St Paul

"Go and preach to all nations: baptize them and teach them all I have commanded you"(Matthew 28: 19-20).

Paul pondered the meaning of these words for his life. He understood the specific demands of Christ in calling him to be an apostle of the gentiles and responded fully to its pressures.

Paul's autobiography in his letter to the Galatians reveals the depth of his commitment.

"But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood"(Galatians 1:15-16).

PAUL: The Man
Paul, a child of Jewish parents was born a Roman citizen in Tarsus. He became a tentmaker by profession and studied under Gamaliel. Paul opposed vehemently the young Christian movement and persecuted the Christians. On his way to Damascus to arrest the Christians, he encountered Christ Jesus. This incident marked his conversion. After this event, Paul traveled to Jerusalem where he met the apostles. From there, he began his missionary journeys. He traveled to Europe and Asia Minor. He was the apostle of the gentiles and was responsible for the conversion of thousands of people. Paul wrote fourteen of the New Testament letters. Paul and Peter were arrested in Rome under the persecution of Emperor Nero. Paul was beheaded while Peter was crucified upside down.

Sean Kelly & Rosemary Rogers in their book: SAINTS PRESERVE US! describses Paul humorously thus: "He was a convert and, like many converts, 'more Catholic than the pope.' In Paul's case, the pope was Saint Peter, with whom he frequently disagreed. Paul was God's own CEO, a motivator, an organizer, a hands-on manager, a tireless leader-by-example, a Take-Charge Guy with his eye on the Big Picture. He bought into a tiny Hebrew cult, and personally transformed it into a Multi-National, the biggest and richest in the world."

Fulton Sheen wrote in Treasure in Clay on the conversion of St Paul: "It is hard for you to kick against the goad.' In other words, 'It's no use trying to resist my grace. For a long time I have had great things in store for you. Try no longer to be a rebel. I have marked you out to be a great apostle. It is hard. I have struck you down as a rebel, but I will raise you up as a chosen vessel unto me." Paul is the patron saint of public relations and tentmakers and his feast day is June 29.

BOOKS ON ST PAUL

Patience is Power

"I waited, I waited for the Lord; who bent down and heard my cry"(Psalm 40: 1)

A few years ago, I learned how long it takes a tree to bear fruit. The occasion was when I helped my son plant a mango seed to commemorate his first communion. This young mango seedling faced many challenges to its survival in its early years. Storms, strong winds, too much rain, insects threatened its existence. But it survived. One beautiful day exactly 1350 days after it was planted, it yielded its fruit, a beautiful greenish yellow mango fruit.

St James recommends to us the patience of the farmer when he wrote: "Think of the farmer: how patiently he waits for the precious fruit of the ground until it has had the autumn rains and the spring rains! You too must be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord's coming will be soon" (James 5: 7-8). The farmer trusts the seed to yield fruit at the right time. Jesus compares the word of God to a seed. When a seed is planted in a fertile soil, it must bear fruit in due season.

A caption I saw somewhere proclaims: "To be a man is not a day's job." Human beings face much the same challenge as any seed in order to realize their full potentials. Patience is the key to success. The psalmist urges us: "Wait quietly for the Lord, be patient till he comes."(Psalm 37:7). Learning to wait is the most difficult lesson but it is also the most beneficial. He who can wait is powerful and can achieve his dreams. Therefore: "Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord" (Psalm 27:14).

My favorite scripture on patience:

"Then the Lord answered me and said:
Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets,
so that one can read it readily.
For the vision still has its time,
presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint;
If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.
The rash man has no integrity; but the just man, because of his faith, shall live. (Habakkuk 2: 2-4)

The Simple King

" Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.(Luke 2:11)NJB

The story of the birth of Jesus reveals the simple surroundings in which the King of glory was born. "Now it happened that, while they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in the manger because there was no room for them in the living-space." (Luke 2: 6-7)

When Mary and Joseph arrived at the small inn at Bethlehem to seek for a room, they were unable to obtain one. Why? Was it because the inn had no spare room or that the couple could not afford the tariff? Whatever the reason, Mary and Joseph proceeded to look for an alternative accommodation and could find one in a nearby stable.

