Saturday, January 25, 2025
Friday, January 24, 2025
THE FEAST OF THE CONVERSION OF ST PAUL THE APOSTLE.
"Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
“Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.
"These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
"They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16: 15 - 18).
Saturday January 25th 2025 is the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul.
Why is the feast of the Conversion of the Apostle Paul a very important feast in the Church?
#1. Christ Jesus undertook the conversion of St Paul Himself. No delegation of this duty to a super Apostle. No intermediary. Like for all the other Apostles, it was a personal choice, call and anointing.
#2. Paul is the greatest missionary and evangelist in the Church.
#3. Paul wrote most of the New Testament.
#4. It was clearly an instance of Predestination and Divine Providence.
What do we learn from the Conversion of St Paul?
#1. We share a vocation with the great Apostle: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16: 15).
#2. People are converted through hearing the testimonies of converted people. Testimony also means witnessing. This is why autobiographies and biographies are powerful genre of literature. They leverage the power of example and testimony.
It is not an accident that the Conversion of St Paul is repeated three times in the Acts of the Apostles in considerable length. The Holy Spirit is teaching the Church the best practice in Evangelization. Do not hide the blessings of God. Shout them.
"They [converts] only kept hearing that “the one who once was persecuting us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” So they glorified God because of me." (Galatians 1: 23 - 24).
This powerful example of Paul encouraged the faith of all.
The Church exists for only One Thing: Evangelization. Jesus is appealing to us:
"Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16: 15).
How do we start?
"You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses..." (Acts 1: 8).
No Holy Spirit, No power. Ask the Lord Jesus with confident boldness for the Gift of the Holy Spirit for Evangelization. And you can start evangelizing right away with your smart phone. Do you have a phone with Internet connection? Do you have an address book on your phone? Start sharing Scriptures and the blogs you like.
"If there are so few priests in certain places, it is above all because those that are there have forsaken Me in the Sacrament of My love and no longer live in My friendship. Let every priest present himself as a friend of Jesus, and his ministry will soon take on the efficacy and fruitfulness that characterized that of Saint John, of Saint Paul, and of My first apostles. The friend speaks with the authority that only experience can confer." (IN SINU JESU, March 30, 2008 Sunday of Divine Mercy).
The Church honors the Most Holy Name of Jesus in January.
“Are you troubled? Think but of Jesus – speak but the name of Jesus, the clouds disperse
and peace descends anew from heaven. Have you fallen into sin? So that you fear death? Invoke the name of Jesus
and you will soon feel life returning. No obduracy of the soul, no weakness, no coldness of heart can resist this holy name – there is no heart which will not soften and open in tears at this holy name.” (St. Bernard of Clairvaux).
For the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and prayer intentions click the link below:
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/12/litany-of-most-holy-name-of-jesus.html?m=1
Thursday, January 23, 2025
THE MEMORIAL OF A GREAT BISHOP: ST FRANCIS DE SALES, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.
THE MEMORIAL OF ST FRANCIS DE SALES, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.
The Choice. The Call. The Anointing of the Twelve Apostles.
THE GOSPEL:
"Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him.
"He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons:
"He appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him." (Mark 3: 13 - 19).
Friday 24th January 2025 in the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time is the Memorial of St Francis de Sales.
St Francis de Sales (1567 - 1622), Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Born in France, he was the Bishop of Geneva where he combatted Calvinism. He founded with St Jane Frances de Chantal the Order of the Visitation Nuns. St Francis de Sales is an accomplished author and the patron saint of authors and journalists.
“If you want to make important decisions in life, ask yourself this question: "Where is the greatest love to be found?"
Pope Francis shared the above tip in a letter celebrating 400th anniversary of St Francis de Sales.
Our Gospel today from Mark 3: 13 - 19 deals with one theme: the Choice, the Call and the Anointing of the Twelve to be close friends and companions of Jesus Christ.
Jesus sent them out as Apostles to continue His ministry until He returns.
In the representing of this Gospel today, Jesus is renewing His call to you and me. The Original Twelve are dead. The Gospel still needs to be proclaimed.
Lord Jesus, I have heard Your Call. Grant me the grace to respond generously. Amen.
The Church honors the Most Holy Name of Jesus in January.
"St. Francis de Sales believed that the Holy Name of Jesus is a powerful source of joy, inspiration, and strength. He believed that the name of Jesus is the foundation of faith and the source of great happiness."
