God likes the person who asks for big things and asks with persistence.

"YOU PAY GOD A COMPLIMENT BY ASKING GREAT THINGS OF HIM."  (ST TERESA OF AVILA).

I LOVE THIS QUOTE FROM MY PATRON SAINT, ST TERESA OF AVILA. TRUE AND COMFORTING. REMEMBER: ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE FOR GOD. ALL THINGS ARE EASY FOR GOD. GOD WANTS US TO ASK AND ASK BIG.

"He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say:

"Father, hallowed be your name,
 your kingdom come.
 Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

"And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,  for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’  I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?  Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?  If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11: 1 - 13).

Sunday July 24th of the 17th week of Ordinary Time. Luke gives us Jesus' delightful teaching on prayer. Let us recap the main points:

#1 Each day, ask the Father for what to eat.
#2 Always remember to ask for forgiveness for your sins. He who says he has no sin is a liar.
#3 The Father is committed to forgiving  all our sins. You must likewise forgive your neighbor.
#4 Pray with perseverance. Ask and keep asking.
#5 Believe me if I tell you this: The best thing to pray for is the Holy Spirit.

Ask for the Holy Spirit and keep asking for Him.
"If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11: 13).

"Prayer is an indispensable condition for being able to obey God's commandments. "[We] ought always to pray and not lose heart." (CCC 2098). This is a teaching we can use.

"On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you. I will adore before your holy temple." (Psalm 138: 1 - 2)

7.23.  We honor the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July.
“How long are you going to be deaf to His call?
Or are you going to lose your soul,
which Jesus Christ bought at the price of His Precious Blood?”
(St John Francis Régis, SJ).

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St Bridget of Sweden, Mother, Wife and Founder.

THE FOOLISHNESS OF GOD IS GREATER THAN THE WISDOM OF MAN. SOW THE WIND AND REPEAP THE WHIRLWIND.

"Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”  (Matthew 13: 24 - 30).

Saturday 23rd July of the 16th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Bridget of Sweden. (1303 - 1373). Housewife, mother of 4 boys and 4 girls. One of the girls, St Catherine of Sweden is a canonized saint. Bridget persuaded her husband to become a Franciscan Tertiary with her. When the husband died, St Bridget moved to Rome where she founded the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer. St Bridget meditated long on the suffering and death of Jesus. God revealed to her the secrets of heaven. St Bridget is a mystic and authored books on ascetical and mystical theology. She is the patron saint of Sweden and co-patron saint of Europe.

Why did Jesus forbid the servants from pulling up the weeds before the harvest time in the Gospel of today? "No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them."

What we see as the foolishness of God is wiser than all the wisdom of mankind put together. Here is an example of God's wisdom below:

"But I will tell you what will happen to cowards and to everyone who is unfaithful or dirty-minded or who murders or is sexually immoral or uses witchcraft or worships idols or tells lies. They will be thrown into that lake of fire and burning sulfur. This is the second death." (Revelations 21: 8 CEV).

The Church is the seed of the kingdom of God on earth. (Cf CCC 567). It is the Plan of God that the Wheat and the Weed should coexist in the Church till the end of time.

Jesus asks us:
"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" (Matthew 7: 3).

7. 23. July is the Month dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

"O precious Blood of Jesus, infinite price paid for the redemption of sinful mankind. O Divine Blood, drink and laver of our souls, standing between us and the Father pleading mercy, Have mercy on us."

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The Feast of St Mary Magdalene, the Apostle to the Apostles.

MARY MAGDALENE WEPT BEFORE THE EMPTY TOMB. SHE LINGERED THERE WHEN EVERYONE LEFT. LINGER BEFORE THE BLESSED SACRAMENT TABERNACLE AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED.

"On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”
Mary 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. 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.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he told her. (John 20: 1 - 2, 11 - 18).

Friday 22nd July 2022 of 16th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Mary Magdalene. Jewish. One of the handfull of women who followed Jesus as He tramped everywhere preaching the Gospel. These women took care of the welfare of Jesus and His Apostles from their purse. But Mary Magdalene was unique and exceptional among these ladies. Jesus healed her of demonic possession and Mary could not forget this favor all her life.

