Who do you say that I am?

"Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Christ.” (Mark 8: 27... 35).

Sunday 12th September 2021, in the 24th Week in Ordinary Time.

What happened in Caesarea Philippi in today's Gospel marks a pivotal moment in the ministry of Jesus. The Apostles have been with Jesus about three years. Now the ministry of Jesus is coming to a close. How much do they know about their Leader after three years? To Jesus' question: “Who do people say that I am?” The Apostles answered:  “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” From their response we know that the people think highly of Jesus because Elijah and John the Baptist were two of the most important prophets in the history of Israel.

“But who do you say that I am?" You who are reading this, most probably a baptized Christian, who is Jesus to you? Every year we read this Gospel, we are supposed to show growth in the knowledge of Jesus.

When I was a child, Paul would say, I answered like a child. But today I answer thus: Jesus is my Savior, who reconciles me again and again with the Father after my sins. Jesus is Emmanuel who promised to be with me always and I know He keeps this promise. I am also updating my answer with this fact: Jesus is faithful to His promises as we expect God to be. Jesus is the God who heals me. He answers every prayer regardless of the lies of the Devil to the contrary.

Peter answered correctly, “You are the Christ.” The same Peter got the rebuke below for thinking like the world. If you think like the world, you will act like the world.

“Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

"If you could have heard the urgency and sorrow of My plea to Peter, James, and John! I did not merely ask them to watch and pray, I begged them to do so. I needed their prayer at that hour, just as I need the prayer of all My priests in this final hour that is coming and that is already upon My Church." (IN SINU JESU page 233).

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Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built."  (Luke 6: 43.... 49).

Saturday 11th September 2021, in the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time is the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Let us honor Mary today as Queen of Peace.

We have in our key Scripture for today basic common sense message about building a family home. Common sense is not common. Every hurricane season, we see homes swept away by flood. Then we listen with incredulity the owners face the television camera and announce proudly: "We shall rebuild."

One of my favorite psalms is Psalm 127: 1:  "Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain."

Jesus ends this ominous teaching by saying:
"But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

Floods and hurricanes are part of life. Houses are simple enough to be replaced. But lives are much harder. He who builds on the word of God builds on a solid foundation.

"The riches of My kingdom are for all whom I have redeemed with My own Blood, but it pleases Me to bestow them through My Mother, the Queen and Mediatrix who stood at the foot of My Cross, offering Me and offering herself with Me. Today she reigns with Me in paradise.  All that I won for souls from My Father on the altar of the Cross, with My Mother at My side, I will now pour out on souls through her Heart and through her hands. This, too, is the secret of a fruitful priesthood. In every priestly act and in all of life, place your hands in the hands of My Mother and your heart in her Heart." (IN SINU JESU page 35).

Mary Queen of Peace, pray for us.

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Christ Jesus has shown me great mercy.

"I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."
(1 Timothy 1:1-2, 12-14).

Friday 10th September 2021, in the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time.

The first Reading from 1 Timothy 1 is a power Scripture for everyone who is unsure of his choice, call and anointing in the ministry he is doing. When I encountered this Scripture for the first time, I was ecstatic. I took it as a personal revelation from Christ Jesus to me. I read it every week and it has not stopped to amaze me. The grace and mercy of our God is boundless. Below are three other Scriptures that help to confirm me in God's mighty, merciful and mysterious Providence towards me.

#1. "My grace is sufficient for you." (2 Corinthians 12: 9).
#2. "If God is with us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8: 31).
#3. "Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy shown us, we are not discouraged." (2 Corinthians 4: 1).

"My divinity, and My pierced Heart, eternally open, a wellspring of healing mercy and of inexhaustible life for souls. For now, this is all that I will say to you. My Heart speaks to your heart. It is My joy to speak to you in this way. Trust Me with everything. Be at peace. Allow Me now to bless you from the tabernacle before you, in which I am hidden, but living and full of mercy for all who approach Me here." (IN SINU JESU page 81).

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The Feast of St Peter Claver of the Society of Jesus.

"Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6: 27.... 38).

Thursday 9th September 2021, in the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Peter Claver of the Society of Jesus  (1580 - 1654). Spanish. Priest, Religious and Missionary. St Peter Claver served for over 40 years African slaves dumped at the South American seaport of Cartagena now Colombia. During 40 years, he fed the slaves, cared for the sick and dying. He preached the Good News to them and baptized over 300,000.