For the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and prayer intentions click the link below:
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/12/litany-of-most-holy-name-of-jesus.html?m=1
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
THE FEAST OF ST VINCENT SARAGOSSA, MARTYR.
THE FEAST OF ST VINCENT SARAGOSSA, DEACON & MARTYR.
"Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
"He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him.
"And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” He warned them sternly not to make him known. (Mark 3: 7 - 12).
Thursday 23rd January 2025 in the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Vincent Saragossa, Deacon, Martyr. (+ 304). Spanish. Vincent tried to shield his Bishop in the fierce persecution of Emperor Diocletian but in vain. St Vincent underwent one of the severest tortures in the history of martyrdom.
"He [Jesus] had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him," we read in today's Gospel.
What is it about illness and disease that affect human spirit so profoundly?
In the trial of Job (the Book of Job), Satan said to God:
"But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face." (Job 2: 5 NIV).
When our flesh and bone are touched in illness, we truly become desperate and seek for healing everywhere at all cost.
Because of the fall of Adam and Eve, our bodies are subject to disease and illnesses. They become a football field for the demons. Illness and disease provide opportunities for demons to attack our minds.
The under-proclaimed Good News is: Jesus is still healing today. He is still healing body, mind and soul every day and everywhere.
The stories of healings in the Gospel are too many to gloss over.
Stand up. Be bold and claim your healing.
Why do we read in the first Reading today (Hebrews 7: 25, 8 - 6:
"Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them."
The word of God is true and cannot deceive us. Approach Jesus Christ with confident and expectant faith and wrestle with Him about your healing. Those who were healed in the Gospel were not healed by staying at home and dreaming how nice it would feel if Jesus healed them. They made effort to track down Jesus and when they caught up with Him, they fell to the ground, worshiped Him and plead for healing. Can you do the same?
The Church honors the Most Holy Name of Jesus in January.
"Oh, the name of Jesus! There is power in that name to meet every condition of human need". (Smith Wigglesworth).
For the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and prayer intentions click the link below:
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/12/litany-of-most-holy-name-of-jesus.html?m=1
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE DAY.
RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE DAY OF PRAYER.
THE GOSPEL:
"Jesus entered the synagogue.
"There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him.
"He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.”
"Then he said to the Pharisees,
“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?”
"But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out and his hand was restored." (Mark 3: 1- 6).
Wednesday 22nd January 2025, in the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time.
Today is the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of the Unborn Children in the United States of America.
In Mark 2: 23 - 28, Jesus was entangled in a Sabbath controversy with the religious leaders. Jesus silenced them by saying: “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” (Mark 2: 27 - 28).
We have today in Mark 3: 1 - 6, another Sabbath controversy. Here we see Jesus on the offensive: “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” (Mark 3: 4).
We know the answer to Jesus question from the previous Sabbath controversy quoted above. The adversaries of Jesus did not answer the question. They knew the answer but they had ill-will and hardness of heart and decided to keep silent.
The man with the withered hand represents all of us. What the Pharisees miss is that the great day of healing is the Sabbath, Lord's Day / Sunday and the Healer is still the same: Jesus Christ healing His ailing sisters and brothers through His word and through the Eucharist.
Jesus speaks to us every day through the Scriptures proclaimed in the Sacred Liturgy. The same Scripture, the same Liturgy all over the world. This is the beauty of Catholicism. One Faith. One Pope. One Liturgy. Worldwide.
The Church honors the Most Holy Name of Jesus in January.
“In the sixteenth century, Saint Ignatius of Loyola had such a strong devotion to the Most Holy Name of Jesus that he adopted it as his seal as general of his newly founded order of the Jesuits; that monogram remains the Jesuits' official seal today. There is great power in the spoken name of Jesus."
For the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and prayer intentions click the link below:
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/12/litany-of-most-holy-name-of-jesus.html?m=1
Monday, January 20, 2025
THE MEMORIAL OF ST AGNES, VIRGIN AND MARTYR.
MEMORIAL OF ST AGNES. VIRGIN AND MARTYR.
THE SABBATH IS MADE FOR MAN.
THE GOODNEWS:
"As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
“At this the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
"He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?”
"Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” (Mark 2: 23 - 28).
