Saturday, January 29, 2022

God's time is the fullness of time.

"Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth." (Luke 4: 21....30).

Sunday 30th January 2022, in the 4th Week in Ordinary Time.

Two words capture my interest in the key Scripture for today: TODAY, FULFILLED. On the Sabbath in the Synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus opened the Scriptures to read from Isaiah the job description of the expected Messiah. Then He rolled up the scroll and sat down. Then Jesus said:  “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Let us consider our keywords TODAY and FULFILLED.

#1 TODAY:
Just as every human being has his birthday, so does a prophecy has its fulfillment Day. That Day is called in Scripture the Fullness of time. "There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens." (Ecclesiastes 3: 1).

At the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, the Prophet and Prophetess Simeon and Anna mysteriously appeared in the Temple on the Day of the Presentation.
A Day of Fulfillment is the Day a prayer, desire and promise is fulfilled.

#2. FULFILLED:
What are the Todays in your life? Example: first job, wedding day, first child, first car, first home, etc. All the Todays are days of Fulfillment of God's promises.
What promises are you waiting their fulfillment today? Write down the promises in bold letters and put them on the wall in your bedroom where you can see them every day. Don't forget to put the date on each. "For the vision [promise] is a witness for the appointed time, a testimony to the end; it will not disappoint. If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late." (Cf Habakkuk 2: 2 - 3).

The Day the Lord Jesus healed my sick heart in July 2021 was a Day of Fulfillment for me. I have many Days of Fulfillment but July 31st 2021 is exceptional.

God is faithful to every single promise He makes and every desire He causes in your heart. Every promise has its Day of Fulfillment. In the fullness of time, God makes everything beautiful. (Cf Ecclesiastes 3: 11).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Friday, January 28, 2022

Why are you terrified by this crisis?

Storms are blessings in disguise.

"Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” (Mark 4: 34 - 40).

Saturday January 29th 2022, in the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time.  Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” This is the apparently exasperated rebuke of the disciples by Jesus.  The disciples had seen signs and wonders performed by Jesus.

Were are the storms in your life today? Family, Health, Finances, Job, Property or Tools?  Or have you nothing to worry about but your future?

All storms are sanctioned by God's mighty, merciful and mysterious Providence. Because the storms are sanctified, they are blessings and more often than not blessings in disguise.

"Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  (James 1: 2 - 4)

Storm times are exam times.  Where do you place your trust?  Who is the first person you call upon to help you?

"My foes treat me harshly all the day; yes, many are my attackers.
O Most High, when I am afraid,
in you I place my trust.
I praise the word of God;
I trust in God, I do not fear.
What can mere flesh do to me?"  (Psalm 56: 3 - 5)

The whole of Sacred Scripture teaches one lesson:  Love God with all your heart and put Him first in everything.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."  (Matthew 6: 33 -34)

When we put God and His interests first in our affairs, we experience a state that can be described as "No fear, No Worry, No Doubt."   Because Jesus Himself has promised that:
"Fear is useless; what is needed is trust."  (Luke 8: 50, Mark 5: 36)

As we open our hearts and minds to the word of God with confident trust, we experience the power of faith to rule and calm the furious storms that arise in our lives.

"Do not fear: I am with you;
do not be anxious: I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."  (Isaiah 41: 10).

"They cried to the Lord in their distress; from their straits he rescued them, he hushed the storm to a gentle breeze, and the billows of the sea were stilled." (Psalm 107).

God works silent miracles all the time for us. Show appreciation like the sailors. God is very pleased by our gratitude.

"They rejoiced that they were calmed, and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his kindness and his wondrous deeds to the children of men." (Psalm 107).

Such lessons from the Scriptures build up our faith. Don't miss them.

Do you believe that the above word is true and applies to you?

Daily Bible Verse @
Seekfirstcommunity.com

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Feast of St Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church.

God justified David who committed adultery, cover up and murder.

"One evening David rose from his siesta and strolled about on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful. David had inquiries made about the woman and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, and wife of Joab’s armor bearer Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers and took her. When she came to him, he had relations with her. She then returned to her house. But the woman had conceived, and sent the information to David, “I am with child.” (2 Samuel 11:1.......17).