Mary must have pondered the unfathomable mind of God, who allowed His only begotten Son to be born in a stable. The handmaid of the Lord submitted herself to God's disposal of events. Jesus started His life in very simple surroundings and He grew up to love simplicity. From His birth to His death, He possessed very little. Jesus learned simplicity from His mother. The first people to visit Jesus in the stable were simple shepherds.

Leo Xlll wrote in his Encyclical, Fidentem Piumque of September 20, 1896: "No one can fail to be sweetly affected when considering who....presented to the shepherds, to the kings and to Simeon."

St Louis-Marie de Monfort

"The Lord has sworn an oath and he will not retract; you are a priest forever, in the line of Melchisedech" (Psalm 110:4)

Louis de Monfort was born on the 31st of January 1673 in Monfort in France. Louis was educated in the Jesuit College at Rennes and was ordained a priest in 1700. His great contribution was in fostering devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the holy Rosary.

In 1715, he founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary. Among his books which are still in print are: TRUE DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN; SECRET OF THE ROSARY Louis de Monfort made the Rosary one of the most popular Catholic devotions throughout the world. Catholics everywhere are indebted to him for articulating the incredible powers of this simple devotion: The Holy Rosary. His feast is on the 28th of April.

St Vincent de Paul

"Come you whom my Father has blessed....For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me" (Matthew 25: 34-36)

St Vincent de Paul was born in 1580. As a priest, he devoted his life to the care of the poor and the sick in Paris. Vincent founded the Congregation of the Missions, the Sisters of Charity, orphanages, and hospitals.

The Lord opened the hearts of wealthy women to support his work. A charity bearing his name, St Vincent de Paul Society was founded in his name in Paris in 1833 and this society is active in most countries of the world today. St Vincent de Paul died in 1660 and his feast day is September 27. St Vincent de Paul is the patron saint of charitable societies and hospital workers.

What I love about this saint is his absolute trust in God’s providence. He learned this secret after many years in the ministry.

BOOKS ON ST VINCENT DE PAUL

Money! Money! Money!

"Keep your lives free from love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, 'I will never leave you, I will never abandon you'" (Hebrews 13:5).

Are you anxious about money? Most of us are since money seems to provide all our needs. In order that our needs do not control our lives, we must learn that God made plans for every aspect of our lives. He has plans for our family, job, health, food, money, etc. These plans were long-established before we were born; they are trustworthy and excellent. God has a detailed financial plan for every individual. If we understand and accept His plans for providing us with money, we shall have peace and enjoy whatever money we happen to have. The message of Hebrews 13:5 could provide the key for understanding God's plan for us. God is telling us in the text:

• Have no anxiety whatsoever about money.


• Whatever you have at any material time, be content with it. It could be large or a small, let that not worry you.


• God promises: I will always support you and be your sufficiency and you will never be embarrassed by money. You will always have what you need.

Because God has made the above promise and we know that He is faithful, we are bold and confident as we say: 'The Lord is our helper in all financial needs. Why should we be afraid? Nobody can threaten us or embarrass us about money.' The message is very clear: Do not worry about money. Trust in God at all times to supply. "The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need." (Psalm 23:1) Jesus is indeed our good Shepherd. At all times, he leads us beside restful waters and refreshes our soul. Even though we walk in the dark valley of financial uncertainty, we fear no evil because he promises to be at our side to encourage us.

In order to enjoy true and constant financial security, we must learn like St. Paul how to live in humble circumstances and how to live in abundance. Armed with this secret, we can say like Paul, “I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.” (Philippians 4: 13)

The key to appropriating God's promises about money is to understand and obey God's word to us about money. In one word, it is trust – making God’s love for us the foundation of our life. Each promise of God in the scriptures has individual application. God has a specific message for every person about money. Discover what God is saying to you about money.