Tuesday January 21st in the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time is the Memorial of St Agnes, Virgin and Martyr. Her name is in the Roman Canon of the Mass along with Saints Agatha and Lucy. All were virgins and martyrs.
In our Gospel of today, Mark 2: 23 - 28, Jesus is entangled in a Sabbath controversy with the religious leaders.
Jesus silenced them by saying: “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” (Mark 2: 27 - 28).
You, what do you consider lawful to do on the Sabbath [Sunday]?
The Sabbath Rest is a key aspect of Judaism. The Sabbath day is sacred. The Sabbath Rest is one of the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Christianity being the daughter of Judaism adopted the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). The Sacred Magisterium of the Church (Teaching Authority) made Sunday the Day of Rest instead of the Sabbath (Saturday) because of the Resurrection of Jesus on Sunday.
Make no mistake about it, the requirement for the Sabbath Rest has not changed under Christianity. "Keep Holy the Lord's Day" is one of the most positive and beneficial commandments of the Decalogue. Let us list a few reasons:
#1 Sunday becomes a Day of Rest for the entire family.
#2 Sunday is the Day of mandatory worship of God in the Holy Eucharist.
#3 Sunday is a Day of exercise of faith in God who ordered the rest and promised to provide fully for the day.
#4 Sunday rest is rehearsal for eternal life. When this life ends, there will be no more work. It will be an eternity of enjoyment of the most beautiful Liturgies, music, flowers, perfumes and other pleasures which eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, nor has it ever entered the mind of man what God has prepared for those who love and obey Him.
Jesus observed the Sabbath scrupulously and desires His followers to do the same.
The Church honors the Most Holy Name of Jesus in January.
“How great is Your name O Lord, our God, through all the earth!”
“And it shall come to pass that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered.”
“No one can say “Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit.”
“She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save His people from their sins.”
JESUS! JESUS! JESUS!
For the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and prayer intentions click the link below:
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/12/litany-of-most-holy-name-of-jesus.html?m=1
Sunday, January 19, 2025
FEAST OF SAINTS FABIAN, SEBASTIAN AND CYPRIAN.
FEAST OF SAINTS FABIAN, POPE AND MARTYR, SEBASTIAN, MARTYR. AND CYPRIAN MICHAEL, MONK.
Today is also the Anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
THE GOSPEL:
"The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
"Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.
"No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.” (Mark 2: 18 - 22).
Monday 20th January 2025, in the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of: Pope St Fabian (+ 250). Italian.
* Fabian divided the diocese of Rome into seven diaconates. This facilitated aid to the poor. He suffered martyrdom under Emperor Decius.
* St Sebastian (+ 288). Italian from Milan. Officer in the Imperial Guard under Emperor Diocletian. Martyred when he converted to Christianity.
* Blessed Cyprian Michael Tansi (1903 - 1964). Nigerian. Trappist monk and priest. Beatified in Nigeria by Pope St John Paul II in 1998.
Why do we honor the saints? Jesus is glorified when we honor His saints. Their intercession is powerful.
January 20th 2025 is the Remembrance of Dr Martin Luther King Jr in the USA. (January 15th, 1929 to April 4th 1968).
Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. like most of the saints and missionaries in our Catholic tradition was chosen, called and anointed for a specific mission. With his gifts of intellect and personality, he was tempted to ignore the call and go into politics like John Kennedy and the others.
Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. was presented with the choice of fasting or feasting in the present world. He chose fasting for the good of mankind.
His mission: To proclaim that America is God's own beautiful country. America is created by God for all His children. Not for White, Black or Brown. Not for Jews, Moslem or Christians.
Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. proclaimed this truth season out of season. He rejected violence as a means of attaining this objective.
On April 4, 1968, MLK was shot to dead and paid the price Jesus and all the Martyrs paid for their mission. He was 39 years old.
On the Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. anniversary, let us pray and fast that God's Destiny for America will be fulfilled without more bloodshed.
If any Reader knows why Dr Martin Luther King Jr is commemorated by the Catholic Church in America, please share the information in the Comments section.
The Church honors the Most Holy Name of Jesus in January.
“Faith in Jesus and in the power of His Holy Name is the greatest spiritual force in the world today.... " (Blessed Henry Suso - 1290 to 1365).
For the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and prayer intentions click the link below:
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/12/litany-of-most-holy-name-of-jesus.html?m=1
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)