Friday 28th January 2022, in the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of the Angelic Doctor, St Thomas Aquinas. (1225 - 1274). Italian. Dominican Priest. Doctor of the Church. He wrote the Summa Theologica and other great books. Apart from being one of the greatest theologians in the Church, Thomas is noted for his humility and holiness.

Our key Scripture for today is from 2 Samuel Chapter 11. The story of the adultery and repentance of King David is one of the most powerful stories in the Bible. We will reflect on the Sin of COVER UP and MERCY.

The great lessons to learn from the attempt of David to cover up his adultery:

#1. It is both foolish and childish to cover up our sin no matter how grave it may be.
#2. God is rich in mercy and God delights in mercy.
#3. David left us a legacy of the first two points. Psalm 51 is used by the Church both in the Liturgy of the Mass and that of the Hours.

After David committed adultery and murder to cover up the adultery, he prayed desperately with the words of the immortal Psalm 51.  Central to his wrenching prayer is the plea that God does not cast him from His presence and deprive him the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

“Cast me not out from your presence and your Holy Spirit take not from me.”  (Psalm 51: 13)

God’s presence is sufficient for us in every circumstance.  If God is with us, we can endure anything.  We can accomplish any task.  God is the source of all inspiration and power.  His Presence assures us of continuous flow of inspiration and power. David knew from experience  this Presence of God. He would rather die than lose this Presence.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  (2 Corinthians 12: 9).   Rejoice when you consider yourself weak in any area or resource because you can call upon the sufficiency of God’s grace to lift you up through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Consider some of the Cover ups in the Bible:

"Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime.   Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders."  (Genesis 37: 26 - 27 NLT)

"If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 5 : 9 - 10).

We do acknowledge our sins in every Mass. How about other occasions? Remember the ABC of Mercy:

Ask for Mercy.
Be Merciful.
Completely trust Jesus for Mercy.

"Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD." And You forgave the guilt of my sin." (Psalm 32: 5).

Because of the great mercy of God, God gave the Church Baptism as the great Sacrament of Reconciliation and Regeneration. Baptism wipes out our sins and the record of our sins. Does Baptism remove concupiscence, our ingrained tendency to certain sins? It does not. What then happens to sins that are committed after Baptism? Jesus Christ gave the Church the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance.

God said of David after his sin, the cover up and murder of Uriah: "David is the man after my heart." David said to God: "You is my Father."

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Feast of St Angela Merici, Virgin and Foundress.

I will shine my little light.

"Jesus said to his disciples,
“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?"  (Mark 4: 21).

Thursday 27 January 2022 in the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Angela Merici (1474 - 1540), Virgin. Born in Italy, she founded the Ursuline Order, "the first women teaching order approved by the Church... St Angela believed that the formation of Christian women is society's greatest need." (Roman Missal).

In Baptism, we receive the light of Christ.  As we participate in the Sacraments and the life of the Church, the little light we receive in Baptism grows.  Where do you place this light?  In the lampstand or in the closet?
To hide your light is futile.  Like a barren fig tree, you will be found out.

"For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light."  (Mark 4: 22).

It is more exciting to share the light you have.  Imagine the people who are desperate for it here and now. But you may say: I don't know what to say.  You have the Holy Spirit. Ask Him. Do you have the desire? If not, ask the Holy Spirit.  Jesus makes two promises with regard to our engagement with His word:

#1.  "The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you."

#2.  "To the one who has, more will be given."

And a warning:
"From the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”  (Mark 4: 24 - 25).

"A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path."  (Psalm 119:105).

Jesus invites us to "approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust" to participate in the work of Evangelization. (Cf Hebrews 10: 22)
His promise is trustworthy.

Amen! I accept Your word dear Jesus. I am the light of the world. It is Your intention that I be placed on a lampstand. Praise, honor and glory be to You. You want me to shine. I will. May the Father be fully glorified in me and in my work.

There is a time to learn and a time to teach. There is a time to be under the bushel basket and a time to be set on a lampstand. Today I am under a bushel basket. Where are you now?
When the student is ready, the Teacher appears.

