The Parable of the Ten Virgins.

The PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS. 

"Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 

"The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

"At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 

“The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

“But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 

"While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked.

"Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 

"Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”  (Matthew 25: 1 - 13).

Sunday November 12th 2023 of the 32nd Week of Ordinary Time. 

Our Gospel for today is the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Five foolish and five wise. The bridegroom was delayed in his coming. Both the wise and the foolish Virgins did not know that the bridegroom will be delayed. The wise Virgins brought some extra oil for their lamps. The  foolish Virgins did not anticipate a delay, they provided no extra oil.

How do you deal with the Delay Factor in life?

The Second Coming of Jesus has been delayed. Most likely than not, the fulfillment of God's precious promises to you will be delayed. What do you do?

There are 106 occurrences of WAIT in the Bible. The message is uniform: There may be delays in our lives. Prepare for delays. Wait for the Lord and His timings of events.  There is an appointed time for the fulfillment of promises. You must wait for this fullness of time. 

“For the vision is yet for the appointed [future] time It hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail. Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it, Because it will certainly come; it will not delay." (Habakkuk 2: 3 AMP).

"Don’t be impatient. Wait for the Lord, and he will come and save you! Be brave, stouthearted, and courageous. Yes, wait and he will help you." (Psalm 27: 14 TLB).

Those who waited for the Lord:

Abraham and Sarah, Jacob, David, Elizabeth and Zachary, Simeon and the Prophetess Anna.  St Monica  waited patiently for God for the conversion of her son, Augustine. 

The Lord does not delay as human beings consider delays. All His actions are guided by His mighty, merciful and mysterious Providence. God cannot be one second late for His appointments. God is always on time.

"In this Sacrament I wait for you. So many emphasize that they must wait for Me, and yet I am already present, close to them, and disposed to reveal to them the secrets of My Heart. They forget that it is I who wait for them to come to Me. How often did I say to My disciples, “Come to Me.” They understood, at least most of them did, the intensity of My longing for the company of souls. I would have all souls come to Me and remain with Me." (IN SINU JESU page 94).

Wait for the Lord!

DELAY IS NOT DENIAL. IT MEANS MORE TIME TO PREPARE. 

November is the Month we pray for the Souls in PURGATORY. 

“The judgment of God is final, but there is a merciful chance to be cleansed of sin by those who die in a state of grace, but have not yet atoned for all the punishment due to sins.”  (Ven. Fulton Sheen). 

For Catholic Church teaching on the Souls in PURGATORY and how to help them, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/10/10-ways-to-assist-poor-souls-in.html

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com 

The Feast of St Martin of Tours, Bishop.

Feast of St Martin of Tours, Bishop. 

"Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

"The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.

"If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?

"No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

"The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him.

And he said to them, “You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16: 9 - 15).

Saturday 11th November 2023, 31st Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Martin of Tours. (316 - 397). 

St Martin was Bishop. He 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 Veterans 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!

In the Entrance Antiphon on the Feast of St Martin of Tours, the Lord made Martin a faithful priest who embraced God's will in everything.

Martin founded a monastery in France and was consecrated later as the Bishop of Tours. He sent missionaries to evangelize France. France is one of the earliest Christian countries in the world and is known as the Elder Daughter of the Church.

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).

In the Gospel of today, "The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him." They laughed at Jesus because they were ignorant of Scriptures which said the following about money."

”Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 5: 10) 

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs,” (1 Timothy 6: 10)

November is the Month we pray for the Souls in PURGATORY. 

 “To assist the souls in Purgatory is to perform the most excellent of the works of mercy, or rather it is to practice in a most sublime manner all the works of mercy together: it is to visit the sick; it is to give drink to those who thirst for the vision of God; it is to feed the hungry, to ransom prisoners, to clothe the naked, to procure for poor exiles the hospitality of the heavenly Jerusalem; it is to comfort the afflicted, to instruct the ignorant — in fine, to practice all the works of mercy in one.” (St Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church). 

For Catholic Church teaching on the Souls in PURGATORY and how to help them, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/10/10-ways-to-assist-poor-souls-in.html

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

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

Feast of St Leo the Great. Pope and Doctor of the Church. 

"Jesus said to his disciples,

“A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property.

"He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’

"The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’

"He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ 

"Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ 

"And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.” (Luke 16: 1 - 8).

Friday 10th November 2023 of the 31st 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.  

How do we apply the Gospel of today? 

The Church teaches us to have constantly in mind the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. There is no escaping this truth. Our key Scripture for today deals with Judgment in accounting terms.

Every steward knows that once or twice a year, he renders account of his stewardship to his master in terms of profit and loss. After our death, we will render an account of our stewardship to the Eternal and Merciful Judge, Jesus.

At our birth, we received gifts of Time, Talent and Treasure. How have you invested your gifts? What are the returns on the investments? If you show profits, you will hear  "Welcome" and be promoted to eternal life. If you do not report profits, you will hear "Depart from Me..."

This life is short. Even if you live to 100, it is still a short life especially compared to eternity. It is the duty of Religion to remind everyone of this truth. Do not put all your eggs in the one basket of money and material prosperity.

St Leo, Doctor of the Church had his teachings in volume of tomes. Here is a quote from St Leo that I like:

"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). 

November is the Month we pray for the Souls in PURGATORY. 

"The souls in Purgatory repay the prayers that we say for them.” “When we pray for the souls in Purgatory we will always get something back.” (St Padre Pio). 