Recommended book: The Richest Man in Babylon

Ministry

"The Spirit's presence is shown in some way in each person for the good of all"(1 Corinthians 12:7).

One of the ways of making Christ present in our life is to use our gifts for service of others in our community. This service is what is called Christian ministry. What are your gifts? Each person has a gift which he can employ to build up the body of Christ. To live happy and fulfilled lives, we must discover the talents that God has given to us and use them for the service of others. The Holy Spirit is our Master Teacher. He teaches us how to use God's gifts. When we start to use our gifts of time, talent and treasure for the service of our neighbor, we start to act like Christ and deepen our knowledge of Him.

The Documents of Vatican II, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, says "For this the Church was founded: that by spreading the kingdom of Christ everywhere for the glory of God the Father, she might bring all men to share in Christ's saving redemption; and that through them the whole world might in actual fact be brought into relationship with Him. All activity of the Mystical Body directed to the attainment of this goal is called the Apostolate (ministry), and the Church carries it on in various ways through all members."

Different Ministries in the Church:
Eucharistic ministry
Ministry of the Word or Lectors
Pastoral Council
Choir
Hospitality ministry

Mother of Emmanuel

"Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Emmanuel, a name which means 'God-is-with-us"(Matthew 1:23)NJB

The prophecy of the birth of the Messiah in Isaiah 7:14 shows God's plan for Mary in the economy of salvation. The characteristics of God's plans are: they are long-term, trustworthy and excellent. Mary could see in her life the fulfillment of another prophecy in Isaiah 25:1 - "Yahweh, you are my God, I shall praise you to the heights, I shall praise your name; for you have accomplished marvels, plans long-conceived, faithfully, firmly"(NJB). God has indeed accomplished marvellous things for Mary. He has made her the mother of Emmanuel. In her Magnificat, Mary echoes the same sentiments.

In the Gospels, we see Mary's closeness to the life and work of Jesus. Mary was always present in key defining moments in the life of her Son.

St Pius X wrote in his Encyclical, Ad diem illum of February 2, 1904: "When one reflects that with her alone did Jesus spend thirty years in that family union of Son and Mother, surely there is no doubt that through Mary the surest way of knowing Christ is opened to us....Nobody ever knew Christ so profoundly as she did, and nobody could be more competent as a guide and teacher of the knowledge of Christ."

I hope that you will discover as I did, that Mary is not only the Mother of Christ, but she is also Mary, our Mother, our mentor and our friend.

Books on Mary

The Faith of the Magi

"They went into the house, and when they saw the child with his mother Mary, they knelt down and worshipped him" (Matthew 2: 11).GNB

Mary presented the child Jesus to the three wise men and received the gifts on behalf of Jesus. The three wise men represent all those who seek for Jesus throughout the ages. Mary prefigures the Church, whose task is to present Jesus to the world. The 'gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh' represent the offerings of our time, talent and treasure to Jesus Christ.
According to The Documents of Vatican II, (Lumen Gentium), "The union of the Mother with the Son in the work of salvation was manifested from the time of Christ's virginal conception up to His death. It is shown first of all when Mary, arising in haste to go to visit Elizabeth, was greeted by her as blessed because of her belief in thg promise of salvation, while the precursor leaped with joy in the womb of his mother (cf Luke 1: 41 -45). This association was shown also at the birth of our Lord, who did not diminish His Mother's virginal integrity but sanctified it, when the Mother of God joyfully showed her first-born Son to the shepherds and Magi."

The three wise men saw an ordinary looking child and her ordinary mother in a very ordinary setting and believed that this was the Christ. All those who encountered the child Jesus, recognized Him in faith. Christ is present in the Eucharist as He promised. We are invited to recognize Him in faith as did the Magi.

Be Prepared

"You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house" (Luke 12:39).