"Today [while you were reading], I did not speak to you directly, but I spoke to you through My word, enlightening your heart as you read it, listening to Me. This is the way I would have you read the Scriptures always. Read what is written but incline the ear of your heart to My voice, which speaks to souls inwardly and gives light and understanding to those who seek it. I am present to you when you open the Scriptures and I want to enlighten you and instruct you. When you read My word, seek My Heart. When you read the Scriptures, seek My Face. You will find My Heart hidden in My word like the treasure hidden in the field, and you will discover My Face shining through the text and illuminating the eyes of your soul." (IN SINU JESU, Thursday, January 24, 2008).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops.

“Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path... Other seed fell on rocky ground... Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain.... 
Jesus explains the parable:

"The sower sows the word.... Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” (Mark 4: 1... 20).

Wednesday 26th January 2022, in the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of Saints Timothy and Titus. Timothy (+ 97). Jewish mother and a Greek father. He was ordained by St Paul as Bishop of Ephesus. He was a disciple of Paul and traveled with Paul in some of his missionary journeys.
Titus (+ 96 or 107). Ordained Bishop of Crete by St Paul. Both Timothy and Titus had very difficult churches to oversee in Ephesus and Crete respectively.

Brethren, once upon a time, I was one of the idle piece of land somewhere in the mountain side of a small town. A Farmer called Joshua came to sow a basket full of seeds. The first time Joshua came to our town, I was one of the plot of land filled with thorns. Our dull town is filled with people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word. Naturally we bear no fruit. I wanted to become rich and enjoy life. The word sown by Joshua was meaningless to me.

Joshua came back to our town a few years later to sow seeds. Now I have been humiliated by disappointments and suffering in the dazzling lights of the big city. I was ready to listen to Joshua.

This is how Joshua describes our class today:
"But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

I belonged to this group because Joshua gave us a second chance. We graduated with joy!

"The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live for ever."

Brethren, Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Daily Bible Verse @Seekfirstcommunity.com 

Monday, January 24, 2022

The Feast of the Conversion of St Paul.

"Ananias said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Apostles 9: 1.... 22).

Tuesday 25th January 2022, in the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time is the important feast of the Conversion of St Paul.

Why is the feast of the Conversion of the Apostle Paul a very important feast in the Church?

#1. Christ Jesus undertook the conversion of St Paul Himself. No delegation of duty. No intermediary. Like all the other Apostles, it was a personal choice, call and anointing.
#2. Paul is the greatest missionary and evangelist in the Church.
#3. Paul wrote most of the New Testament.

What do we learn from the Conversion of St Paul?
#1. We share a vocation with the great Apostle: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16: 15).
#2. People are converted through hearing the testimonies of converted people. Testimony also means witnessing. When you witness to what God has done for you, it is very powerful. I witnessed recently to how Jesus Christ healed my sick heart in July 2021. It unleashed the power of testimony, that is witnessing. Many people were encouraged. This is why autobiographies and biographies are powerful genre of literature. They leverage the power of example and testimony.

It is not an accident that the Conversion of St Paul is repeated three times in the Acts of the Apostles in considerable length. The Holy Spirit is teaching the Church the best practice in Evangelization. Do not hide the blessings of God. Shout them.

"They [converts] only kept hearing that “the one who once was persecuting us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” So they glorified God because of me." (Galatians 1: 23 - 24).
This powerful example of Paul encouraged the faith of all.

The Church exists for only One Thing: Evangelization. Jesus is appealing to us:

"Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16: 15).
How do you start?
"You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses..." (Acts 1: 8).
No Holy Spirit, No power. Ask the Lord Jesus with confident boldness for the Gift of the Holy Spirit for Evangelization. And you can start evangelizing right away with your smart phone. Do you have a phone with Internet connection? Do you  have an address book on your phone? Start sharing Scriptures and the blogs you like. Cost of Evangelization? $0.
Benefits: Joy and contentment that flood you because of the Obedience of Faith. It is ridiculous not to try.

"If there are so few priests in certain places, it is above all because those that are there have forsaken Me in the Sacrament of My love and no longer live in My friendship. Let every priest present himself as a friend of Jesus, and his ministry will soon take on the efficacy and fruitfulness that characterized that of Saint John, of Saint Paul, and of My first apostles. The friend speaks with the authority that only experience can confer." (IN SINU JESU, March 30, 2008 Sunday of Divine Mercy).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Sunday, January 23, 2022

The Feast of St Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church.

