The Great Opportunity to bear witness.

 "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days." (2 Timothy 3: 1).

"While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive ­offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here—the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon ­another stone that will not be thrown down.”

"Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”

"Jesus answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.”

"Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.

“Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.

"It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.

"You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” (Luke 21: 5 - 19).

Sunday October 13th 2022 of the 33rd week of Ordinary Time. Next Sunday will be the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. It marks the end of the current Liturgical Year. Can you hear from the Scriptures the drumbeat that shift our gear to reflections on the end times?

In brief, before the end comes, there will be a shakedown of the faith of everyone. Only those who have learned to be faithful from the daily practice of the faith will survive. Those who have put their faith on hold will run to their parents, siblings, children, neighbors and friends. They will bang on the door and cry in panic: "Please give us some oil for our lamp!"

"By your perseverance you will secure your lives." (Luke 21: 19).

Do not postpone the practice of your faith. There will be no opportunity to go to the Church, get into your home to search for your Bible or Rosary.

"Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?"

O that you hear His voice today, harden not your hearts.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr.

"It is important to persevere in prayer because if we do, God will not simply answer the prayer, He will reveal His will to us - this is much more important.  Perseverance in prayer reveals the quality of our faith. James says, "I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18).   Anonymous.

"Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.

"He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,

"‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’

"For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’”

"The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.

"Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18: 1 - 8).

Saturday 12th November 2022 of 32nd Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr.  (1580 - 1623).

Born in Poland to Orthodox parents, Josaphat became a Catholic. As Bishop, he worked for the unity of the Orthodox and the Roman Church and was martyred for his efforts in Ukraine.

"Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary." The Widow in today's Gospel proves that even with God, persistence breaks resistance. So pray always. Pray everywhere. Pray about everything. God hears the prayers of the widow, the orphan and the immigrant. He hears the prayers of all who call on Him in faith and persistence.

"Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!"
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." (Psalm 27: 14, Romans 12: 12).

St Augustine teaches that "God wills that our desire should be exercised in prayer, that we may be able to receive what He is prepared to give."

"There are no sufferings that cannot be borne peacefully, so long as a soul is praying the Rosary. Through the Rosary, all the grace and power of My mysteries passes through My Mother’s Immaculate Heart into the hearts of the little ones who invoke her, repeating the angel’s “Ave” over and over again. There are illnesses that can be cured through the Rosary. There are clouds of darkness and confusion that only the Rosary can disperse, and this because it is My Mother’s favourite prayer, a prayer that originated in the heights of heaven and was carried to earth by My Archangel, a prayer echoed and amplified in the Church through the ages, a prayer loved by all My saints, a prayer of disarming power and of immense depth." (IN SINU JESU, Tuesday, December 2, 2014).

To see the 15 Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, click the link below Or copy and paste::

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-15-promises-of-mary-to-those-who.html?m =1

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com

Feast of St Martin of Tours.

"Hitherto I have served you as a soldier; allow me now to become a soldier to God. ..." (St Martin of Tours).

"[Chosen Lady:] I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth just as we were commanded by the Father.

"But now, Lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing a new commandment but the one we have had from the beginning: let us love one another. For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning, in which you should walk.

"Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh; such is the deceitful one and the antichrist.

"Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for but may receive a full recompense. Anyone who is so “progressive” as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son." (2 John 4 - 9).

Friday 11th November 2022 of the 32nd week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Martin of Tours. (316 - 397).  St Martin was born of pagan parents in modern day Hungary.

Martin was a soldier in the imperial army of Rome. After he encountered Jesus Christ, he became a Christian and a man of peace. Today is also Veteran Day in the USA, Armistice Day in other countries. November 11  served in the past as a day of memorial of signing peace treaties.  The treaty to end World War 1 was signed on the Feast of St Martin of Tours, November 11th. Hail Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace. Happy Veterans Day!

The lectionary readings for Daily and Sunday Mass contain strong language condemning false teachers. We read in today's first Reading:
"Anyone who is so “progressive” as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son." (Cf 2 John 4 - 9).

The great teachers of the Christian faith are unsparing in their total condemnation of peddlars of falsehood and doctrines. Who are these teachers? Jesus, Peter and Paul, James and John.

Why does it seem that there is this deadly and embarrassing silence today in confronting false teachers inside and outside the Church?