How would you react if you know for certain that you will be robbed next Monday at 4 PM? Would you allow anyone to break into your house and rob you? One of the things that attracted me to the Boy Scouts as a young boy was their motto. I later learned of their reputation for courage. My expectations were not disappointed because as a Boy Scout, I learned one principle of courage that has remained with me till today. "BE PREPARED" is not just the motto of the Boy's Scout but may well be one of the most valuable principles of courage. I have always admired men of courage. As a kid growing up, I was deeply fascinated by the stories of Samson in the Bible. David's exploits with lions as a shepherd boy still captivate me. Jesus teaches that the way to be courageous is to be prepared and vigilant. (Luke 12:39).

I had often wondered whether I will ever be a man of courage like Samson, David and Winston Churchill. For a great part of my life, I had believed that courageous men are born and not made. One mid-September night, faced with a life and death situation, I discovered the power of Joshua 1:9 and similar scriptures to imbue us with courage when we need it most. “I command you: be firm and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord, your God, is with you wherever you go.” Then I learned that the word of God makes us strong and courageous. To be prepared is to be ready with an appropriate word of God as answer to the event that demands courage. An example is what St Paul wrote to Timothy: “God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control”. (2 Timothy 1:7)

As Jesus Christ taught, we must be constantly vigilant with the word of God so that no situation can take us by surprise.

See: Some Books on Courage

Some Sayings of St. José Maria

"The Lord has sworn an oath and he will not retract; you are a priest forever, in the line of Melchisedech" (Psalm 110:4)

"Do you see? One strand of wire entwined with another, many woven tightly together, form that cable strong enough to lift huge weights. "You and your brothers, with wills united to carry out God's will, can overcome all obstacles" (St. José Maria, "The Way", 480).

"Conversion is something momentary; sanctification is the work of a lifetime. The divine seed of charity, which God has sown in our souls, wants to grow, to express itself in action, to yield results which continually corresponds with what God wants. Therefore, we must be ready to begin again, to find again -- in new situations--the light and the stimulus of our first conversion" (Christ is Passing By, 58).

"If we want to achieve holiness--in spite of personal shortcomings and miseries which will last as long as we live--we must make an effort, with God's grace, to practice charity, which is the fullness of the law and the bond of perfection. Charity is not something abstract; it entails a real, complete, self-giving to the service of God and all men in the hubbub of the world and those people whose existence is interwoven with our own. By living charity--love--we live all the human and supernatural virtues required of a Christian" (Conversations, 62).

"I assure you, my children, that when a Christian carries out with love the most insignificant everyday action, that action overflows with the transcendence of God. That is why I have told you repeatedly, and hammered away once and again on the idea, that the Christian vocation consists in making heroic verse out of the prose of each day. Heaven and earth seem to merge, my children, on the horizon. But where they really meet is in your hearts, when you sanctify your everyday lives" (Conversations, 116).

"A child of God treats the Lord as his Father. He is not obsequious and servile; he is not merely formal and well-mannered: he is completely sincere and trusting. God is not shocked by what we do. Our infidelities do not wear him out. Our Father in heaven pardons any offense when his child returns to him, when he repents and asks for pardon. The Lord is such a good father that he anticipates our desire to be pardoned and comes forward to us, opening his arms laden with grace" (Christ is Passing By, 64).

Opus Dei

BOOKS ON St. JOSEMARIA

St. José Maria Escriva

"The Lord has sworn an oath and he will not retract; you are a priest forever, in the line of Melchisedech" (Psalm 110:4)

God chose St. José Maria Escriva as the instrument to found Opus Dei. Opus Dei is an enabling way of holiness in daily work and in the fulfillment of the ordinary duties of a Christian. José Maria taught that we can turn all the circumstances and events of our lives into opportunities to love and serve God and the Church. That is to say, we can come to trust divine providence in every circumstance of our life. We can do this because of who we are: children of God. A thorough understanding of what he called divine affiliation will change our entire perspective. His teachings inspire a life of joy and simplicity with faith and love. Many lay people all over the world follow this teaching enthusiastically today.

St. José Maria Escriva de Balaguer was born in Spain on 9 January 1902. He was ordained to the priesthood on 28 March 1925. He cherished the priesthood and like Melchisedech, he is a priest forever.