"The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him." (Mark 3: 22... 30).

Monday 24 January 2022 in the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Francis de Sales (1567 - 1622), Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Born in France, he was the Bishop of Geneva where he combatted Calvinism. He founded with St Jane Frances de Chantal the Order of the Visitation Nuns. St Francis de Sales is an accomplished author and the patron saint of authors and journalists.

The scribes filled with envy accused Jesus of being insane. (Mark 3: 30).  Jesus used the opportunity of this drama to teach us the reality of two kingdoms in constant war with each other. Jesus came to usher in the Kingdom of God.  And He Jesus is the "mediator of a new covenant" made by His blood. (Cf Hebrews 9: 15).

Brethren, it is clear that a divided kingdom cannot stand. Can a divided Church stand? NO! Now listen to Jesus:
"No one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house."  (Mark 3: 27).

Who has tied up the Church?
The Church tied up itself in nuts when the Church departed from the supreme law of the Kingdom:
"SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND EVERYTHING ELSE WILL BE GIVEN YOU BESIDES." (Cf Matthew 6: 33).

Now the remedy:
Let Bishops seek first the kingdom.
Let priests seek first the kingdom.
Let moms seek first the kingdom.
Let politicians seek first the kingdom.
Let the youth seek first the kingdom.

The Church shall then be united organically. United we stand. Divided we shall surely fall.

St Francis de Sales is one of the greatest apologists of the Church.
To read the irrefutable proof of the Church as the Pillar and Foundation of truth, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2022/01/presenting-truth-of-catholic-church.html?m=1

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com

PRESENTING THE TRUTH OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WITH SIMPLICITY.

I WAS ONCE A CATHOLIC...

"I was a Catholic once,” said the lady a few yards from me in the parking lot. “Now I’m a Christian and you can be one as well.” She preceded to hand a tract to a gentleman standing next to the opened trunk of his car. I couldn’t help it.

“Excuse me,” I said to the lady “but could I too have a tract?” The lady's face beamed. “Are you saved?,” she asked. “Of course I am; I’m a believing Catholic,” I retorted. She looked at me as if I had bad breath or something.

 She continued, “I was just telling this gentleman that I too was a Catholic - a Catholic for thirty-some years in fact. Now I've found Christ and I’m trying to tell everyone I know about salvation through Christ.”

 “Wow, that’s really something! May I ask why you left the Church?” I could tell that, by asking this question, my new acquaintance was getting excited. After all, she had probably been snubbed by dozens of people and now she has someone that she can “witness” to Christ. I didn’t mind much either, but I tried not to show it.

"You see,” she said, “I was born Catholic. I attended Mass every week, received the Sacraments and graduated from a Catholic school. Not once did I ever hear the gospel proclaimed. Not once! It was after the birth of my first child that a good friend of mine shared ‘the gospel’ with me and I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior and became a Christian. Now I belong to a ‘Bible-believing’ church and I’m sharing the gospel with whomever will listen.”

This shocked me. “You mean you belonged to the Catholic Church for over forty years and you never heard the gospel?,” I said. She was getting more excited. “Yes, I never once heard the gospel of salvation preached or taught or even mentioned in the Church. If you don’t preach the gospel, excuse my bluntness, but you're simply not Christian.” I scratched my head and said, “that’s strange. I’ve been a Catholic all my life and I bet I hear the gospel ever week at Church.” Her smile quickly faded into a look of curiosity. “Maybe, I’m missing something,” I continued. “Tell me what you mean by ‘the gospel?’”

The lady reached back into her purse to pull out a little tract and said, “This tracts explains the simple gospel of salvation. It can be broken down into four easy steps.
“First, we acknowledge that we are all sinners in need of God’s forgiveness.
 Secondly, we recognize that only God can save us.
 The third step is that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for our sins and to bring us to God.
 And the fourth and final step is that each individual accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior to be saved.”
I thought for a couple of seconds and said, “If I could demonstrate to you that Catholics hear “the gospel” every Sunday, would you agree to take a closer look at the Catholic Church?” Now, she knew she had me over a barrel. “Prove it,” she said. I excused myself for a second and ran to my car to grab a Missal.
“Since you have attended Mass nearly all your life, you probably remember these prayers.” I flipped open to the beginning prayers of the Mass and proceeded to show her how Catholics hear, pray and live the gospel message every Sunday.

