Feast of St John Damascene, Priest and Doctor of the Church.

"Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. 
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Matthew 9: 35 - 38).

Saturday 4th December 2021, First Week of Advent is the feast of St John Damascene. (675 - 749). Religious Priest and Doctor of the Church. Born in Damascus. Before his ordination to the priesthood in 726, St John was the finance minister to the Caliph.  His work of life was mostly study and writing. He produced books in dogmatic theology. St John Damascene wrote a significant book on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But his defense of the use of images is his striking contribution to the Church. Without John Damascene, we may not be able to use these images in worship or in our devotions. For example: Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, Mary and the Saints. Thank you St John Damascene.

We see in our key Scripture for today the compassion of Jesus for the crowds who were troubled and appeared totally abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus healed many of their disease and illness and preached to them the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Yet Jesus was sad because the need is so great and the human resources needed for the work are paltry. A mystic asked Jesus about the acute vocation crisis in the Church. Jesus answered below:

"When I asked Our Lord about more vocations: Trust Me with the timing of all things. One plant must be deeply rooted before another one can be planted beside it. I am alive in the Sacrament of My love and, at every moment, divinely active, doing from My place upon the altar all that I did during My sojourn on earth. From the Sacrament of My love I heal the sick, I give sight to the blind, I cause the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, and the mute to speak. I am the healer of souls and of bodies." ( IN SINU JESU, Tuesday, March 2, 2010).

What can you do to help? Become an evangelist. From here, you may be led to your proper path.

For information on the Compendium of the the Church, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2021/03/compendium-of-catholic-teachings.html?m=1

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