The humble King enters His City.

PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD'S PASSION. 

"When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,

"Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her.

Untie them and bring them here to me.

And if anyone should say anything to you, reply,

'The master has need of them.'

Then he will send them at once."

"This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet

might be fulfilled:

Say to daughter Zion,

"Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden."

"The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them.

They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them,

and he sat upon them.

"The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees

and strewed them on the road.

The crowds preceding him and those following

kept crying out and saying:

"Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest."

"And when he entered Jerusalem

the whole city was shaken and asked, "Who is this?"

"And the crowds replied,

"This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee." (Matthew 21: 1 - 11).

Sunday 2nd April 2023.

Today is the Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. On this day the Church celebrates the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem to accomplish His mission, called the Paschal Mystery.  The Paschal Mystery is the core of the Gospel. Jesus suffered. Jesus died. Jesus rose from the dead.  Jesus ascended into Heaven.  Before the Gospels were written many years after the Ascension of Jesus, this was the only creed the first and early Christians were expected to know.  It was called the Apostolic Proclamation or Kerygma.

“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”  (Cf Mark 11 - 12).

The Kingdom that Jesus came to establish will fulfill and complete the "kingdom of our father David."

The summary of the Church's teaching on the kingdom is:

"The kingdom of heaven was inaugurated on earth by Christ. 

"This kingdom shone out before men in the word, in the works and in the presence of Christ" (Lumen Gentium 5).

The Church is the seed and beginning of this kingdom. Its keys are entrusted to Peter. (CCC 567).

"Almighty and ever-living GOD, who as an example of humility for the human race to follow

caused our Savior to take flesh and submit to the CROSS, graciously grant that we may heed his lesson of patient suffering

and so merit a share in his Resurrection… "

  (Collect of Palm 🌴 Sunday).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Jesus must die for the salvation of all the people.

Jesus must die for the salvation of all people. 

"Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what Jesus had done [Raising of Lazarus to life] began to believe in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

"So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.”

"But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.

"So from that day on they planned to kill him. (John 11: 45..... 56).

Saturday 1st April 2023 of the 5th week of Lent. First Saturday in April.

APRIL IS THE MONTH THE CHURCH HONORS THE MOST HOLY EUCHARIST. HONOR THE HOLY EUCHARIST IN APRIL BY RECEIVING THE EUCHARIST OFTEN AND BY MAKING SPIRITUAL Communion FREQUENTLY. 

We are on the Eve of Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. The plot to kill Jesus has thickened at this point. Who wants to kill Jesus and who will benefit most from His disappearance from the religious-political scene?

“You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” (John 11: 49 - 50).

This is the prophetic voice of the High Priest, Caiaphas. 

He provides a powerful motive for the criminal conspiracy. The fate of Jesus is sealed.

The plan of the Father for the salvation of the world has taken a definitive path for victory. Is God the Father incapable of stopping the execution of His beloved Son Jesus? Or to stop all the evils in the world? Just one word from the Father will change everything.

"In the most mysterious way God the Father has revealed his almighty power in the voluntary humiliation and Resurrection of his Son, by which he conquered evil." (CCC 272).

The Cross has been ordained by the Father from eternity to be the means of our Salvation. No Cross, No Crown. No Trials. No Triumph.

As we enter the most holy Week of the year, we pray for the grace to understand the meaning of the Cross in our lives.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

I do My Father’s works.

Open your eyes and see my works and believe. 

"The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. 

Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” 

"The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.”

"Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’? If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and Scripture cannot be set aside, can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 

"If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

"Then they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.

"He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. Many came to him and said, “John performed no sign, but ­everything John said about this man was true.” And many there began to believe in him." (John 10: 31 - 42).

Friday 31st March 2023, of the 5th Week of Lent.

The enemies of Jesus were not just ignorant of the ways of God, they also suffer from unbelief. Unbelief may be the deadliest sin in the Bible. An example of Unbelief is seeing the sun shining and you maintain that it is total darkness. 

The Israelites saw the work of God in the Red Sea. They ate manna and drank fresh water in the desert and still refused to believe in God's goodness and power.

Jesus appealed to His work. The Jews should know the works of the future Messiah from the Scriptures. Healing, casting out demons, feeding the masses, raising the dead, teaching and preaching.  These works should make someone of good will to examine the claims of Jesus more deeply before rejecting Him. They refused to believe the proofs before them and paid  very costly consequences. No miracle. No participation in the fruits of salvation were available to the unbelieving group.

The Bible urges us to beware of the deadly sin of unbelief. Unbelief leads to the sin of rebellion like in Massah and Meribah. (Cf Ps 95).

When we look at Jesus as faithful, true and credible witness, we cannot but note the quality of His life style.

 A tree is known by its fruits says Jesus. The fruits everybody can see from the life of Jesus are: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness and more. These are the very fruits by which a Christian can be recognized in the world.

I WISH TO LIVE AS I PRAY. IF I PRAY WELL, I LIVE WELL. IF I LIVE WELL, I DIE WELL. IF I DIE WELL, ALL IS WELL.

LEX ORANDI, LEX CREDENDI, LEX VIVENDI.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Do you believe that God fulfills ALL His promises?

God remembers His promises to Abraham and His descendants. 

"When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him:

“My covenant with you is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations. No longer shall you be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations. I will render you exceedingly fertile; I will make nations of you; kings shall stem from you. I will maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 

"I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you are now staying, the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God.”

"God also said to Abraham: “On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.” (Genesis 17: 3 - 9).

Thursday 30th March in the 5th Week of Lent 2023. 

We draw our inspiration for reflection from the Responsorial Psalm 105. This word of God, the Promise of God can set us free from anxiety and doubt.

"The Lord remembers his covenant for ever." 