St Hilary of Poitiers, great friend and protégé of St Martin of Tours was happy to suffer multiple exiles to defend the doctrine of faith on Christ from Arian heretics and emperors. Other saints who were persecuted and exiled are Athanasius, John Chrysostom and Pope St Martin I.

Ecumenism is great. But let us be discerning that ecumenism does not lead us to easy Christianity of Live and Let Live.

St Martin de Tours can help us appreciate the truth that God's gracious and mysterious will is our peace and prosperity.  Lust for power and greed for riches lead nations to war. Consider the end of these nations: The France of Napoleon, the Germany of Hitler, the liquidation of the Soviet Union of Stalin. The Prince of Peace warns that those who live by the sword will perish by the sword. (Cf Matthew 26: 52).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of Pope St Leo the Great, Doctor of the Church.

"Recall how you had been wrested from the power of darkness and brought into the kingdom of God (Col 1:13). Through the sacrament of baptism you were made a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away such a dweller by your wicked actions and subject yourself again to servitude under the devil, because your price is the very blood of Christ, because he will judge you in truth who has redeemed you in mercy." (St Leo the Great).

"Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,

"Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

" Then he said to his disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.

"There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.

"But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.” (Luke 17: 20 - 25).

Thursday 10th November 2022 of the 32nd Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of a giant of our faith: St Leo the Great. (+ 461). Pope. Italian. Doctor of the Church.
Leo was from a Roman aristocratic family. He was the first of three popes in the history of the Church to be called "the Great."

Pope Benedict XVI said that Leo's papacy "was undoubtedly one of the most important in Church history." Leo is remembered in history for many things. Here are the two things that stand out:

#1 Leo put his stamp on the authoritative definition of who Jesus Christ is: Jesus Christ is true God (100%) and true Man (100%).
#2 In 452, Pope Leo confronted Attila the Hun and persuaded the conqueror of the whole of the Italian Peninsula from sacking and torching Rome, the capital of the Roman empire.

"Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,

"Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

One fact is absolutely certain:  Jesus spent most of His preaching and teaching ministry talking about the Kingdom. Even after His Resurrection, Acts 1 informs us that Jesus continued to speak about the Kingdom. How do we address these questions about the identity and operations of the Kingdom?

"The Kingdom of God is among you."
What does this mean to you?
What is the Kingdom?
Where is the Kingdom?
Why the Kingdom?
How does the Kingdom operate?
Any signs of the Kingdom here and now?

The Kingdom is the King Jesus. Where the King is, there is His Kingdom. The Kingdom has certain similarities with earthly kingdoms. But the differences are striking.
The Kingdom of God is the reign of God in hearts and minds of people who believe in Jesus and have committed to allow Jesus to reign in their hearts and minds. For example: The Kingdom of Belgium comprises all the people who live in the geographical area that is recognized as Belgium. They obey the laws of Belgium. The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Belgium have officers and structures for their operations. That is where the similarities end.

The Kingdom of God is worldwide. It is eternal and indestructible. The mighty Roman Empire and many kingdoms of the world have been destroyed. The Kingdom of God launched by Jesus Christ in the course of His earthly ministry will never be destroyed. God will never allow the powers of hell to wipe out the Church. The Church will be there at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

What does all this mean to you here and now? There are two types of people: those who are aware only of the earthly, material and physical kingdom. Others who belong to the the Kingdom of God whose seed is the Church. St Leo the Great spent his life building up the Church, the Kingdom of God on earth which we can see and touch.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica.

The Lateran Basilica is the Church of the Pope, Successor St Peter and Universal  Pastor of the flock of Jesus Christ.

"Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there.

"He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said,

“Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”

"His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me.

"At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?”

"Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

"The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?”

"But he was speaking about the temple of his Body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had ­spoken." (John 2: 13 - 22).

Wednesday 9th November 2022 of the 32nd Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. The Church of the Pope as the Bishop of Rome. The Lateran has been known as the "Mother and head of all churches of Rome and the world."

Why is this an important feast? In the Gospel of today,  Jesus expressed an outrage at the way the holy Temple was desecrated. “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”

It is therefore appropriate to reflect on the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica the theme of the sanctity of the Place of Abode of God. Every Catholic Church is consecrated to be holy and equipped with the Altar of the Blessed Sacrament. Below are a few reasons why today's feast is very important.