For Catholic Church teaching on the Souls in PURGATORY and how to help them, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/10/10-ways-to-assist-poor-souls-in.html

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica.

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. 

"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).

Thursday 9th November 2023 of the 31st 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 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.

November is the Month we pray for the Souls in PURGATORY. 

“One of the holiest works, one of the best exercises of piety, which we can practice in this world, is to offer sacrifices, alms and prayer for the dead.” (St John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church). 

For Catholic Church teaching on the Souls in PURGATORY and how to help them, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/10/10-ways-to-assist-poor-souls-in.html

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Count the Cost of Discipleship.

Count The Cost of Discipleship. 

"Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them,

“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

 Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’

"Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.

"In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14: 25 - 33).

Wednesday 8th November 2023 in the 31st Week of Ordinary Time. 

When you embark on a new project: building a home, a new career, moving to a new city, volunteering for a new ministry, etc. Rule #1 is sit down and count the cost. This will save you embarrassment and mockery from friends, family and neighbors. "This fellow started something he is unable to complete. He is foolish." 

Jesus is speaking to the crowd here. Count the cost of Discipleship before you decide to follow Me. 

To make good decisions, you need wisdom. Wisdom is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Solomon asked for wisdom rather than wealth, health and power. God answered him: "Here and now, I give you what you ask for." God added: And for what you did not ask for, I grant them to you in abundance! (Cf 1 Kings 3: 1 - 15).

The greatest wisdom is to know the shortcut to peace and prosperity in life. Jesus reveals this in the Sermon on the Mount:

"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the rest will be given you." (Matthew 6: 33). 

If you are unwilling to renounce all your possessions and seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, you will not enjoy being a disciple of Jesus Christ but you will be like the man who started a building he can never complete. 

November is the Month we pray for the Souls in PURGATORY. 

“If only you knew with what great longing these holy souls yearn for relief from their suffering. Ingratitude has never entered Heaven.” – (St. Margaret Mary). 

For Catholic Church teaching on the Souls in PURGATORY and how to help them, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/10/10-ways-to-assist-poor-souls-in.html

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Invited Guests excused themselves from the Wedding Feast.

One by one the invited guests turned down the dinner invitation. 

"One of those at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”

"He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. 

"When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’

"But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.

"The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’

"And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ 

"And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ 

"The servant went and reported this to his master.

"Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

"The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’

"The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner." (Luke 14: 15 - 24).

Tuesday November 7th 2023 in the 31st Week of Ordinary Time.

The context of today's parable is the enthusiastic statement of a fellow dinner guest of Jesus:

"One of those at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”

Dining in the Kingdom of God is the summit of blessings. It is the ultimate aspiration. 

The Marriage feast of the Lamb is the mother of all feast. 

Why will anyone in his right mind turn down such an invitation? 

The answer is that there is something akin to insanity with regard to sin. When the Prodigal Son came back to his senses, he wondered why he ever did what he did. Ran away from the gorgeous home of his loving father to live like a scum of the earth for a number of years! 

The Church is the seed of the Kingdom of God on earth. The Eucharist is the Marriage feast of the Lamb on this side of Heaven. 

If you have been avoiding the Eucharist, ask the gracious Lord to rescue you from "the highways and hedgerows" before it is too late. 

November is the Month we pray for the Souls in PURGATORY. 

“I saw my guardian angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames, which were burning them, did not touch me at all. My guardian angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God.” (St. Maria Faustina Kowalski). 

For Catholic Church teaching on the Souls in PURGATORY and how to help them, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/10/10-ways-to-assist-poor-souls-in.html

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Be generous to the poor and the disadvantaged this holiday season.

Be generous to the poor and the disadvantaged this holiday season. 

"On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.

"He said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. 

"Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you and because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:12 - 14).

Monday November 6th in the 31st Week of Ordinary Time.

Thanksgiving Day is weeks away. It marks the beginning of the holiday season. Parties, dinners and invitations to family, friends and colleagues are being planned. 

Jesus looks forward to dinner invitations since it gives Him a teaching moment to meet the kind of crowd He did not reach on daily basis.  Here Jesus gives a difficult lesson to the aristocratic group gathered for the dinner and frankly to us as well.

Who do you plan to invite to your home this Thanksgiving, Christmas, parties? What are your motives behind your guest list?

"Invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind," advises Jesus.

Why this group?

"Blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you."

Jesus challenges our self-centeredness. Why are humans so self centered? Even little children act always in a quid pro quo manner.  Jesus set a new standard in the Kingdom.  Act like your Heavenly Father, who is lavishly generous to All His children, Jesus admonishes.

"All you who are thirsty, come to the water!

You who have no money, come, buy grain and eat; Come, buy grain without money, wine and milk without cost!"  (Isaiah 55: 1).

Jesus offers the Bread of life free of charge.

"There is no problem or difficulty that cannot be solved or resolved by faithful persevering recourse to My Mother’s most holy Rosary. The Rosary is My Mother’s gift to the poor and to the simple, to the little ones who alone are capable of hearing the Gospel in all its purity and of responding to it with a generous heart. It is to such as these—the childlike and the weak, the poor and the trusting—that the Rosary is given. It is to such as these that the Rosary belongs." (IN SINU JESU).

November is the Month we pray for the Souls in PURGATORY. 

“The fire of Purgatory is the same as the fire of Hell; the difference between them is that the fire of Purgatory is not everlasting." (St John Vianney). 

For Catholic Church teaching on the Souls in PURGATORY and how to help them, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/10/10-ways-to-assist-poor-souls-in.html

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com