The first step in my new found friend’s tract stated that we are all sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. After the Greeting, the Mass continues to what is known as the Penitential Rite. I read loud the text to her while she followed reading silently.
“I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault. In my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do.”
I mentioned that it is here in this section that each Catholic states publicly that he or she is individually a sinner - not merely in a general sense - but specifically in thoughts, words and deeds. You can’t get much more complete than that. I continued reading,
“and I ask Blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and to you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.”
The priest reaffirms this confession of sin by praying,
“May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.”
And the whole congregation says “Amen,” that is, “I believe.” The priest continues.
“Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy,”
and finishes by saying;
 "Lord show us your mercy and love. And grant us your salvation.”

I looked at her and said, “You see, we Catholics start every Mass with a public declaration of our own personal sinfulness and look to God for forgiveness.” She responded, “But Catholics don’t believe that God alone can save them. They believe Mary and the saints will save them.” I shook my head in disagreement. “No, we don’t. Remember what we had just read in the Mass. Catholic ask Mary, the angels, the saints and the whole congregation to pray to God for mercy on their behalf - just like I would ask you to pray for me to God. Does that mean that I look to you to ‘save’ me? No, of course I don’t believe that. I’m just asking for your help. Besides the ‘Gloria’ of the Mass proves that Catholics look to God alone to save us.”

I began reading the Missal emphasizing certain words to prove my point:
“Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us, you are seated at the right hand of the Father, receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father."

Likewise, the doxology spoken just prior to communion reads,
“Through him, with him, in him; in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is your, almighty Father, for ever and ever.”

As I looked up, I could see the lady intently reading the page. She couldn’t believe that she had prayed these prayers for years and never noticed what it was saying. Yet, there it was in black and white. I continued with the third step - the acknowledgment that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and to bring us to God.
 The Profession of Faith reads,
“For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.”

In the Eucharistic Prayer 1, the priest prays:
“Remember [Lord] all of us gather here before you. You know how firmly we believe in you and dedicate ourselves to you. . . We pray to you, our living and true God, for our well-being and redemption . . . Grant us your peace in this life, save us from final damnation, and count us among those you have chosen.”
The prayer ends with an appeal to God for salvation through Jesus Christ:
“May, these and all who sleep in Christ, find in your presence light, happiness and peace. For ourselves, too, we ask some share in the fellowship of your apostles and martyrs . . . Though we are sinners, we trust in your mercy and love. Do not consider what we truly deserve, but grant us your forgiveness. Through Christ our Lord you give us all these gifts. You fill them with life and goodness, you bless them and make them holy.”

Similarly the second Eucharistic Prayer proclaims,
“Dying you [Jesus] destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory. . . Have mercy on us all; make us worthy to share eternal life with Mary, the virgin Mother of God, with the apostles and with all the saints who have done your will throughout the ages.”

Likewise, Eucharistic Prayer 3 reads,
“All life, all holiness comes from you through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, by the working of the Holy Spirit . . .
 Father, calling to mind the death your Son endured for our salvation, his glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven, and ready to greet him when he comes again, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice. Look with favour on our your Church’s offering, and see the Victim [Christ] whose death has reconciled us to yourself . . .
 May he make us an everlasting gift for you and enable us to share in the inheritance of your saints . . . “

Lastly, the fourth Eucharistic Prayer reads,
“Father, you so loved the world that in the fullness of time you sent your only Son to be our Savior . . .
 In fulfillment of your will he gave himself up to death; but by rising from the dead, he destroyed death and restored life.”

