FEAST OF ST JOHN DAMASCENE, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.

THE FEAST OF ST JOHN DAMASCENE, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH. 

"At that time: Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there.

"Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. 

"The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God of Israel.

"Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.” 

"The disciples said to him, “Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?”

"Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”

"He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.

"They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over—­seven baskets full." (Matthew 15: 29 - 37).

Wednesday 4th December 2024, First Week in Advent is the feast of St John Damascene. (675 - 749). Religious Priest and Doctor of the Church. Born in Damascus. Before his ordination to the priesthood in 726, St John was the finance minister to the Caliph of Damasus.

His work of life was mostly study and writing. He produced books in dogmatic theology. St John Damascene wrote a significant book on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But his defense of the use of images is his striking contribution to the Church. Without John Damascene, we may not be able to use icons in worship or in our devotions. For example: Images of the Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, Mary and the Saints. Thank you St John Damascene. 

 Our key Scripture for today is the background to the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. The entire Liturgy of the word today centers on food, banquet and celebrations. Let us capture them one by one.

#1. Collect (Opening Prayer).

"Prepare our hearts, we pray, O Lord our God, by your divine power,

so that at the coming of Christ your Son we may be found worthy of the banquet of eternal life and merit to receive heavenly nourishment from his hands."

How do we prepare our hearts for the eternal banquet? The 7-Way Plan: 

1. Daily Prayer. 

2. Daily Word of God. 

3. Frequent Eucharist. 

4. Frequent Confession. 

5. Regular Examination of Conscience. 

6. Daily Spiritual Reading. 

7. Sharing your faith every day. 

#2. First Reading (Isaiah 25: 6 - 10).

"On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines." (Isaiah 25: 6).

This mountain is type and shadow of the Sanctuary where the Lord God prepares for us a banquet of the word of God and the holy Eucharist.

#3 Responsorial Psalm:

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." (Psalm 23: 1).

Do you find yourself in constant want or need? A new car, shoe, job, suit, whatever?

If the Lord is truly your Good Shepherd, you will be pretty content most of the time. The restless spirit harbors the spirit of the world. We are warned not to compromise with the spirit of the world but to allow the word of God to shape our vision of the world. (Cf Romans 12: 2).

#4 The Gospel:

"They all ate and were satisfied." (Cf Matthew 15: 29 - 37).

How do you feel when your Good Shepherd feeds you? 

To feed a multitude of people, Jesus multiplied a few loaves of bread and fish. 

The Eucharist is a multiplication of a few loaves to feed millions daily all over the world. Remember that seven baskets of leftovers were collected after seven thousand people ate and were satisfied. 

Never forget this miracle. Understand the significance and you will trust God in your necessities. 

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."

Happy Advent!

December is the Month the Church honors the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

"Mary was conceived without original sin. This grace and privilege are fitting in view of the birth and death of her Son Jesus Christ, who is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. 

"O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son, we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, You did preserve Her from all stain, so too You would permit us, purified through Her intercession, to come unto You."

For the Immaculate Conception Devotions and Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2024/12/novena-to-immaculate-conception.html

 

NOVENA TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

NOVENA TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 

PRAYER TO THE

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

O God,  who by the Immaculate Conception 

of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 

did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son, 

we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, You did preserve Her from all stain, 

so too You would permit us, purified through Her intercession,  to come unto You. 

Through the same Lord Jesus Christ,  Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 

God, world without end. 

Amen.  

First, recite the Prayer to the Immaculate Conception. 

Then, recite the appropriate prayer of each of the nine days.

 

  

Day One

O most Holy Virgin, who was pleasing to the Lord and became His mother, immaculate in body and spirit, in faith and in love, look kindly on me as I implore your powerful intercession. O most Holy Mother, who by your blessed Immaculate Conception, from the first moment of your conception did crush the head of the enemy, receive our prayers as we implore you to present at the throne of God the favor we now request...

(State your intention here...) 

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. 

Amen.