Peter Claver and the slaves he served watched the powerful slave dealers and the Spanish bureaucratic officials eat, drink and dance while they were hungry.

It would be humanly impossible for the slaves and Peter Claver to heed Jesus' word in today's Gospel and Obey it: 
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
But they did. Jesus showed the example from the Cross.

St Peter Claver is called the "Slave of slaves." God gave him great love and patience for the suffering slaves. Peter took many of them with him to heaven. Today we have the opportunity to be different from the slave dealers and Spanish officials by loving our neighbors in deed and in truth.

"There are graces destined for My priests in this the night of My agony and of My betrayal that are not given at any other time. I am bound tonight. I have already been taken, and My captors led Me away as a lamb to the slaughter. I am silent but My Heart watches and waits for My priests. If only they would come to Me, I would undo the bonds that hold them in slavery. I would give them light in the spiritual darknesses that oppress them. I would speak to them words of comfort and of compassion." (IN SINU JESU page 48).

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The Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” (Matthew 1: 1 - 16, 18 - 23).

Wednesday 8th September 2021 is the great feast of the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her birth marks the moment when she who was to conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit and give birth to our Savior Jesus - Emmanuel was born.

Who is Mary?
Why is her cult so passionate and universal?

Mary is the Only Child of Saints Joachim and Anne. She is the Mother of Emmanuel, God-with-us, Jesus "who will save his people from their sins."
The Blessed Virgin Mary was held in reverence by the Apostles and disciples in the earliest Christian communities. That may be why so little was said about her in the Gospels. In His mighty, merciful and mysterious Providence, it pleased God to keep Mary hidden for most of her 60 years on earth.

The Mother of Emmanuel was the only person who knew Jesus from womb to tomb. She was always there in the most important moments in the life of Jesus:
* Annunciation.
* Visitation to Elizabeth and Zachary.
* Birth of Jesus in the Manger.
* Visit of the Magi, the 3 kings.
* Presentation in the Temple and the encounter with the Prophet and Prophetess Simeon and Anna.
* The Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross).
* The Sacrifice of the Lamb of God at Calvary when it pleased the Father to make the Mother of His Son, our Mother through John the Evangelist.
* The Birth of the Church on Pentecost Sunday.

Mary was faithfully there in all the great moments! Accident or Providence? Mary's role in salvation history was planned by the Most Holy Trinity before the beginning of the world.

It is with great joy that we honor Mary on her Birthday. Happy Birthday Mother. We your children love you very much. We join all the generations that have called you blessed to hail you:
Holy Mary full of grace, the fruit of your womb, Jesus is blessed forever! 🌹🌹🌹🎂❤️

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Christian, believe what you read in the word of God. Practice what you believe.

Tuesday, 7th September 2021 in the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time. Our Scripture for today is from the Responsorial Psalm 145: 8 - 9.

Consider this truth. The Devil distorts the truth about God. If Christians know and believe the truth about God, the Devil will be out of business. The Devil flourishes because He makes us believe concocted falsehood about God. For example: God is not all powerful. God is mean and wicked.

Christian, read and study the word of God. Believe what you read and practice what you believe and ALL will be well with you.

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Jesus healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath.

"On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him." (Luke 6: 6 - 11).

Monday 6th September 2021, in the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time is Labor Day in the USA.

What day and hour can one work is the subject of the controversy between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees. For the opponents of Jesus, almost no work is permitted on the Sabbath. On this point, Jesus asked them:
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?”

The scribes and Pharisees refused to answer the question. Jesus then turned to the man with the withered hand and said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so and his hand was restored."

On Labor Day, we remember that God commanded man to work in order to participate in the work of creation. Like the scribes and Pharisees, there is always a great temptation for the people that control work to use labor to enslave workers.

May the work we do contribute to real progress on earth and the growth of the Kingdom of God.

"The work will begin slowly and it will encounter every manner of opposition, criticism, and resistance, but the merciful love of My Heart will prevail, and the light of My Eucharistic Face will shine in places long claimed by the powers of darkness. Continue to trust Me, and have recourse to My Mother, to Saint Joseph, and to Saint John, for I have given them to you to watch over you, to protect you, and to obtain for you an abundance of treasures from My Eucharistic Heart." (IN SINU JESU page 167).

Lord Jesus, bless and prosper the work of our hands.

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