Cleopas and Companion recognized Jesus as He celebrated Mass.

Cleopas and Companion failed to recognize Jesus. 

"That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.

And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.

"He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?”

"They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?”

"And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” 

"They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him.

"But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. 

"Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” 

"And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!

"Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

"Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. 

"As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” 

"So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.

 With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he ­vanished from their sight.

"Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” 

"So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”

"Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread." (Luke 24: 13 - 35).

Sunday 23rd April 2023 of the 3rd Sunday in the Season of Easter.

After His Resurrection, Jesus sought after two of His discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus. What follows is very interesting. Why were the eyes of Cleopas and his companion prevented from recognizing Jesus? St Jerome, Scripture scholar and Doctor of the Church gives  us a clue: "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."

The same ignorance of Scripture prevented me from recognizing Jesus in the Scriptures, in the Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharist, and in the Sacrament of the Present Moment for a long time.

From the mighty deeds and words of Jesus, the disciples thought that Jesus might be the Messiah. Why did they not explore the Scriptures to prove the point and find out what Scripture says about the Messiah? Jesus said that they were not only foolish but slow in understanding. How? Because it is clear from the Scriptures that Salvation would come only through the Cross. (Cf CCC 272).

We cannot allow ourselves to fall into the same error. The two big gifts of Easter are: the Holy Spirit and Peace. The Holy Spirit will make “our hearts burn within us while he speaks to us and opens the scriptures to us?” (Luke 24: 32).

Ask for the Holy Spirit today.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com 

Do not be afraid little ones.

It is I. Do not be afraid.

"When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea, embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum. 

"It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 

"The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. 

"But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” 

"They wanted to take him into the boat, but the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading." (John 6: 16 - 21).

Saturday 22nd April 2023, in the 2nd Week of Easter. 

Jesus said to the disciples: "It is I. Do not be afraid.” These words brought peace, comfort and joy to the disciples. 

This morning, I woke up feeling feverish. This fever put me in a raw mood as I had planned a number of things to accomplish today. I was in a complaining and critical frame of mind when I came to my workstation to start writing this reflection. 

When I heard Jesus say: "It is I. Do not be afraid,” I knew immediately that the Lord of History was speaking to me directly. What did I understand? 

I believe Jesus that You are watching over me night and day and that not a hair falls from my 

head without Your permission! [The fever of this day, You caused].. . "It is I. Do not be afraid. I am fully in control"]. 

Friends, needless to say, I regained my peace and serenity immediately. I had canceled my wake up time for prayer tomorrow morning before hearing from Jesus. I restored it.

Tomorrow is in the hands of He who is the Sole Master of the future. 

St Hildegard of Bingen, Doctor of the Church says that the word of God is Divine Command. A single word from God is enough to bring light, courage, peace and joy to our hearts.

Jesus says to us:

"It is I. Do not be afraid!" God is in His word. And His word is Divine Command. All things obey God. (Psalm 119: 11).

The word of God accomplishes everything it is sent to. (Cf Isaiah 55: 7-8).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com 

Feast of St Anselm, Bishop and Doctor of the Church.

Gamaliel Principle - A Tool for Discernment. 

"A Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up, ordered the Apostles to be put outside for a short time, and said to the Sanhedrin, 

“Fellow children of Israel, be careful what you are about to do to these men. Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important, and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed, and all those who were loyal to him were disbanded and came to nothing. 

"After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census. He also drew people after him, but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered.

"So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. 

"For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” 

" They were persuaded by him. After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. 

"So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.

(Acts 5: 34 - 42).

Friday 21st April 2023, in the 2nd Week of Easter.

Friday 21st April 2023 is the feast of St Anselm (1033 - 1109), Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Anselm became the Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of England in 1093. A great theologian, God called Anselm to study and teach the sublime truths of His Revelation for which Anselm suffered much including exile. 

Other great Archbishops and Doctors of the Church who suffered exiles are:

Saints Athanasius, and John Chrysostom.

With great power Saint Anselm bore witness to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Lord recognized this through glorifying Anselm with the cross of suffering and exile.

Those whom the Lord justifies through faith, He glorifies through the Cross. For what purpose? So that they may resemble more closely their elder Brother Jesus.

Rejection of the Cross is rejection of Jesus Christ. When you embrace the Cross, then you can bear great testimony to the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gamaliel, the great doctor of the law intervened with wise counsel to save Peter and John from certain death. 

Gamaliel, a teacher of St. Paul enunciated a principle, a word of wisdom to guide the Supreme Court of Israel on how to handle Peter and John.  Below is the counsel of Gamaliel:

"So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.”

They were persuaded by him." (Acts 5: 38 - 39).

