The Twelve drove out many demons.

"Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.... Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them." (Mark 6: 7, 11 - 13).

Sunday 11th July 2021, in the 15th Week in Ordinary Time.

The first, Second Reading of the 15th Sunday as well as the Gospel deal with the theme of the Choice, the Call and the Anointing of key personnel or officers of the Kingdom that Jesus Christ came to Inaugurate.

In the first Reading, Amos describes his call. “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The Lord took me from following the flock, and said to me, Go, ­prophesy to my people Israel.”

Paul describes in his letter to the Ephesians how we are chosen, destined and sealed by the Holy Spirit for our mission. He prayed to the Father for us:
"May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to our call." (Ephesians 1: 17 - 18).

Without Jesus, we can do absolutely nothing.
"The doing must be Mine. Yours it is to trust Me, to wait upon Me, to abide close to My Heart like the beloved disciple. When you are to do something that springs from My plan for you, you will find that thing easy to do, for I will give you light and strength and perseverance in the doing of it." (IN SINU JESU pg 261).

Now that we know that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit for this great mission, failure is not an option.  "Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12: 1 - 2).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirst.blogspot.com

You are worth more than many sparrows.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are ­counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Matthew 10: 29 - 31).

Saturday 10th July 2021, in the 14th Week in Ordinary Time.  When there is no assigned feast on Saturday, the Church is delighted to celebrate the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday.

The sweetest teaching, doctrine in the Bible is God's powerful and merciful Providence over all of creation. What does this mean? Abba Father cares lovingly even for the tiny sparrows. He cares for them so much that He gives them permission to build their nests right above His altars. David envied the tiny sparrows because of this privilege.

How is it possible that man created in the image and likeness of God, destined to live forever with God could be possibly treated with less dignity than a sparrow. Not possible! Another Big Lie of the Devil!!! You are worth more than many sparrows. Believe this. Faith comes from hearing. You have heard/read this. This is the word of God proclaimed today in every Church in the world.

"I will teach you all that you need to know as you go forward' says Jesus to a mystic.  "I will not give you My words ahead of time, but I will give them to you as you need them, at the moment chosen by My loving providence. Renounce the desire to control and arrange things ahead of the time that I have decreed. Each thing has its own moment, and that moment alone and no other brings with it the grace sufficient to your need, to your weakness, and to the task at hand. I am proceeding this way with you because I want you to trust Me completely, to trust Me in all things, great and small." (IN SINU JESU pg 76).
Thank You Jesus. This is a sweet message.

To see how Abba Father loves us, click on the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2020/09/abba-father.html?m=1

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirst.blogspot.com

The Feast of St Augustine Zhao and companion martyrs.

"When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."  (Matthew 10: 19 - 20).

Friday 9th July 2021, 14th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Augustine Zhao, Chinese priest and martyr and 119 of his companion martyrs. China continues to persecute the Church. Does China want to achieve a goal that the mighty Roman Empire failed to accomplish? The Third Reich of Adolf Hitler tried to suppress the Church but was suppressed.  Joseph Stalin died while trying to crush what the Bolsheviks called the opium of the people.

The missionary effort of the Church continues worldwide uninterrupted by persecutions and pandemics.

In our key Scripture for today, we see a prophecy of what awaits the disciples as they embark on the apostolic mandate. "As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 10: 6).

Jesus also predicted a great deal of victory and consolation for His disciples. Arraignment before governors and magistrates will be an opportunity for them to see the power of the Holy Spirit in their defense. We see the fulfillment of this when Peter and John faced the full Sanhedrin.  We see the same power at play when Paul was before Festus, the Roman high official. Jesus was not kidding. He promises to support His disciples. He does so.

St Augustine Zhao and his companion martyrs defied the rage of the Chinese persecutors. They accepted martyrdom rather than deny their faith. They are enjoying their reward today.

"The movement of persecution that is about to break out against My Church will focus on three objects. In fact, this has already begun. I will be attacked in My priests; they represent My Eucharistic Face. The face of the priesthood is My Face, once again mocked and covered with mud, spittle, and blood. I will be dishonoured in the Sacrament of My Body and Blood. You will see an increase of sins against the mysteries of My Body and Blood: sacrilege, desecrations, and mockeries. I will be attacked in the weakest and most vulnerable members of My Mystical Body. This too has already begun, but it will increase until it reaches proportions that will oblige My Father to avenge the blood of His beloved innocents." (IN SINU JESU pg 91).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirst.blogspot.com

You received the Good News without cost, share it freely.

"Jesus said to his Apostles: “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep." (Matthew 10: 7 - 10).

Thursday 8th July 2021, in the 14th Week in Ordinary.

Without cost we have received the Good News; without cost we are to give the Good News. Tune into Christian Television. What do you observe? Sometimes more than 30% of the time devoted to asking for money. Money is needed for all kinds of ministry, viz: building, missionary journeys, staff salaries, etc. "Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give." Do not sell the Good News under cover of necessities for the work of the Lord.

