Celebrate the Mercy of God on Divine Mercy Sunday.

WHEN TWO ELEPHANTS FIGHT, THE GROUND TELLS THE STORY. DIVINE MERCY MANIFESTS ITSELF THROUGH RECONCILIATION.

"Jesus said to them [Apostles] again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,“Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”  (John 20: 21 - 23).

Sunday April 24th, 2nd Sunday of Easter. Sunday of Divine Mercy.

The universal Church celebrates today the Solemnity of Divine Mercy. (Always 2nd Sunday of Easter).  Jesus is the Face of Mercy of Abba Father.  Mercy is the name and essence of God the Father revealed to us through His Only Son, Jesus the Christ. The open Heart of Jesus is the symbol and seat of Mercy.  Mercy is promised to all.

To demonstrate that the powerful gift and message of Mercy that Jesus shared in His public ministry will remain in the Church after His Ascension, Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation and gave His Apostles and their successors the power to forgive sins.

To prepare ourselves to receive and retain Mercy, the ABC OF MERCY is very useful.  It is called  ABC because, it is an acronym that can be remembered easily and secondly it is as simple as ABC.

A:  Ask for Mercy.
B:  Be Merciful.
C:  Completely Trust Jesus for Mercy.

God is rich in mercy and is waiting for us to turn to Him to blot out all our sins and receive us in His merciful love.
Mercy, mercy. Nothing but mercy!

"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by."  (Psalm 57: 1)

"Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself." (The Diary of St Maria Faustina, #950).

To learn how to recite the Divine Mercy Rosary, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2020/10/how-to-recite-divine-mercy-rosary.html?m=1

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Mission is Urgent. All the Resources have been provided. Go!

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE SPIRIT OF EVANGELIZATION AND POWER. PRAYER IS THE ACTIVATOR OF POWER. FAITH AND PRAYER GO TOGETHER. I BELIEVE, THEREFORE I PRAY. I PRAY BECAUSE I BELIEVE.

"But later,[on the First Day - Sunday] as the Eleven were at table, Jesus appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised. He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every ­creature.” (Mark 16: 9...15).

Easter Saturday 23rd April, 2022 in the Octave of Easter.

Jesus said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16: 15).

I like the way the AMPC translation renders the Great Commission, our key Scripture for today.
"And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race]." (AMPC).

Preaching and publishing become two sides of the same coin.  A lot of evangelization today is done through all types of non-verbal communication through publishing media: blogs, podcasts, videos and zoom apps, newspapers and magazines, radio and television. All are necessary to bring the Good News to everyone, everywhere in the world. Our task is not done until the whole human race has heard the amazing grace of Jesus Christ, the Good News. This task has become more urgent today than ever.

Abba Father wills that everyone must come to the knowledge of truth and repentance. He equipped the Church for this mission by sending down the Awesome Holy Spirit to drive this mission.

We see the power of the Holy Spirit in the moving testimony of Peter and John before the entire Supreme Court of Israel in the first Reading:
"Peter and John, however, said to them [the Justices] in reply, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4: 19 - 20).

With the presence and gifts of the Holy Spirit, we have all we need to fulfill the Great Commission. May the Lord grant us success. Amen.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Come and have breakfast children.

THEY SAY THAT LOVE ENTERS THROUGH THE STOMACH.

"Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.”  So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish." (John 21: 5 - 6).

Easter Friday, 22nd April 2022  in the Octave of the Solemnity of Easter.

Our Gospel of today (John 21: 1 - 14) is one of my favorite passages in the Gospel. It is one of the post Resurrection appearances of Jesus to His brothers. He seeks them out everywhere to be with them and encourage them. He prepares a breakfast for His disciples.

Why do I find this passage comforting?
#1. As a salesman, I know what it means to toil a whole week and catch nothing. Isn't it comforting to know that Jesus knows the hideouts of all the fish? The fishermen obeyed the advice of the stranger on the shore and their disappointment was turned into comfort and joy.

#2. “Come, have breakfast.”
In the Gospels, a number of important teachings of Jesus happened around the dinner table. Good food and eating are essential to a healthy spirituality.
Jesus invited the Apostles to come and eat and there was an unforgettable party there at the shore.

Can thunder strike twice in the same place? Jesus reveals Himself to His disciples through familiar words and actions. John was the first to make the connection of this miraculous catch of fish to the earlier incident.

Jesus is constantly invading our spaces trying to catch our attention. He is the great Hound of Heaven.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Cast off your fears and bear witness to what you have seen and heard.

CHRISTIAN, SHAKE OFF YOUR FEARS OF BEARING WITNESS TO YOUR SAVIOR WITH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

"While they [Disciples] were still speaking about this, Jesus stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet." (Luke 24: 35.... 48).

Easter Thursday 21st April in the Octave of Easter.

The Apostles gathered in the Upper Room could still not shake off the gruesome events of Good Friday by now three days ago. Jesus had since appeared to Mary Magdalene and some women, to Peter and some Apostles, to Cleopas friend and his on the road to Emmaus. In spite of all these, the Apostles were still frightened and many questions and doubts agitate them.

Jesus said two weighty and important things to His disciples gathered in the Upper Room the very Sunday of the Resurrection:
#1. “Peace be with you.” (Luke 24: 36).
#2. "You are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24: 48).

Peace is the dominant post-Resurrection greeting of Jesus. Peace here means Shalom, the sum total of all graces and mercies flowing from the heart of God to men of good will who are now fully redeemed by the death and Resurrection of Jesus. No more recriminations or remembrance of denials and cowardly flight from the scene of the crime. All sins are washed away. Enjoy My Shalom!

