The Feast of St Damien of Molokai, Patron Saint of Lepers.

Without Me, you can do Nothing. 

"Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.

"You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you.

"Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.

"I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.

"Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. 

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.

"By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

(John 15: 1 - 8).

Wednesday 10th May 2023 of the 5th Week of Easter. 

Wednesday 10th May 2023 in the 5th Week of Easter is the feast of St Damien Joseph de Veuster of Molokai. (1840 - 1889). Priest. Belgian missionary. Father Damien requested to be sent to the leper colony in Molokai, in Hawaii where he spent the rest of his life ministering to lepers. Four of these years were lived in confinement after he contracted leprosy. St Damien was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 11, 2009. He is the patron saint of people with leprosy.

The three things St Augustine urged Christians to study every day so that they may abide in Christ and produce rich harvest are:

#1. Commandments.

#2. Examples.

#3. Sacraments.

Examples or biographies or lives of the Saints are important because examples are the best teachers.

In our key Scripture for today Jesus says that if you want to bear much fruit in the Christian life, you must abide in Him. Without Him, you can do nothing. Not a little. But nothing. 

Here are 5 saints who embraced this teaching of Jesus and bore abundant fruit. All these saints are still bearing fruit today through their religious families.

#1. St Francis of Assisi.

#2. St Dominic.

#3. Mother St Teresa of Kolkata.

#4. St. Ignatius Loyola.

#5. Mother Angelica of EWTN.

What are the 7 Daily Habits of these  saints?

#1. Prayer.

#2. Word of God.

#3. Eucharist.

#4. Penance: About weekly.

#5. Examination of Conscience.

#6. Spiritual Reading.

#7. Ministry (Faith sharing).

Their lives shone with the fruits of the Holy Spirit: Charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity.

You too can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. (Cf Philippians 4: 13).

"The Mystical Body of Christ needs the gentle and perfect ministrations of the most pure hands of Mary. She is sent from heaven—without leaving her glorious heavenly throne—to nurse the ailing members of the Mystical Body and to restore health to the Church wheresoever she is weakened by sin or poisoned by evil. There cannot be—and there will not be—a full restoration of unity until the divinely appointed role of the Mother of Jesus is recognized and confessed. The same is true when it comes to the healing of broken lives and of souls." (IN SINU JESU, Thursday, January 29, 2009 ).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com