This is why Jesus practices and teaches exemplary simplicity to His disciples.
"Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick."
Trust completely in God who charged you with this work. "The laborer deserves his keep." God knows perfectly everything you need. He will provide you through your hosts or directly through His angels. And if 'You seek first His kingdom and His righteousness above your needs, all that you need will be given to you without much ado.' (Cf Matthew 6: 33).

Through Your Son, Father, You taught us not to be fearful of tomorrow but to commit our lives to Your care. Do not withhold your Spirit from us but help us find a life of peace after these days of trouble.

"Confidence opens the door to all the treasures of My kingdom. To one who has confidence in My merciful love, I can refuse nothing." (IN SINU JESU pg 105).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirst.blogspot.com

Jesus Inaugurates the Twelve, the Church.

"Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness..... "Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 10: 1..7).

Wednesday 7th July 2021, in the 14th Week in Ordinary Time.

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples. Who are the Twelve disciples today? Historically, the Twelve disciples represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel. In our first Reading today from Genesis 41, we see the beginning of the story of how the family of Jacob now Israel migrated to Egypt to live for 430 years. This is God's providential design for His family as we are reminded by today's Responsorial Psalm 33:

"The Lord brings to nought the plans of nations; he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the Lord stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations."

God's Providence = His Plan = His Designs. It is also His Purpose, Blueprint and His Will.

In the Gospel of today, we see the rollout of God's Plan. The Twelve Tribes became the Twelve Apostles. The Twelve became the beginning of the Seed of the Kingdom, the Church. The Church is the Seed of the the Kingdom of God on earth. (CCC 671).

The Kingdom of heaven is not just at hand. It is here. We are the New Israel.  Our mandate is to take authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness and to preach the Good News to everyone on earth.

The Church is the Guardian of the greatest mystery of Jesus Christ:
"It [The Eucharist] was to extend the graces of My Incarnation and earthly life to all of My disciples, to My chosen friends, until the end of time. So much of what I held in My Heart when I instituted this Sacrament has now been forgotten, or obscured, or deliberately contradicted. This is what causes the sorrow of My Eucharistic Heart. This is why I turned to you and asked you to give Me your life, the rest of your life, in adoration and reparation. I want the free response of your adoring love to My Eucharistic love." (IN SINU JESU).

Our Baptism makes us priest, prince and prophet. You too are a Guardian of the Eucharistic mystery.

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirst.blogspot.com

The Feast of St Maria Goretti.

"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).

Tuesday 6th July 2021, 14th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Maria Goretti (1890 - 1902). Italian. Virgin and Martyr. Maria was barely twelve years old when she was attacked by Alessandro Serenelli, a 19 years old man who tried to rape her. Maria resisted fiercely.  Alessandro stabbed her to death.

Maria forgave him in her death bed. Alessandro spent 27 of 30 years in prison. Maria appeared to him in a dream and brought him flowers. Alessandro Serenelli was in the audience at the Vatican when Maria was canonized in 1950. He later joined the Capuchin monastery.
St Maria Goretti is the patron saint of purity, young women, rape victims and youth.
In her liturgy, the Church teaches us that God is the source of innocence and lover of chastity.

We see in our key Scripture for today the compassion of Jesus for the crowds who were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. He healed many of their diseaae 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.

"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).

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

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirst.blogspot.com

The Feast of St Antony Mary Zaccaria.

"When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said, “Truly, the Lord is in this place and I did not know it!”  He was afraid and said: “How awesome this place is! This is nothing else but the house of God, the gateway to heaven!” (Genesis 28: 16 - 17).

Monday 5th July 2021, in the 14th Week in Ordinary is also the feast of St Antony Mary Zaccaria (1502 - 1539). Italian. Priest. Antony founded the Clerks Regular of St Paul dedicated for the renewal of the clergy and laity. He died at the age of 36.

The Patriarch Jacob had a rapture-like dream in his travels in the area of Haran. He had a dream:
"A stairway rested on the ground, with its top reaching to the heavens; and God’s angels were going up and down on it.  And there was the Lord standing beside him and saying: I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants." (Genesis 28: 12 - 13).

This dream changed the life of Jacob as he understood the implications for his life. He made a vow to God:  “If God will be with me and protect me on this journey I am making and give me food to eat and clothes to wear,  and I come back safely to my father’s house, the Lord will be my God."

Have you ever had a spiritual experience that changed your life? Our key Scripture invites us to be open to the experience of God always and everywhere because God is everywhere and ready to interact with us.

" When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said, “Truly, the Lord is in this place and I did not know it!”  He was afraid and said: “How awesome this place is! This is nothing else but the house of God, the gateway to heaven!” (Genesis 28: 16 - 17).

"I have asked you to trust Me and to place in Me alone all your hope and all your dreams for happiness and peace. Seek Me, trust Me, and all the rest will be given you besides." (IN SINU JESU).

Your very home may be your shrine where you encounter God.

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirst.blogspot.com