusians are known for a proud saying: never reformed, because never deformed. Their motto says it all: "Stat crux dum volvitur orbis." The Cross stands steady while the world turns.

BLESSED MARIE-ROSE DUROCHER (1811 - 1849). Canadian. Religious and Foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.

Marie-Rose was born on 6th October 1811 in a village near Montreal, Canada, the tenth of eleven children. She longed to be a sister, but poor health closed the convent door.

When she was 18, her mother died. She went to keep house for her priest brother in Beloeil. For 13 years she was housekeeper, hostess and parish worker. Martha's work. Yet her goodness earned her the title "the saint of Beloeil."

Her bishop and her spiritual director urged her to begin a community to teach poor children. She resisted. In 1843, at Longueuil, Quebec, she founded the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary and took the name Sister Marie-Rose.

Her last six years were filled with poverty, sickness and trials. She died on 6th October 1849, on her 38th birthday. Pope St John Paul II beatified her on 23rd May 1982.

A Martha's hands. A Mary's heart.

Lord Jesus, You called St Bruno to the silence of the mountain and Blessed Marie-Rose to the service of the poor. Teach us to sit at Your feet before we serve, and let all our work flow from prayer. Amen.

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary.

Why a special month for the Holy Rosary? Because the Rosary is a very powerful prayer. It is an important prayer in the life of the Church and in the life of individual Christian.

A FAMILY THAT PRAYS THE ROSARY TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER.

Say the Holy Rosary every day in October.

Mary Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.

For Prayers, Consecration, Litany, Testimony of Jesus about those who pray the Rosary, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/09/october-devotion-to-holy-rosary.html?m=1

THE FEAST OF ST MARIA FAUSTINA. APOSTLE OF DIVINE MERCY.

FEAST OF ST MARIA FAUSTINA, VIRGIN AND RELIGIOUS SISTER

THE GOODNEWS:

"There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,

“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law?

How do you read it?”

He said in reply,

“You shall love the Lord, your God,

with all your heart,

with all your being,

with all your strength,

and with all your mind,

and your neighbor as yourself.”

He replied to him, “You have answered correctly;

do this and you will live.”

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, 

“And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus replied, 

“A man fell victim to robbers

as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.

They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.

A priest happened to be going down that road,

but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.

Likewise a Levite came to the place,

and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.

But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him

was moved with compassion at the sight.

He approached the victim,

poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.

Then he lifted him up on his own animal,

took him to an inn, and cared for him.

The next day he took out two silver coins

and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,

‘Take care of him.

If you spend more than what I have given you,

I shall repay you on my way back.’

Which of these three, in your opinion,

was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”

He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”

Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

 Monday 5th October 2026 in the 27th Week in Ordinary Time.

Brethren, a lawyer tests Jesus with a clever question: 

"Who is my neighbor?"

 He wants a definition. Jesus gives him a man half dead on the roadside and three travelers.

 Then Jesus turns the question around: "Which of these was neighbor to the man?"

The lawyer cannot even say the word "Samaritan."

 He says, "The one who showed him mercy."

Three things in today's Gospel:

#1 The priest and the Levite SAW him and passed by. 

They were men of religion, and they walked on. Prayer without mercy is noise. You can attend Mass every day and still cross to the other side of the road.

#2 The Samaritan was MOVED. Then he ACTED. He bandaged, carried, paid and promised to come back.

 Compassion that does not move your hands and your wallet is only sentiment.

#3 Jesus does not say "admire the Samaritan." He says: "GO AND DO LIKEWISE."

So, who is lying by the roadside in your family? In your workplace? In your parish? Whom have you been passing by?

Do ONE concrete act of mercy today for someone you would normally walk past.

Today we remember St Faustina, the Apostle of Divine Mercy. 

Receive mercy from Jesus. Then give it away.

SAINT OF THE DAY: ST MARIA FAUSTINA KOWALSKA (1905 - 1938). Polish. Religious Sister and Apostle of Divine Mercy.

Dear friends, meet a very ordinary girl. Helena Kowalska was born on 25th August 1905 into a poor farming family in Głogowiec, Poland, the third of ten children. She had barely three years of schooling. At sixteen she left home to work as a housemaid, so that her family could have a little more bread on the table.

All the while, one desire stayed in her heart: to belong entirely to Jesus. In 1925 she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Warsaw and became Sister Maria Faustina. She was a cook, a gardener and a doorkeeper.

 Hidden. Unnoticed. But never unseen by Heaven.

On 22nd February 1931, in her little cell at Płock, Jesus appeared to her, with red and pale rays streaming from His Heart.

 Tenderly He asked her to have an image painted with the words:

 "Jesus, I trust in You." 

He taught her the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and asked for a Feast of Mercy on the Sunday after Easter.

Out of obedience to her confessor, Fr Michael Sopoćko, she wrote everything down in a Diary of some 600 pages, now loved around the world as "Divine Mercy in My Soul."

Tuberculosis took her in Kraków on 5th October 1938. She was only 33.

Pope St John Paul II beatified her in 1993 and canonized her on 30th April 2000, the first saint of the new millennium, and named the Second Sunday of Easter Divine Mercy Sunday.

Her message is as simple as it is beautiful:

#1 Trust in Jesus. "Jesus, I trust in You."

#2 Mercy received must become mercy given.

THE ABC OF MERCY captures the essence of the DIVINE MERCY DEVOTION. 

A - ASK FOR MERCY. 

B - BE MERCIFUL. 

C - COMPLETELY TRUST JESUS FOR MERCY. 

The Good Samaritan shows us what that mercy looks like.

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary.

Why a spRosaryecial month for the Holy ? Because the Rosary is a very powerful prayer. It is an important prayer in the life of the Church and in the life of individual Christian. 

A FAMILY THAT PRAYS THE ROSARY TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER.

Say the Holy Rosary every day in October.

Mary Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.

For Prayers, Consecration, Litany, Testimony of Jesus about those who pray the Rosary, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/09/october-devotion-to-holy-rosary.html?m=1