How can we know the way?

“Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”  Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life." (John 14: 5 - 6).

Sunday 10th May 2020, 5th Week in the Easter Season.

Let us continue to savor the words of Jesus in the Last Supper Discourses. Most Christians know this saying of Jesus by heart: “I am the way and the truth and the life."
If you understand what it means and apply it to your life, you will be blessed.

Jesus is the Way, the Bridge to Heaven, to Eternal life. In the Bread of life Discourses, Jesus laid out clearly one critical infrastructure of this Way: the Eucharist. Below are other powerful elements of the Way:
#1 Prayer.
#2 Word of God.
#3 Reconciliation

What do you consider to be your greatest need in this moment?

"Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart. And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]." (Proverbs 3: 5 - 6).

“I am the way and the truth and the life."

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

You now know the Father.

"If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14: 7).

Saturday 9th May 2020, 4th Week in the Easter Season.

Jesus continues this intimate and profound conversation with His chosen friends in the Last Supper Discourses the night before His death. You may call this the Last Testament.

Jesus stated categorically: "If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” From what we learned from St Augustine and St Anselm of the nature of faith, my response to the Lord Jesus is: "Amen Lord. I know the Father and I have seen Him."
Our great teachers of faith tell us that we believe so that we can understand. We understand in order to believe more. Although I see myself as a poor man, if the Lord Jesus says to me: You are a billionaire. My response will be: "Yes, Lord Jesus. I am a billionaire." Is this what our Sister, Mary did? "Let it be done to me according to Your word." And it was done.

Jesus revealed a lot about the Father in this segment of the Last Supper Discourses but brothers and sisters note how He ended it today:

"And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it." (John 14: 13 - 14).
The Father is glorified when He grants us favors in Jesus name.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Why are your hearts troubled?

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?" (John 14: 1 - 2).

Friday May 8th 2020, 4th Week in the Easter Season.

Our Gospel pick for today is from the Last Souper Discourses. Remember that this is the fireside tête à tête that Jesus had with the Apostles the night before He was crucified.

Today, the hearts of Christians are troubled like the Apostles before the clear and present dangers of the pandemics. For us and the Apostles, we are entering uncharted waters. Now Jesus knows about how they and us feel. He says to us:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me."

From the chattering boxes, what do we know about what Christians are afraid of today?
#1 Dying.
#2 Financial loss.
#3 Job loss.

Not much evidence about fears, worries and doubts about their eternal destiny. Yet this is a marvelous opportunity to preach the Good News of the Resurrection of Jesus and what it means for us.

"In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?" (John 14: 1 - 2).

Believe. Stop doubting!

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

"Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.  If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it." (John 13: 16 - 17).

Thursday 7th May 2020, 4th Week in the Easter Season. We enter one of the most consequential conversations of Jesus with His disciples: The Last Supper Discourse.

The first thing Jesus did as He gathered the disciples to celebrate the Passover in the Upper Room which became the Last Supper was to wash the dirty feet of His disciples. What is the lesson for them and for us?
"Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.  If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it." (John 13: 16 - 17).
Jesus the Christ came to serve and not to be served.

We become saints not by the amount of knowledge or degrees we have but by imitating Jesus. As we become little by little like Jesus every day we start to imitate his actions.  Jesus promises that this is the secret of the ultimate blessings and happiness in this world and the next.

Saints are the happiest people on earth. Why not start by desiring to be a saint?

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

I am the Light of the world.

"I am the light of the world, says the Lord; anyone who follows me will have the light of life." (John 8: 12 Gospel Acclamation).

Wednesday 6th May 2020, 4th Week in the Easter Season.

Today Jesus speaks of Light and says bluntly that He is the Light of the world. In the city where I live, we have enjoyed almost three weeks of blasting sunrise since Easter Sunday, April 12. I step out in the driveway in the morning with my dark glasses to gaze on the sunrise. It reminds me of the Transfiguration. But later I came to see the only sun in the world as a strong symbol of Jesus the only Unique Son of the Father.

What does it mean that Jesus is the light of the world. The contrast between light and darkness comes to mind. We also know about:
Light and the Holy Spirit.
Light and illumination.
Light and truth.
Light and knowledge.

As for darkness, we know about darkness and sin; darkness and unbelief.

When the Franciscans arrived in Aztec country in the 16th century, human sacrifice was rampant. Decades after, it was wiped out and replaced by the the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to the living God. This has been the inevitable outcome of the the light of Christ all over the world from the beginning of Christianity.
Slavery, ignorance, disease and poverty have been abolished in many parts of the world. The battle for a healthy environment is on and will succumb to the light of Christ shortly.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?" (Psalm 27: 1).

You fear nothing and nobody only if the Lord is your light and your salvation. Go for light!

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

But you do not believe..

"The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.  But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep." (John 10: 25 - 26).

Tuesday 5th April 2020, 4th Week in the Easter Season.

Our key Scripture deals with the ugly and stubborn sin of Unbelief. Throughout Scripture, Unbelief has riled God. The Israelites witnessed a series of tremendous display of power that led to their deliverance  from Egypt. They were stunned and incredulous when they marched through the Red Sea. They drank clean water from the rock. They were fed of manna. Yet, they never believed or trusted God.

Jesus Christ came and performed all the miracles foretold by the prophets. The people saw all these and did not believe or trusted Jesus. We know why they did not believe. "They are not among my sheep."
Brethren, be careful so that Unbelief does not deprive you of your eternal inheritance. "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul."

How do you detect the festering sin of Unbelief?

#1 Is your heart cool to the word of God? "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." (St Jerome).
#2 Are you scornful of the Sacraments?
#3 Do you prefer to listen to how science can extend life so that man lives for 300 years instead of the promise of Eternal life?
#4 Do you consider the Second coming of Jesus Christ a myth for fools?

"The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, says the Lord, I know them and they follow me." (John 10: 27).

“Blessed is the man who does not lose faith in me” (Matthew 11:6).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

What is Abundant Life?

"I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly." (John 10: 10).

Monday 4th May 2020, 4th Week in the Easter Season.

The Good Shepherd Gospel of Sunday is repeated today because of its importance. From it, we pick our daily Scripture verse:
"I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly." (John 10: 10). Most people know this Scripture. They like it because we all like to enjoy abundant life. It is possible to enjoy abundant life here on earth. But it is not what you may think: great health and no sickness; flawless family and zero feuds; always financial peace and stability; great skills and top jobs; high quality and top of line tools and possessions.

What then is the Abundant life promised in John 10: 10? What is promised is 100% better than all of the above. The Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, the Big Gift of the Father and His special promise is what is promised. For good measure, Scripture teaches that the Father does not ration His Holy Spirit. What you receive will be in direct proportion to your desire and your capacity to receive.

Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and that door shall be opened to you.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com