#1 The Church is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The destiny of the Church is prophesied in the Entrance Antiphon for today:
"I saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband." (Cf Revelation 21: 2).

#2 The Lateran Basilica is the Church of the Pope, Successor St Peter and Universal  Pastor of the flock of Jesus Christ.

#3 This feast is celebrated worldwide and makes the faithful remember these important truths of our salvation. Especially the truth that the Church is Catholic, that is, universal.

#4 It is God's desire to dwell with us. "Behold God’s dwelling with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people, and God himself with them will be their God."  (Cf Revelation 21: 3 Entrance Antiphon).  The physical church is a symbol of this mystery.

As we celebrate this feast with joy, we remember that we are the chosen and living stones that form  the eternal Temple of the Most Holy God.

Let us pray especially today for the growth of the Church, for the unity of all Christians, for many vocations to the priesthood, consecrated life, missionaries, catechists and evangelists and of course for the Holy Father Pope Francis.

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com

How shall I thank the Lord for all His goodness to me?

THE LORD WATCHES OVER THE LIVES OF THE WHOLEHEARTED. THEIR INHERITANCE LASTS FOREVER.

"The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Tuesday 8th November 2022 of the 32nd Week of Ordinary Time.

"Trust in the Lord and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.

"The Lord watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
By the Lord are the steps of a man made firm, and he approves his way.

"Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
The just shall possess the land
and dwell in it forever."  (Psalm 37: 3-4, 18 and 23, 27 and 29).

Our key Scripture for today is from the Responsorial Psalm 37. This Psalm along with Psalms 23, 27, 46 and 51 are my all-time favorites.

"Man does not live on bread alone. There is spiritual nourishment in every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Cf Matthew 4: 4).
Thank You Jesus for the spiritual nourishment You provide us daily in Your word.

Friends, read this Scripture and see how these words can apply to you:

"The Lord watches over the lives of the wholehearted; their inheritance lasts forever.

"By the Lord are the steps of a man made firm, and he approves his way."

"If you trust in the Lord and do good, you will dwell in the land and be fed in security.

"If you take delight in the Lord,
He will grant you your heart’s requests. (Cf Psalm 37).

Everyone of us can surely take delight in the Lord. Is He not our Father who provides all our needs and protects us from all evil?
Lord Jesus, I believe. I trust. Increase my faith.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

What is Faith and how do we obtain it?

FAITH COMES FROM HEARING THE WORD OF GOD AND PLEADING BOLDLY FOR FAITH. 

"Jesus said to his disciples,

“Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.”

"And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

"The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17: 1 - 6).

Monday 7th November 2022 of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time.

Our key Scripture deals with the all important question of faith.

"And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

"The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

"What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead." (Hebrews 11: 1 TLB).

I thank our Lord Jesus for the mustard size faith that I have. Because of this small faith, I am who I am today. Everything I enjoy in life such as the Eucharist, Reconciliation, Sunday leisure, even this Blog, etc comes from faith.

In the 11th Chapter of Hebrews, we see the portrait of faith drawn through the key characters of the Hebrew Scriptures. For example: Abraham, David, Elijah, etc. We may add to this list: Mary, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist, Mary Magdalene, Paul, etc. All these people and All the Saints we celebrated a week ago lived by faith and fulfilled the spiritual law that "the just man shall live by faith." (Cf Habakkuk 2: 4, Romans 1: 17, Galatians 3: 11, Hebrews 10: 38).

How do we get faith?
"So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ." (Romans 10: 17 AMP).

Faith comes too by asking for, pleading, praying for faith like the Apostles: "Lord increase our faith."

Do you believe the message below?
"God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son, so that all who believe in him may not perish, but may have eternal life." (John 3: 16). If you believe this Scripture, you have faith. Fan it into flame.

"Why do you think I have spoken to you so often of My Eucharistic Face? It is because “face” signifies “presence.” The devotion to My Eucharistic Face is the remedy to the loss of faith in My real presence that has swept through My Church at every level, extinguishing the fire of Eucharistic charity and causing even My elect, My priests, to grow cold and distant from Me. This is My word to you tonight and this is why I brought you to this place. Any loneliness you may feel is an invitation to seek Me out in the Sacrament of My divine friendship and to console My Eucharistic Heart." (IN SINU JESU, Sunday, October 19, 2008 Saint Paul of the Cross).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com