The Gamaliel Principle is a great tool for Discernment of Spirits. 

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Believe What Jesus Tells You.

Believe What You Read. 

"God so loved the world that he gave his only-­begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. 

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

"Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.

"And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. 

"For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.

"But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God." (John 3: 16 - 21).

Thursday April 20th 2023 in the 2nd Week of Easter. 

Brothers and sisters, what is the core message of today's Gospel? BELIEF! What does BELIEF mean in this context? It means accept A FACT based on REASONABLE EVIDENCE. 

Do you accept the FACT that Jesus Christ is a historical Person, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered and died under Pontius Pilate? This historical fact is part of the faith of the Church. 

• Believe what you read in the Sacred Scripture. Believe what the Church teaches. 

• Share what you believe. 

• Live what you believe. 

• And you will be saved. 

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com 

Go and share the Good News everywhere.

Peter and John discovers God's total Support. 

"The high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy, laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail. 

But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, “Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.”

"When they heard this, they went to the temple early in the morning and taught. When the high priest and his companions arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin, the full senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the jail to have them brought in.

"But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison, so they came back and reported, “We found the jail securely locked and the guards stationed outside the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”

"When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were at a loss about them, as to what this would come to.

"Then someone came in and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area and are teaching the people.” Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them, but without force, because they were afraid of being stoned by the people."  (Acts 5: 17- 26).

Wednesday 19th April 2023, in the 2nd Week in the Easter Season.

A handwritten note in the margin of the Daily Roman Missal for Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Easter reads: "Mission/Purpose Wednesday." Why? The Scriptures for this Wednesday are replete of Mission statements.

Peter and John discovered in Acts 5: 19 - 20, that when God anoints you for a mission, no force on earth can stop you. Did not God promise:

"I have set in front of you an open door that no one can shut." (Revelation 3: 8).

In the Gospel of today, we are urged to proclaim the Good News to everyone, everywhere in the world:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." (John 3: 16).

Our response to the divine invitation to come forward and participate in the work of evangelization is proposed for us in the Entrance Antiphon:

"I will be a witness to You in the world O Lord.  I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers, Alleluia! " (Psalm 18:50;  22 :23 RM)

Yes Lord, I will share Your Gospel with my brothers and sisters.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The early Christian Community enjoyed the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Apostles bore  witness to the Resurrection of Jesus.

"The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.

 With great power the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the Apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need." (Acts 4: 32 - 37).

Tuesday, April 18th 2023 in the 2nd week of Easter.

The first Reading from Acts 4: 32 - 37 answers our curiosity: How did those very first Christians live? They had no doubt great problems but also great community life. 

Our key Scripture for today deals with one crucial aspect: The Apostles testified with powerful sermons to the Resurrection of Jesus. Their testimony was so convincing that many people believed.

The Resurrection of the Lord became their magnificent obsession. This is a very important and interesting point given their initial timidity after the Crucifixion. What made the difference? 

Let us hear from Jesus.

"You must be born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified]." (John 3: 7 AMP).

In plain language it means: "To understand and believe in the Resurrection of Jesus and bear witness to it by your life day after the day, you must receive and activate the gift of the Holy Spirit."

All things are created twice. The first creation is earthy and earthly. Like Adam. The second creation is heavenly like Jesus.

Do you embrace your mission of bearing witness to the Resurrection of the Lord by sharing your gifts of time, talent and treasure?

"Alleluia, alleluia!

You, O Christ, are the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead, you have loved us and have washed away our sins with your blood. Alleluia!" (Revelations 1: 5).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

You must be born anew to enjoy spiritual life.

A person must be spiritually transformed to taste the Kingdom of God. 

"There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.”

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 

"Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”

"Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. 

"What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’

"The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3: 1 - 8). 

Monday 17th April 2023, in the 2nd Week of Easter.

Jesus was born, lived and died to establish the Kingdom of God. The Church is the seed of the Kingdom of God on earth. 

Jesus answered Nicodemus  “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” (AMP). 

To have a taste for spiritual things, viz: Prayer, Word of God, Eucharist, Reconciliation, you must be born again. The carnal man is incapable of experiencing spiritual things. He is acquainted only with material carnal things. (Cf Romans 8: 6; 1 Corinthians 2: 14). This is what Jesus teaches Nicodemus. This is also a truth anyone can bear witness to by reflecting on his life and the people he knows. 

Everything is created twice. The first creation is from the earth and unsurprisingly earthy. The second creation is from above and is heavenly. 

It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the second birth. And this happens when we are baptized. We become born anew and in fact new creation.

Since we died with Christ when we were immersed into the water of Baptism and raised with Christ, let us seek what is above where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. (Cf Colossians 3: 1).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com