Mary Magdalene trekked the Via Dolorosa with the other Mary, the Virgin Mother of Jesus. Both women stood under the Cross and watched Jesus die slowly. While the Blessed Virgin Mary did not hurry to the tomb on Easter Sunday because she heard and believed what her Son said about "rising from the dead on the third day," Mary of Magdala hurried to the tomb. She became the first human being to see the Risen Jesus. This is how St Mary Magdalene became the "Apostle to the Apostles."

"Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he told her." (John 20: 17 - 18).

Mary Magdalene loved Jesus with a pure love that comes from the depth of gratitude for what Jesus did for her. If but we know 1% of what Jesus is doing for us every day, our love for Him will astonish us. St Mary Magdalene will be delighted with the desire and prayer of St Ignatius Loyola:
+ To know the Heart of Jesus intimately.
+ To love Jesus passionately.
+ To follow Jesus everywhere.
O that this will be our prayer and desire too!

"With Me and from Me you have nothing to fear. I am here, in the Sacrament of My love, to be your comfort, your peace, your light, your refreshment, and your joy. Know this! Take it to heart. Believe it and act upon it. If souls believed this of Me, nothing would be able to keep them from seeking Me out in the Sacrament of My love and from remaining in My presence." (IN SINU JESU).

7. 22. “You come to me and unite Yourself intimately to me under the form of nourishment. Your Blood now runs in mine, Your Soul, Incarnate God, compenetrates mine, giving courage and support. What miracles! Who would have ever imagined such!”  (St Maximilian Kolbe).

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The Feast of St Lawrence Brindisi, OFM, Priest and Doctor of the Church.

"GOD IS LOVE AND ALL HIS OPERATIONS PROCEED FROM LOVE..." (ST LAWRENCE BRINDISI, OFM.) That is, ALL HIS OPERATIONS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE AFFECTING EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE WORLD.

"The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?” He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

"You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted and I heal them.

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Matthew 13: 10 - 17).

Thursday July 21st 2022 is the Feast of St Lawrence Brindisi, OFM. (1559 - 1613). Priest and Doctor of the Church. Italian. He belonged to the Capuchin Order of the Franciscan family. Lawrence is an extraordinary man who used well the lavish gifts God bestowed on him. The Church remembers him for his profound knowledge and love for Sacred Scripture, the Holy Spirit, Prayer and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A propos Sacred Scriptures, Lawrence says:
“The Word of the Lord is a light for the mind and a fire for the will, so that man may know and love God.… It is a weapon against a heart stubbornly entrenched in vice. It is a sword against the flesh, the world, and the devil, to destroy every sin.”

In our Gospel for today, Jesus  says: “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich."

Lawrence became an authority in the sacred Word and was recognized all over Europe during his time and became a Doctor of the Church.

What is the knowledge of the Kingdom of God that Jesus speaks of? It is not book knowledge. If it is book knowledge, the Blessed Virgin Mary would not have been Mother and Teacher in the Church. Saints Anthony of Padua, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, Therese of the Child Jesus and so many other doctors of the Church would never have been doctors of the Church. The Doctors of the Church were taught by the Holy Spirit.

One of the greatest mysteries of the Kingdom of God is the mystery of God's unfathomable mercy.

"Lord, your mercy reaches to heaven; your fidelity, to the clouds."
"How precious is your mercy, O God!" (Psalm 36: 6, 8).

The Blessed Virgin Mary has a profound knowledge of this mystery.  She is childlike and a little one.
"And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies and exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior....
“And His mercy is upon generation after generation
Toward those who [stand in great awe of God and] fear Him."  (Luke 1: 46 - 50).

Other Little Ones who have knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God are: Saints Catherine of Siena, Therese of the Child Jesus, Lawrence Brindisi, Maria Faustina, Teresa of Avila, Mother St Teresa of Kolkata, etc.

7. 21. "Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world."  (Divine Mercy Rosary).

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The seed in good soil yields abundant harvest.

"STORE UP IN YOUR MINDS, THE LORD'S WORDS WHICH YOU RECEIVE, THROUGH YOUR EARS, FOR THE WORD OF THE LORD, IS THE NOURISHMENT OF THE MIND... BE CAREFUL THAT THE SEED RECEIVED THROUGH YOUR EARS, REMAIN IN YOUR HEART." (ST POPE GREGORY THE GREAT).