ABBA FATHER KEEPS ALL HIS PROMISES. CONSIDER ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE WHO ATTEST TO THIS TRUTH :

ABRAHAM, JOSHUA, DAVID, ELIZABETH, PETER, PAUL, ETC.

HERE IS A TRUTH THAT CAN MAKE US FREE.

"The Lord remembers his covenant forever."

God remembers all His promises to Abraham and fulfills every one of them. He remembers His promises to the Blessed Virgin Mary and fulfills every promise. Joshua reminded the people that God has not defaulted in a single promise He made to Israel. The Lord remembers all His promises to David and fulfills all.

Our God is a Father who keeps His promises. This truth which I learned from Scripture and believe, helps me to deal with fears, anxiety and doubt. Thank You Father, O Faithful God!

"Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!" (John 6: 63, 68).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com 

O God of Truth, open our minds to Your Truth.

Knowledge of My Word will set you free from fear, worry and doubt. 

“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8: 31 - 32).

Wednesday 29th March 2023 in the 5th week of Lent. 

When Jesus says that if you persevere in feeding on His word, you will come to know the truth and the divine truth you know will set you free, what does the Teacher mean?

The truth (divine reality) frees us from fear, worry and doubt and dread that falsehood imposes on us.

Pope Benedict when he visited the oil rich country of Angola was shocked to see how the population was still shackled by fears of evil spirits, disease and death. He remarked that Angola received Christian missionaries about 500 years ago. At that time, Europe was still shackled with similar fears and superstitions. But the light and truth of Christ has since dispelled those fears in Europe.

Today, Europe needs a fresh burst of the light of Christ because the continent is again in darkness because of materialism, atheism and hedonism. 

The consequences are dire. Most European countries have today close to zero birth rate. The citizens have abandoned Christianity in large scale. They welcome Moslems with open arms to work and maintain their standards of living. Islam will be the majority religion in Europe in about 50 years.

In the 1st Reading from the Book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar asked the three Jewish boys: 

"Who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?" We hear the same threat today everywhere from strong men and bosses: "Is it true you will not work on Sunday? Who is the God who can deliver you out of unemployment?"

If you have not remained in the word of God, how can you ever know the truth that can set you free?

Hear the bold answer of the three Jewish boys to their tormentor who believed he had supreme power: 

Oh Nebuchadnezzar, if we live, we live. If we perish, we perish.

The boys know the Scriptures and they know the truth that set them free from fear of death. How did the story end? Read on below:

"Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: he has sent his angel to rescue the servants who, putting their trust in him, defied the order of the king, and preferred to forfeit their bodies rather than serve or worship any god but their own."

By faith, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego conquered the spirit of Nebuchadenezer. The same faith is available to us through the Word of God. 

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Do you know who you are?

Who are you? 

"Jesus said to the Pharisees: “I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.” 

"So the Jews said, “He is not going to kill himself, is he, because he said, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?”

"He said to them, “You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.

"For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.” 

"So they said to him, “Who are you?” 

Jesus said to them, “What I told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you in condemnation. But the one who sent me is true, and what I heard from him I tell the world.” 

"They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.

"So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. 

"The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him.” 

"Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him." (John 8: 21 - 30).

Tuesday 28th March 2023 of the 5th week of Lent. 

In the Gospel of today, the Jews asked Jesus a point blank question: "Who are you?" Jesus ties His Identity to the Father in the answer. "I always do what is pleasing to him." [Abba Father]

Who are you? If you do not know who you are, the Devil will give you a spurious answer like we hear in the world: "I am born to be rich and great.. I am beautiful. I am Irish. I am American, etc." The correct answer is:  "I AM WHO YOU [FATHER] SAY I AM."

The Father created us and gave us an IDENTITY when we are baptized. 

He calls you: My child, the brother of My Son Jesus. Baptized for eternal life. Light of the world. Fisher of men, etc. Know who you are and  Satan will never deceive you easily. 

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Two accused women saved by divine intervention.

Two accused women saved by divine mercy. 

"Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them.

"Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.

"They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 

"They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. 

"Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. 

"But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 

"Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. 

"So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” 

"Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.” (John 8: 1 - 11).

Monday 27th March 2023 in the 5th week of Lent. 

The sacred texts today from the Prophet Daniel and the Gospel of John present us with the story of two women. One is Susanna, beautiful wife of a very wealthy man. The other is a simple woman caught in the act of adultery. Both women were accused of adultery, a sin punishable by death in Israel in those days and still so in some Moslem countries.

There are a number of lessons in the two narratives.

#1 Satan is the Father of lies and the Book of Revelation calls him the Accuser of the brethren. Do you know anyone who delights in pointing fingers and quick to accuse? Unjust accusations against Jesus and Stephen led to their deaths.

#2 Corruption of power. Susanna was accused by two elderly judges whose advances she spurned. The woman caught in adultery was accused by those who caught her in the act and religious judges wanted her dead. Judges and lawyers face continuous temptations to bribery and corruption.

#3 The stories ended well in the marvelous timely Divine Interventions. God used Daniel in the case of Susanna and Jesus the Divine Mercy in the case of the woman caught in the act of adultery.

What do we take away from the two stories? "The whole assembly cried aloud, blessing God who saves those who hope in him." (Daniel 13: 60). The reaction of the people shows that they understood that a miracle happened. They glorified God and their faith became strengthened. This is also the takeaway for us because every Bible narrative is there to build up our faith in a loving and merciful God.

"Now, be silent. Adore Me. Trust Me. I have only begun to show you the path of holiness that I am opening before you. And give thanks to Me, for I have saved you, through a particular intervention of My most holy Mother, from the fate that the Evil One was preparing for you for so long a time." (IN SINU JESU, Friday, March 28, 2008).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com