In this prayer, the congregation proclaims the mystery of faith:
“Lord, by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free. You are the Savior of the world.”
 “You see, every week Catholics proclaim that Jesus died for them,” I said to the lady who was now searching for something to say. After a brief moment of silence, she shot a response back at me.
“What about accepting Jesus Christ and their personal Lord and Savior?” She retorted. “They may be saying all this stuff, but they don’t make a personal act of acceptance.” What she didn’t know was that I deliberately didn’t mention the last “step” of her “gospel.”

I explained that if Catholics don’t believe what they are praying, they ought not to be publicly proclaiming it. Since we can’t read the dispositions of other people’s hearts, we ought not to judge whether they truly believe what they are saying. Next, I pointed out the last step - where Catholics are accepting Jesus into their hearts. Right before communion the priest holds up the host (which is now the body, blood, soul and divinity of Our Lord under the appearances of bread and wine) and prays.
“This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper.”
And the congregation responds,
“Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.”
I looked straight into the lady’s eyes and said, “It is here that all those who are prepared to receive Jesus Christ walk up to the front of the church but they don’t just believing in Christ or merely asking Jesus into their hearts.” “They don’t?” She asked. “No,” I answered, “they receive that same Christ who died on the cross on Calvary into their mouth and into their stomachs - body, blood, soul and divinity - and become one with him in an unspeakable way. Now that's accepting Christ!” She didn’t have a response. I’m not sure that she had ever really thought about the Mass and Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist because she appeared to be both surprised and intrigued.

I gave her my phone number and invited her to a study group I was heading in the neighborhood which examined the Biblical foundation for Catholic doctrine. As we departed, I couldn’t help but wonder how many other people, like my new friend, left the Church thinking that it had nothing to say about salvation. Yet the richness of the liturgy of the Mass and even more so Christ’s real substantial presence in the Eucharist so outshines our separated brethren’s “low church” prayer services that there is no comparison!

Indeed, the mystery of the Mass goes far beyond the simple “sinner’s prayer.” What I wanted to demonstrate is that all the elements of what Protestants consider the “essentials” of human salvation are presented, in Technicolor, in the liturgy of the Mass and that to deny the charge that the Church is somehow neglecting to present “the gospel".
(COPIED FROM WHATSAPP. Author Unknown).

🙏 ⛪🙏

From the constitution on the sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council
Christ is present to his Church

Christ is always present to his Church, especially in the actions of the liturgy. He is present in the sacrifice of the Mass, in the person of the minister (it is the same Christ who formerly offered himself on the cross that now offers by the ministry of priests) and most of all under the eucharistic species. He is present in the sacraments by his power, in such a way that when someone baptizes, Christ himself baptizes. He is present in his word, for it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church. Finally, he is present when the Church prays and sings, for he himself promised: Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst.
    Indeed, in this great work which gives perfect glory to God and brings holiness to men, Christ is always joining in partnership with himself his beloved Bride, the Church, which calls upon its Lord and through him gives worship to the eternal Father.
    It is therefore right to see the liturgy as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ, in which through signs addressed to the senses man’s sanctification is signified and, in a way proper to each of these signs, made effective, and in which public worship is celebrated in its fullness by the mystical body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the head and by his members.
    Accordingly, every liturgical celebration, as an activity of Christ the priest and of his body, which is the Church, is a sacred action of a pre-eminent kind. No other action of the Church equals its title to power or its degree of effectiveness.
    In the liturgy on earth we are given a foretaste and share in the liturgy of heaven, celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem, the goal of our pilgrimage, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, as minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle. With the whole company of heaven we sing a hymn of praise to the Lord; as we reverence the memory of the saints, we hope to have some part with them, and to share in their fellowship; we wait for the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, until he, who is our life, appears, and we appear with him in glory.
    By an apostolic tradition taking its origin from the very day of Christ’s resurrection, the Church celebrates the paschal mystery every eighth day, the day that is rightly called the Lord’s day. On Sunday the Christian faithful ought to gather together, so that by listening to the word of God and sharing in the Eucharist they may recall the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God who has given them a new birth with a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The Lord’s day is therefore the first and greatest festival, one to be set before the loving devotion of the faithful and impressed upon it, so that it may be also a day of joy and of freedom from work. Other celebrations must not take precedence over it, unless they are truly of the greatest importance, since it is the foundation and the kernel of the whole liturgical year.
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