During his life, St. José Maria criss-crossed the world several times, giving many seminars and interviews. He wrote many books and speeches, all for the growth of Opus Dei and today the body has about 85,000 members in 80 countries. José Maria died in Rome on 26 June 1975. Pope John Paul II canonized him a saint on the 6th of October, 2002.
Opus Dei

BOOKS ON BLESSED JOSEMARIA ESCRIVA

Unless the Lord builds....

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. .... In vain you rise early and go late to rest, toiling for the bread you eat; he supplies the needs of those he loves.(Psalm 127: 1-2)

Finding, keeping and progressing in a good job constitute one of life's great blessings. A good job means many wonderful things in life. It means personal prosperity: a nice home, new cars and vacations. It allows you to give your children great opportunities in life. A good job signifies winning respect, leadership, being admired by people in your social life and business circles. With a good job, you enjoy maximum freedom: freedom from worries, fears, frustrations and failure. A good job means self-esteem. As you optimize your potentials, you discover more happiness and satisfaction from life. You are proud that you are able to do more for people who depend on you.

Everybody wants a good job. We all want the best that life can offer us. Getting that good job is like building a house. The Bible teaches us to build on rock so that the house can stand storms and tempests. God is the architect and the master builder of our jobs, our families and in fact of our lives. He has the blue print. Let us trust Him. "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain(Psalm 127: 1)

Read:The Richest Man in Babylon

St. John the Evangelist

"I was born and came into the world for this one purpose, to speak about the truth." (John 18:37)

The Gospel of St John is the outcome of a theological reflection on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. From the beginning of the book to the end, we see the author's faith shining through every verse. We meet Jesus in the Gospel as the Lamb of God. Jesus is also presented as the truth, the way, the life, the bread of life, etc. The reflections provided the blog Seekfirst are not theological. As I read the Gospel of St John, I wrote down random thoughts that occur to me. I share these jottings hoping that somebody may find spiritual nourishment from them.

The Holy Spirit draws men to Christ

"And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all men to myself" (John 12:32).

Christ promised to draw all men to Himself when he was lifted up. His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension into heaven completed the salvation of all mankind. The way is now open for Christ to lead all men to heaven.

Christ draws us to Himself. The attraction we have for Him and our love for Him are His gifts to us. When Christ was lifted up, He sent the Holy Spirit whose work is to draw all men to Christ. His graces are ever present, ever active in all of us. Our duty is to cooperate with Him. The Holy Spirit draws us to Christ through the Word of God and through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.

O Holy Spirit, we have heard your word. We thank you for it. We believe it. You are drawing us closer to Christ everyday. We believe in your loving presence in us. We love you. We surrender ourselves totally to you so that your grace may triumph in us. You can make us holy if you want or indeed whatever you want. We are all yours. Amen.

See: Navarre Bible: St John

A Grain of Wheat

"Unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest" (John 12:24).

Just as a wheat grain must die on the ground before it yields a rich harvest, so must we die to old selves before we can yield a rich harvest of good works. Dying to our old selves means abandoning totally our old world ideas on key areas of life: family, health, money, job, tools and food. When these old ideas are flushed out, we replace them with Christ's ideas. The Christ-centered new ideas will influence a new way of seeing things and a new way of behaving.

But the process of dying, any dying is very painful. Christ compared the dying process to a woman in child-birth. She groans and cries because her time of trial has come. But then, the test is for a short time and she experiences the joy of suckling a new baby. Anyone who loves his life so much to want to keep his old self intact with loose it. Hating one's life means hating one's Christ-less ideas. Christ's ideas renew us and make new persons of us.

Lord Jesus, show us how to die to ourselves everyday.

See: Navarre Bible: St John

The Precious Ointment

"You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me" (John 12:8.)

Jesus accepted an act of kindness from Mary. She did not count the cost of the ointment. It was very expensive. Mary thought that her Love and Master deserved it. Jesus showed His appreciation by praising her act.