At the end of His brief speech, the Risen Lord said: "You are witnesses of these things." "You" means we Christians singing the Easter Alleluia are His witnesses. We are to bear testimonies with our life and work to Jesus, to His Good News. As we bear testimony to the power of the name of Jesus with faith, miracles will happen as we hear in the first Reading Acts 3: 11 - 26.

"O chosen people, proclaim the mighty works of him,
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light, alleluia." (1 Peter 2: 9).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Cross is the only way to salvation.

JESUS SOUGHT OUT HIS STRAY SHEEP  CLEOPAS AND FRIEND. HE SEEKS US OUT WHEN WE ARE FOOLISH AND GO ASTRAY. THE MORE WE REALIZE HOW MUCH JESUS LOVES US, THE MORE WE CAN STOP RUNNING.

"And Jesus said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!  Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24: 25 - 26).

Easter Wednesday 20th April 2022, in the Octave of Easter.

Our Lord and Teacher, Jesus Christ called the two disciples He met on the road to Emmaus foolish and slow of heart. Why? Cleopas and his companion were foolish because they did not believe faithful and credible witnesses in Jerusalem that Jesus has risen from the dead. They knew that some disciples of Jesus said that Jesus had risen from the dead. Why did they not believe these people? Jesus founded a Church and wants us to believe the Teaching Authority of the Church. Look at the chaos in the protestant church. If you are not happy with the teaching of your pastor, you shop for a new church or you start your own church if you can.

Although Cleopas and his friend may not have been Scripture scholars, they trusted a lot in their judgment about the "events in Jerusalem". Are you one of those who believe you know more than your pastor and Bishop?

Jesus also called the two men "slow of heart" which means sluggish in mind and dull of perception. It is possible that their minds envisioned a worldly Messiah that will make them rich but were closed to any other possibilities.

The truth of the matter is that there is a divine necessity that Jesus must suffer before He enters into His glory. What is a divine necessity for Jesus is a divine necessity for Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David, John the Baptist, and you and me.
No cross, no crown. No trial, no triumph! It is a hard lesson.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Mission of Mary Magdalene.

MARY MAGDALENE LINGERED AT THE TOMB AND WAS REWARDED BY BEING THE FIRST PERSON TO SEE THE RISEN JESUS.
SOME PEOPLE COMPETE TO BE THE FIRST TO LEAVE THE CHURCH AFTER HOLY MASS?

"Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher." (John 20: 11.... 18).

Tuesday 19th April, Easter Tuesday in the Octave of the Solemnity of Easter.

After asking Mary Magdalene why she was weeping, Jesus said to her:

“Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."

Jesus gave Mary Magdalene the great commission of bearing news of His Resurrection to the all male Apostles. Mary ran with the news to the Apostles.

Who is this woman, Mary Magdalene?
#1. Certainly not the wife of Jesus as alleged by the silly once popular book, Da Vinci Code.
#2. Probably the woman of Mark 16: 9 who had 7 demons expelled from her. Once released from demonic oppression, Mary clung tightly to Jesus and His ministry.
#3. Jesus and His disciples received no salary, stipends or subsidies for their ministry. How did they survive? Mary of Magdala headed a group of zealous women who supplied the needs of Jesus and the disciples from their resources.
#4. Mary Magdalene stood with the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Apostle John under the Cross and witnessed the agony of the Crucified from the very beginning to the end.
#5. Jesus rewarded Mary to be the first eyewitness to see Jesus after His Resurrection. He commissioned Mary to take the great news to His brothers. No wonder Mary is called the "apostle to the apostles."

What are the lessons from the profile of Mary Magdalene?
Mary has a heart that returns love for love. She never forgets a favor done to her. Mary Magdalene is one of my patron saints. I pray through her intercession for the grace to know the Heart of Jesus intimately, to love Him passionately and to follow Him everywhere.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

God raised Jesus whom you crucified.

FATHER, I BELIEVE THAT IN YOUR INFINITE GOODNESS, YOU MAKE EVERYTHING TO THE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE WHO LOVE YOU.

"This man, [Jesus] delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.  But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it." (Acts 2: 23 - 24).

Today is Monday April 18th in the Octave of Easter. Easter is the greatest feast in the Church liturgical calendar.

Each of the first 8 days after Easter Sunday is a solemnity (high feast). 50 days from Easter to the Feast of Pentecost on June 5th are all feast days of Easter. If during the 40 days of Lent, you fasted, abstained or disciplined yourself in any way, then you can appreciate the 50 days of Easter feast. It is 50 days of feasting and celebrating your faith. Fasting and abstinence are suspended till after Pentecost. The Bridegroom is with us. Sorry, we cannot fast. We want to enjoy the promised change of season. (Cf Psalm 1).

Our key Scripture today (Acts 2: 23 - 24) teaches us a very important truth. This is a truth that can fill you with knowledge and wisdom that you can use every day. I will use another strategic Scripture to convey the lesson:

"And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.  For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers." (Romans 8: 28 - 29 AMP).

The Crucifixion of Jesus was no accident of history. It was pre-planned. Just as your entire life is pre-planned from your birth to your tomb.

Brothers and sisters, remember: Easter is not a one day celebration. It is a Season. That is why it is also called Eastertide. Enjoy the holy joyful Season.

"Alleluia, alleluia!
This day was made by the Lord:
we rejoice and are glad.
Alleluia!" (Psalm Psalm 117: 24).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com