Feast of St Josephine Bakhita, Virgin and Religious.

Feast of St Josephine Bakhita and St Jerome Emiliani. 

"Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them:

“Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”

"When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them:

“Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) “But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him. From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. 

"All these evils come from within and they defile.” (Mark 7: 14 - 23).

Wednesday February 8th 2023 in the 5th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Josephine Bakhita and St Jerome Emiliani. 

St Josephine Bakhita (1869 - 1947). Sudanese. Virgin and Religious. Josephine was brought to Italy as a slave. By Divine Providence, she became a sister of the Canossian order. Her exemplary and holy life was noticed. She bore patiently and heroically her last illness. Pope St John Paul II brought her relics to Sudan where she was canonized in 2000. St Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of Sudan and victims of human trafficking.

St Jerome Emiliani. (1481 - 1537). Italian. Priest. Jerome was wayward as a young man. When he was surprised by grace, his life changed 360 degrees. He founded a religious congregation (Somaschi) which looked after the sick, the poor and orphans and abandoned children. St Jerome Emiliani died of the plague while ministering to the afflicted.

Jesus teaches: “But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him. From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. 

"All these evils come from within and they defile.”

Can we live a life that is undefiled? Not possible without the power of the enabling Holy Spirit. 

St Paul warned the Galatians: "I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ [Jesus] have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.  Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another." (Galatians 5: 21 - 26).

Brethren, let us remain in the Holy Spirit and our salvation will be assured. 

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com