We are called to a life of friendship and companionship with Jesus. How do we show our generosity to Jesus? The first thing in friendship is to provide enough time to nourish the relationship. Mary followed Jesus everywhere. In offering her twenty-four hours to Jesus, she offered her soul, heart, will and everything.

Our love for Jesus must be all-encompassing like Mary's. Often we allow our love for God to remain on the level of intentions. Good intentions on themselves are a good start but for the intentions to become reality, we need the grace of God. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness and gives us a generous heart to fulfill our good intentions. Christ is passing by us everyday. What we cannot do for him here and now may be a lost opportunity.

See: Navarre Bible: St John

Let him go free

"Unbind him, let him go free" (John 11:44)

The raising to life of Lazarus presents us with a number of lessons:
1. "This sickness will not end in death but in God's glory and through it the Son of God will be glorified" (John 11:4). Our adversities are opportunities for the glory of God. If we are patient to the end, our tests will become testimonies.

2. "I am the resurrection. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies, he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die" (John 11:26). Christ in raising Lazarus from the dead, proves that He has the power over life and death. This miracle also teaches that Jesus can raise any person to spiritual life no matter the degree of our deadness to sin.

3. "Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" (John 11:40) Believe unleashes miracles. Jesus also promises that if we believe we can do greater things than He did.

"Unbind him, let him go free" (John 11:44). Ignorance, disease and death all represent forms of loss of freedom. The Truth that is Jesus unbinds us from spiritual death.

See: Navarre Bible: St John

Belief in Jesus

"Do you believe in the Son of man?" (John 9:36)

When Jesus asked this question to the man who had been born blind, the blind man responded in the affirmative because he understood the question. If Jesus asks you: What does belief in the Son of man mean to you? Would your answers include: Jesus is my Lord and God, my Savior and Redeemer, my King and Boss, my Friend and Companion?

Jesus' intervention in the life of the blind man gave him back his sight and gave him faith as well. In a literal sense, he experienced Jesus as his savior and redeemer. Has Jesus made any interventions in your life that touched your faith?

Some years ago, while working in Paris, I had a work-related problem that needed a miracle. I prayed and prayed and was given this scripture: "Do not be afraid! Stand firm, and you will see what Yahweh will do to rescue you today: The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. Yahweh will do the fighting for you; all you need to do is to keep calm" (Exodus 14: 13-14). I clung to this scripture as a drowning man clings to any object. God turned around my situation and produced a miracle that made many people praise Him. This event uplifted my faith enormously. Jesus rescued me from a certain career disaster. He was indeed my Savior and Redeemer.

The blind man's adversity has brought him something greater than physical vision. He now had a Lord and God who is his personal Savior and Redeemer. God intervenes in our life to save us from sin and evil in order to strengthen our faith.

"Do you believe in the Son of man?" (John 9:36) Yes, Lord. Strengthen my faith

See: Navarre Bible: St John

Sin and Slavery

"I tell you most solemnly, everyone who commits sin is a slave....So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:34, 36)

Sin is slavery to passion: food, drink, sex, money, etc. The law of compulsion is at work whenever sin is committed. Compulsion or impulsiveness is the opposite of freedom. If the sin is alcohol, it acts like this: 'Look, I am here. Come and drink your fill.' Or if it id money,: 'I am here. Use me now to fulfill yourself.’ The person concerned cannot say no because of lack of freedom.

Jesus came to set us free from this compulsion and impulsion to act sinfully. When sin as alcohol says to us: 'Come and drink me.' We can respond: 'Christ said: ‘Man does not live by drink alone. There is life for him in every word that comes from the mouth of God."

For every temptation, Jesus has given us a script for it. As good actors, we should be aware of these scripts and use them appropriately. Jesus gives us genuine freedom through His word. His word exposes the lies and errors of temptations such as alcohol, food, sex or money. When we are tempted to turn "these stones into bread”, we know how to respond.

Lord Jesus, make us truly free.

See: Navarre Bible: St John