 

Day Two

O Mary, ever blessed Virgin, Mother of God, Queen of angels and of saints, we salute you with the most profound veneration and filial devotion as we contemplate your holy Immaculate Conception, We thank you for your maternal protection and for the many blessings that we have received through your wondrous mercy and most powerful intercession. In all our necessities we have recourse to you with unbounded confidence. O Mother of Mercy, we beseech you now to hear our prayer and to obtain for us of your Divine Son the favor that we so earnestly request in this novena...

(State your intention here...) 

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. 

Amen.

 

Day Three

O Blessed Virgin Mary, glory of the Christian people, joy of the universal Church and Mother of Our Lord, speak for us to the Heart of Jesus, who is your Son and our brother. O Mary, who by your holy Immaculate Conception did enter the world free from stain, in your mercy obtain for us from Jesus the special favor which we now so earnestly seek... 

(State your intention here...) 

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

 Amen.

 

Day Four

O Mary, Mother of God, endowed in your glorious Immaculate Conception with the fullness of grace; unique among women in that you are both mother and virgin; Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ, we ask you to look down with a tender heart from your throne and listen to our prayers as we earnestly ask that you obtain for us the favor for which we now plead... 

(State your intention here...)

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

 

Day Five

O Lord, who, by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, did prepare a fitting dwelling for your Son, we beseech you that as by the foreseen death of your Son, you did preserve her from all stain of sin, grant that through her intercession, we may be favored with the granting of the grace that we seek for at this time... 

(State your intention here...)

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

 

Day Six

Glorious and immortal Queen of Heaven, we profess our firm belief in your Immaculate Conception preordained for you in the merits of your Divine Son. We rejoice with you in your Immaculate Conception. To the one ever-reigning God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three in Person, one in nature, we offer thanks for your blessed Immaculate Conception. O Mother of the Word made Flesh, listen to our petition as we ask this special grace during this novena...

(State your intention here...) 

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

 

Day Seven

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God, and my mother, from the sublime heights of your dignity turn your merciful eyes upon me while I, full of confidence in your bounty and keeping in mind your Immaculate conception and fully conscious of your power, beg of you to come to our aid and ask your Divine Son to grant the favor we earnestly seek in this novena... if it be beneficial for our immortal souls and the souls for whom we pray.

(State your intention here...)  

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

 

Day Eight

O Most gracious Virgin Mary, beloved Mother of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, intercede with him for us that we be granted the favor which we petition for so earnestly in this novena...O Mother of the Word Incarnate, we feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. O Glorious Mother of God, in memory of your joyous Immaculate Conception, hear our prayers and obtain for us our petitions.

(State your intention here...)  

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will.

 

 

Day Nine

O Mother of the King of the Universe, most perfect member of the human race, "our tainted nature’s solitary boast," we turn to you as mother, advocate, and mediatrix. O Holy Mary, assist us in our present necessity. By your Immaculate Conception, O Mary conceived without sin, we humbly beseech you from the bottom of our heart to intercede for us with your Divine Son and ask that we be granted the favor for which we now plead... 

(State your intention here...)

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

THE MEMORIAL OF A GREAT MISSIONARY PRIEST: ST FRANCIS XAVIER, SJ.

ST FRANCIS XAVIER, SJ. PRIEST & MISSIONARY.

Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit. 

"Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. 

"Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” (Luke 10: 21 - 24).

Tuesday 3rd December 2024 in the the First Week in Advent is the feast of St Francis Xavier of the Society of Jesus (1506 - 1552).

 Priest and Missionary. Francis was Spanish.

Francis Xavier was one of the seven men along with leader St Ignatius Loyola who founded the Society of Jesus, which is popularly known as Jesuits.

Francis Xavier will rank as one of the greatest missionaries in the history of the Church. We know who has the title #1: St Paul.

Francis is said to have baptized over 30,000 souls in his 10 years of missionary endeavors. He is called the Apostle of the East. He worked in India and Japan and died facing the coast of China in 1552 at the age of 46. St Francis Xavier is the co-patron saint of Missions. 

