Bestow your bread on the hungry and watch how the Lord will respond.

"Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them."  (Isaiah 58: 7 RM)

Yesterday, we heard the following from the Lord:   "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind."  (Hebrews 13: 16)

Today, the Lord became more specific.  The poor and the needy cry to the Lord and He hears them.  (Psalm 34: 17; 69: 33) It is not because of any limitations to His power that Abba Father does not supply the poor and the needy directly.   Father is pleased to share the government of the world with us.  As a good Teacher, He motivates us.

If you obey,  "Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!"  (Isaiah 58: 8 -  9)

For all who obey God, No fear.  No worry.  No doubt.

Seekfirst.blogspot.com

If you bestow your bread on the hungry, it shall be well for you and you will never have to fear bad news.

"Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them."  (Isaiah 58: 7 RM)

Yesterday, we heard the following from the Lord:   "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind."  (Hebrews 13: 16)

Today, the Lord became more specific.  The poor and the needy cry to the Lord and He hears them.  (Psalm 34: 17; 69: 33) It is not because of any limitations to His power that Abba Father does not supply the poor and the needy directly.   Father is pleased to share the government of the world with us.  As a good Teacher, He motivates us.

If you obey,  "Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!"  (Isaiah 58: 8 -  9)

For all who obey God, No fear.  No worry.  No doubt.

Seekfirst.blogspot.com

If you bestow your bread on the hungry, it shall be well for you and you shall never be moved.

"Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them."  (Isaiah 58: 7 RM)

Yesterday, we heard the following from the Lord:   "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind."  (Hebrews 13: 16)

Today, the Lord became more specific.  The poor and the needy cry to the Lord and He hears them.  (Psalm 34: 17; 69: 33) It is not because of any limitations to His power that Abba Father does not supply the poor and the needy directly.   Father is pleased to share the government of the world with us.  As a good Teacher, He motivates us.

If you obey,  "Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!"  (Isaiah 58: 8 -  9)

For all who obey God, No fear.  No worry.  No doubt.

Seekfirst.blogspot.com

Do good and share what you have.

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind."  (Hebrews 13: 16 NABRE)

Do you groan if you find yourself sharing what you have?  Our Heavenly Father who is not partial has bestowed on each of us immense Time, Talent and Treasure.   He wants us to develop and enjoy these gifts.  He is very pleased when we share them. 
You can share your gifts of Time, Talent and Treasure not just in your faith and civil communities but even with strangers.

"May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord,  furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will."  (Hebrews 13: 20 - 21)

If the Lord is truly your Shepherd, He promises that you will lack nothing.  Trust Him.  (Psalm 23: 1)

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February 03, 2017: First Friday

February 03, 2017 First Friday

12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

#5:  I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.

The above is one of 12 of The Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary.

Jesus promises to pour abundant blessings on all the undertakings of those who honor and are devoted to His Most Sacred Heart.

I always remind Jesus of this promise.  Scripture teaches us to pray that God prospers the work of our hands.  (Psalm 90: 17).  When you tie this prayer to the Sacred Heart devotion, you give a boost to your faith.  God responds to Faith always and everywhere.

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Love money and money will enslave you.

"Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never, never fail you nor forsake  you.”   That is why we can say without any doubt or fear, “The Lord is my Helper, and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me.”  (Hebrews 13: 5 - 6 TLB)

By dying Jesus Christ freed us from the fear of death.  (Hebrews 2: 15)
By His poverty, we are freed from the fear of being poor.  This fear has led many to be enslaved by money all their life.  (Cf Hebrews 2: 15)

Man does not live on money alone.  Man is created to live on every word that comes from the mouth of God.  (Cf Matthew 4 : 4)
Paul says that he knows how to live as a rich man and  how to live as a poor man.  There is no situation he cannot find contentment because of Jesus Christ who has promised him His presence, protection and provision.  He found his security in Jesus.  ( Cf 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10;  Philippians 4: 12)

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Is Jesus a sign of contradiction by choice or by design?

“Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted."  (Luke 2: 34 NABRE)

It beats the imagination on how such a sweet child should be a sign of contradiction and contestation.  Yet this is what Jesus became almost from the womb.  Let us consider a few examples:

#1.  Joseph, a native of Bethlehem could not secure a room in  his home town for Mary to give birth.  (Luke 2: 7)
#2.  Because of Jesus, many innocent infants of his age group were massacred by King Herod. (Matthew 2: 16)
#3. The Infant Jesus and His parents became refugees in Egypt.  (Matthew 2: 13)
#4. His relatives suspected Him of insanity.  (Mark 3: 21)
#5. The religious rulers accused him of demonic possession.  (Mark 3: 22)
#6.  Under Pontius Pilate, he was imprisoned, judged and condemned to a cruel death. (Matthew 27: 32 - 60)
#7. Over 2000 years after He rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven,  His followers are divided arguing who is the first and the best.

"The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him."  (Luke 2: 40)

God Never Fails!

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The Lord chastened me severely but spared my life.

“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.”  (Hebrews 12 : 5 -  6 NABRE)

After I lost everything I had worked for, sick and penniless, I heard the above words from the pulpit at Mass one Sunday morning.  It was clearly addressed to me.  The word has met its owner.  For the rest of that Sunday,  I read and re-read the passage.  Gradually, the truth settled in my heart.  Abba Father was not punishing me for my sins but training me as a son.  By the end of that day, I resolved to accept all my trials as discipline.  My life was transformed.  It did not take long before I started to notice the peaceful fruit of righteousness that came from Abba Father's discipline.   Like David I crowed "Thank You Father for training me." (Psalm 118: 18)

Thank You Father.  Lead me, guide me, train me and use me.  Amen!

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Faith alone can help you attain your destiny and the best version of yourself.

"Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”  (Mark 5: 34 NABRE)

“Do not be afraid; just have faith.”  (Mark 5: 36 NABRE)

In Mark 5: 21 -  44, we see two miracles of healing back to back.  A woman suffering hemorrhages for 12 years was healed instantly and the daughter of Jaurus was raised from death.   Yesterday we named some heroes of faith in the Old Testament.  All these pure Scriptures on faith give us an opportunity to understand what faith is and how to nourish and use it.

Faith alone distinguished the heroes of the Old Testament.  It can make you great and a hero.  Perhaps not a millionaire.  Faith can help you attain your destiny, the very best person God has created you to be.

Faith is based on the trustworthiness of the word, promise of God.  If He says it, it shall be accomplished.  Fear is useless; all that is needed is trust.  Disregard sense evidence and feelings and trust in the pure word of God.

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You too can become a hero of faith.

"I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets,  who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised."  (Hebrews 11: 32 -  33 NIV)

We see a sampling of some of the heroes of faith and some of what they accomplished through faith.  You may say:  "This is ancient history."  But how about Martin Luther King, Mother St Teresa of Kolkata, Mother Mary Angelica, founder of EWTN who died less than a year ago?   What God did in the past, He can repeat today.

"And my righteous ones will live by faith." (Hebrews 10: 38)

Lord, give us the faith of the heroes, then lead us, guide us and use us to the dust.

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