The Holy Spirit will abide with us forever.

"Jesus said to his disciples:
‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.
I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever, that Spirit of truth whom the world can never receive since it neither sees nor knows him; but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you." (John 14: 15 - 17).

Sunday 17th May 2020, 6th Week in the Easter Season.

Our Savior continues to reveal to His chosen friends the dynamics of the the Kingdom of God that He is entrusting to them. The Church is the seed of the Kingdom on earth.
The Holy Spirit, the Big Gift of the Father is the Spirit of truth. He will lead and guide the Church to all truth and preserve the integrity of the teachings of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit will be our Advocate and constant Helper. The one condition for receiving this free Gift is: "If you love me you will keep my commandments," says Jesus.
Pentecost Sunday is May 31st. Novena to prepare to receive this special Gift starts on Friday, May 22. I am excited.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Why are you terrified of persecution?

“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you." (John 15: 18 - 19).

Saturday 16th May 2020, 5th Week in the Easter Season.

Let us remember that the Last Supper Discourse is the Last Testament of a Man that would be dead in less than 24 hours. Every single word counts. No time for beating about the bush. In today's Scripture, Jesus is saying: Christians, you can not dodge persecution. Persecution comes with the territory. What if you promise?  We will lock down our Churches as long as you want. We are good citizens. Will that save the Church from persecution?

Jesus says No!
"Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (John 15: 20).

Finally, let us understand once and for all:
"And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me."

From the first Reading today  Cf Acts 16: 1 - 10), we learn:
“Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number.”

Are the churches growing stronger in faith and increasing in number today?

Persecution comes with the territory. The Name of Jesus which sparks the persecution is also the unconquerable weapon to demolish all the forces of evil aligned against us. History and prophecy are on our side.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The feast of St Isidore the Farmer.

"It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you." (John 15: 16).

Friday 15th May 2020, 5th Week in the Easter Season is the Feast of St Isidore the Farmer (1070 - 1130). Isidore was a humble Spanish farmer who spent most of his day on the land and managed to attend daily Mass and spend significant time before the Blessed Sacrament. His wife Maria is a canonized saint. His life reminds us that all creation belong to God who requires us to care for the environment that surrounds us. Isidore is the Patron of the National Rural Life Conference in the US.

It is easy and a temptation for some of us who want to be good Christians to think that we woke up one day and chose to serve Jesus. No. No. No! Not even close. Jesus chose us. And more than that: He anointed us to be fruit bearers and intercessors for our family, friends, the Church and the world.

"I chose you from the world to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last, says the Lord." (John 15: 16).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

You chose me Jesus!

"It was not you who chose me, says the Lord, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last." (John 15: 16).

Thursday 14th May 2020, 5th Week in the Easter Season is the feast of the Apostle Matthias. (+ 64). The story of his election into the College of the Apostles to replace Judas is the first Reading today: (Cf Acts 1: 15 - 26). Matthias witnessed to Jesus in Palestine where he was stoned to death.

Our Scripture verse is from the Last Supper Discourse. Like the Apostles, each of us is called, chosen and anointed for a specific mission in the Kingdom. This is true whether we are soldiers, teachers, accountants, lawyers or housewives. Your day job is the field for your ministry. What is the appropriate response to Jesus? Let us be guided by the response of the Church:
"I will bear witness to You in the world O Lord.  I will spread the knowledge of Your name among my brothers and sisters.  (Psalm 17: 50 ; 21:23).

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

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of Our Lady of Fatima.

"Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me." (John 15: 4).

Wednesday 13th May 2020, 5th Week in the Easter Season is the Feast of of Our Lady of Fatima. We shall not forget the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to three shepherd children at Fatima in 1917. Or the miracles of Fatima. The message of Fatima is continued conversion to God and dedication to Mary through commitment to pray the Holy Rosary. Do you pray the Rosary? 

In today's Scripture verse, we see that Jesus is still huddled together with the Apostles in the Upper Room presenting to them His Last Testament. Today, Jesus presents to them the secret of productivity in the Vineyard of the Lord, the Church of the living God: Remain in Me as I remain in you. This promise is huge. We shall use the response of the Church as our own response.

"O God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ,
grant your people constancy in faith and hope, that we may never doubt the promises of which we have learned from you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." Amen.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Holy Spirit is our Comforter and Advocate.

"The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you." (John 14: 26).

Monday 11th May 2020, 5th Week in the Easter Season.

We continue with the Last Supper Discourse. We have seen the following themes in the past four days:
#1 Jesus set an example by washing the dirty feet of the Apostles.
#2 Medicine for troubled hearts: Trust in the Father and trust also in Jesus.
#3 The Father: You know Him. You have seen Him.
#4 Today, enter the Holy Spirit: the Paraclete, the Advocate, the Voice that speaks in Court.

Pentecost Sunday is May 31st, is a good time to meditate on the 3rd Person of the Blessed Trinity as we prepare for the Pentecost Novena.

We receive the Holy Spirit first in Baptism. He is the Big Gift. The Promise of the Father. The Lord and Giver of Abundant life. The Advocate and the Voice that speaks in Court for us.
In Confirmation, we are strengthened in this gift and become aware of the importance of His Seven Gifts: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord in the life of a Christian. We also get to know the 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit through which we manifest to the world that we are Christians. They are: Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-control and Chastity. These gifts together form the character of Jesus Christ. We can all be like Jesus by receiving these gifts and fruits and nourishing them day by day through:
#1 Prayer
#2 Word of God
#3 Eucharist
#4 Penance/Reconciliation

Jesus Christ is the Way to eternal life.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com