Great quote from St Francis Xavier:

"It is impossible to find a Saint who did not take the 'two P's' seriously, Prayer and Penance." 

In the Gospel of today (Luke 10: 21 - 24), Jesus rejoices! Jesus laughs! Jesus is full of joy as He thinks of the Holy Spirit.

What in your experience makes you full of joy? For me it used to be memories of answered prayers. The joy of answered prayer is very sweet indeed. Now as I get to know the ever present Holy Spirit, the thought of His delightful inspirations and power fills me with joy.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is the Lord and Giver of life: Spiritual life and abundant life. He is our ever present and near Helper. He is our Advocate, Friend and the Voice that speaks in Court for us. 

How do we receive and enjoy the Holy Spirit? Nothing can be easier:

#1  Desire! Desire! Desire!

#2. Confess our sins. 

#3. Ask the Holy Spirit in bold and confident prayer to come and reside in you.

#4. After asking, Believe that you have received Him. 

#5. Then start giving thanks immediately and acting joyful. Remember we walk by faith and not by sight or feeling.

Happy Advent!

For the Immaculate Conception Devotions and Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/11/novena-of-immaculate-conception.html?m=1

WHAT THE CENTURION TEACH US ABOUT FAITH.

THE CONFIDENT FAITH OF THE CENTURION. 

"When Jesus entered Caper­naum, a centurion ap­proa­ch­ed him and appealed to him, saying,

 “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”

"He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” 

The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

"When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those ­following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 8: 5 - 11).

Monday 2nd December 2024 in the First Week in Advent. 

Why does Jesus praise the faith of the Centurion?  Faith is a rare commodity and one of the greatest gifts of God.  The opposite of faith is Unbelief and Doubt.

How does faith work?  Jesus said to the Centurion:  “I will come and cure him.” The Centurion heard this and believed.  The faith of the Centurion is much deeper.  He said to Jesus for example: 'No need to come to my house. I am not worthy to host you. Just heal my servant with a word said right here, right now. I understand how authority works.'

How does Faith work? 

Faith comes from hearing and believing the promises of God.  As you obey the Divine Word or Command your faith is activated.

The Roman Centurion became a model of faith for the Church. This is why we use his words before Holy Communion. 

When you hear these from the priest: “Blessed are you who are invited to the Supper of the Lord,” It is an opportunity for you to exercise your faith. You can answer: I am indeed blessed to be here. Thank You Jesus. 

The Blessed Virgin Mary is a model of confidence in prayer. At the Marriage feast in Cana, she asked Jesus to perform a miracle to relieve the embarrassing shortage of wine. Jesus appeared reluctant. Mary told the stewards: "Do whatever He tells you." She was confident Jesus will comply with the wishes of His mother. 

Here are 7 examples of demonstration of Faith from the Gospels to reflect on this Advent:

1. The Blessed Virgin Mary at the Annunciation. 

2. The shepherds at the Nativity. 

3. The 3 Magi at the Hut of the Holy Family. 

4. Simeon and Anna at the Presentation. 

5. The Calling of Matthew and Zacchaeus. 

6. The Good Thief at the Crucifixion. 

7. The Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion. 

What is the common factor in all these 7 cases? 

They heard about the power of Jesus. They believed. They acted with confidence. They got a miracle. 

Happy Advent!

"Why do you think I have spoken to you so often of My Eucharistic Face? It is because “face” signifies “presence.” The devotion to My Eucharistic Face is the remedy to the loss of faith in My real presence that has swept through My Church at every level, extinguishing the fire of Eucharistic charity and causing even My elect, My priests, to grow cold and distant from Me. This is My word to you tonight and this is why I brought you to this place. Any loneliness you may feel is an invitation to seek Me out in the Sacrament of My divine friendship and to console My Eucharistic Heart." (IN SINU JESU, Sunday, October 19, 2008 Saint Paul of the Cross).

December is the Month the Church honors the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

For the Immaculate Conception Devotions and Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/11/novena-of-immaculate-conception.html?m=1