"On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” (Matthew 13: 1 - 13).

Wednesday 20th July 2022 of the 16th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Apollinaris. Bishop and Martyr. Syrian. Died 79 AD in Ravenna, Italy where he was Bishop. Two things are fascinating about our saint:
#1 The Apostle Peter himself ordained him a Bishop.
#2 St Apollinaris had an extraordinary gift of healing. The pagan Roman priests were so jealous of him that they persuaded Emperor Claudius to put him to death.

St Apollinaris stored up the word of God in his heart and mind and it made him exceedingly fruitful in his ministry.

The seed in today's Parable is the word of God.  When it falls into a rich soil, it produces rich harvest.  What is a rich soil?  A rich soil is a soul that has been prepared and conditioned to receive the word of God. 

The means for preparing the soul to receive the word of God are daily prayer, the sacraments, study of the word of God and a desire for God.  When the soul is prepared, it becomes like a watered garden.  It becomes expectant and receptive.  So when it hears the word of God (Rhema), it is ready for it.  It recognizes its opportunity when the word is proclaimed because it has been expecting it.  When the word of God is received with faith, it germinates, grows and yields rich harvest.

"The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit."  (Matthew 13: 22).

Only rich soil can bear rich fruit and yield a harvest of 100, 60 or 30 fold. How much fruit do you desire to produce?

"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).

7. 2. Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ purify and heal me.

“It is in this Blood that He has laid up His blessings for us, as in a storehouse. This is true, not only of spiritual blessings, but of all blessings whatsoever.” (St Peter Faber).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

We love You O Father of mercies and God of ALL comfort.

AS IN THE DAYS WHEN YOU LED US OUT OF EGYPT, SHOW US YOUR WONDERFUL SIGNS AGAIN O LORD OUR GOD AND FATHER!

"Who is a God like you, who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever, but instead delights in mercy, and will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our iniquities?
You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins." (Micah 7: 18 - 19).

You will cast into the depths of the sea all our Sins and ALL our Impediments. (Cf Micah 7: 19).

Tuesday 19th July 2022 of the  16th Week of Ordinary Time.

Our first Reading from Micah is for me one of the most sweet passages in the Bible. Who can forget this phrase? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our Sins and ALL our Impediments. (Cf Micah 7: 19).

GOD DELIGHTS IN MERCY.

No one is like God when it comes to mercy. His record on mercy is everywhere in the Scriptures.
The ABC of Mercy summarizes this for us:

A. Ask for Mercy.
B. Be merciful.
C. Completely trust Jesus for Mercy.

7. 19.  Most Precious Blood of Jesus, have mercy on us.
"But for the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, we will have to carry our own sin and be crushed by it." (Father Albert Lauer of Presentation Ministries).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Faith does not consist in seeing great signs.

FAITH DOES NOT CONSIST IN SEEING GREAT SIGNS BUT IN RECOGNIZING THE WORD AND AUTHORITY OF GOD.

"Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.”  (Matthew 12: 38 - 42).

Monday, July 18th of the 16th Week of Ordinary Time.

I like the clear and authoritative words of Jesus to the Scribes and Pharisees. This is a paraphrase of the message:

You are looking for a big sign from Me before you believe that I AM the Messiah. Let Me tell you:
God is looking for genuine faith like He saw in Abraham and David, Mary, Jairus, the woman with the issue of blood.
The people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah. They recognized the word of God when they heard it. They did not ask for a sign as a condition for repentance.
If you cannot be led to repentance when your pastor preach the word of God, you are not serious.

The Church is the authentic sign of the existence and presence of God in the world today.
During the consistory of November 24, 2007, Pope Benedict said that the gathering of Bishops and people from every part of the world is a sign of the unity and universality of the Catholic Church. It is also a sign that God is with the Church. Such a gathering is not possible by human means.

Stop the spirit of Unbelief. Repent and believe the Good News.

7. 18. ASK THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST TO CLEANSE YOU AND EXPEL THE SPIRIT OF UNBELIEF.  DO THIS FOR THE REST OF JULY.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com