Pray always. Pray everywhere. Pray about everything.

"As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight." (Exodus 17: 11).

Sunday of the 29th week in Ordinary Time. Great teachings on Prayer this Sunday. Thank You Holy Spirit. Today is World Mission Sunday. Missionaries are those sent to preach the Good News. The Church is a Missionary People. A missionary that advances on his knees never retreats.

Prayer and not action is the greatest gift and tool of the missionary Church. Jesus commanded the Church to pray constantly but did not command the Church to work and to fast constantly. (Cf CCC 2742). Prayer is therefore a vital necessity for the missionary Church. Pray always. Pray everywhere. Pray about everything.

"Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed." (2 Timothy 3: 14).

God is faithful. Therefore, strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. God Never Fails!

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How well do you know your Advocate?

"When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say.  For the holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” (Luke 12: 11 - 12).

Saturday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time is the feast of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues of the Society of Jesus (17th century) and their companions. The blood of martyrs is a necessity for the life and growth of Christianity. John and Isaac with six other French Jesuits arrived in the New York area in the 17th century to evangelize the Native Americans. They succeeded in converting thousands. By their fortitude and charity under the severest torture, they vindicated the words of Jesus: The Holy Spirit, the Advocate and the Voice that speaks in Court will be at hand to help you with the appropriate response in your hour of need.

Do you know the Paraclete, the Voice that speaks in Court? Have you experienced His personal and delightful ministry in your life? Just as Solomon was given wisdom upon asking for it, so Jesus Christ promises that the Father is waiting to give the awesome Spirit to anyone who asks it.

Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of St Luke the Evangelist.

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings of peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation!" (Isaiah 52: 7).

Friday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time. The feet of St Luke the Evangelist are the beautiful feet that bring glad tidings of peace, good news and the message of salvation. Today, the universal Church celebrates the feast of St Luke and rejoices in his gift to the Church.

Who is Luke? "A physician from Antioch, he converted to Christianity and accompanied Paul on two of his journeys. The author of both the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, Luke devotes attention to Christ's birth and childhood as well as to the universality of Redemption." (Roman Missal).

The narratives of Sacred Scripture provides us motivation and examples to guide our lives. God chose Luke the Evangelist to labor through preaching and writing. Through his writings, Luke provided us a permanent record of salvation history.

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." (Luke 10: 2).

Is the Lord speaking to you through the above Scripture? Perhaps you too are chosen to go and bear fruit that will remain. If you do not go, no one will fulfill the task marked out for you from eternity.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Ignatius of Antioch.

"Therefore, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute’" (Luke 11: 49).

Thursday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Ignatius of Antioch (+ 107), Bishop, Martyr and Church Father.

St Ignatius appointed Bishop of Antioch by St Peter, suffered martyrdom in Rome under the persecution of Emperor Trajan. The fame of St Ignatius of Antioch was based on the inspired letters he wrote on his way to Rome for martyrdom. These letters were the earliest and richest documents of the Magisterium. St Ignatius wrote on the Eucharist, Incarnation, Authority of the Bishop, Marriage, etc. St John Henry Newman who was canonized this week probably had St Ignatius of Antioch in mind when he wrote: "To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant."

The blood of martyrs is required for the life of the Church. It is a necessity. Abel and Zechariah were precursors of New Testament prophets who shed their blood for the faith.

"I am the wheat of Christ to be ground by the teeth of beasts,
that I may be found to be pure bread." (St Ignatius of Antioch, Communion Antiphon).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: St Margaret Mary Alacoque.

"Do you hold his [God's] priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God would lead you to repentance?" (Romans 2: 4).

Wednesday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin (1647 - 1690). What do you know about Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? First, this is an ancient devotion going back to many centuries before St Margaret Mary. But beginning in 1673, this young French nun started having mystical revelations concerning devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Although it took about 100 years for the devotion to gain Church approval, it rapidly spread all over the world. Schools, hospitals, universities, Churches and Basilicas are named after the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Our daily Scripture verse for today warns us about holding in low esteem "God's priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience."

Jesus promises 12 great favors to those who honor His Sacred Heart. Please do not hold these promises below in low esteem.

The Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.   

2. I will give peace in their families.

3. I will console them in all their troubles.

4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death.

5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.

6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.

7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.

8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.

9. I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.

10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.

11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their name written in My Heart, and it shall never be effaced.

12. The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The feast of the Mystic and Reformer, St Teresa of Avila.

"Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God; my soul is thirsting for God, the living God." (Cf Psalm 41: 2 - 3).

Tuesday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Teresa of Avila (1515 - 1582), Virgin and Doctor of the Church. St Teresa played a key role in the reformation of the Carmelite Order. Aided by St John of the Cross, they largely succeeded in this arduous task. St Teresa is best remembered for her outstanding works in ascetical and mystical theology which earned her the title of Doctor of the Church. Her books continue to be popular today.

What does your soul yearn for more than anything else? Power, pleasure or fame? For St Teresa of Avila, to understand her, consider the Entrance Antiphon, our Scripture of today:
"Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God; my soul is thirsting for God, the living God."

Teresa's great love for God gave her great confidence in the all loving and powerful Providence of God.
"Let nothing trouble you,
let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing;
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who possesses God lacks nothing: God alone suffices."  (St Teresa of Avila).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Your life purpose is hidden in Sacred Scriptures.

"Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God." (Romans 1: 1).

Monday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time. Have you found your purpose in life? Purpose drives mission. Those who have made the greatest contribution to the world know their purpose. One of the things that attracted me to the study of Holy Scriptures is the promise that I will find my purpose in the Sacred Library. I was not disappointed.

It is true that your purpose is hidden in the Sacred Scriptures. God created us for a purpose. Jesus defines His purpose thus:
"For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth." (John 18: 37). He further says: “I am the way and the truth and the life." (John 14: 6).

Our Daily Bible Verse today sees how Paul defines his purpose. Note that he calls himself "a slave of Jesus Christ." That is to say: Total commitment, undivided loyalty. Paul's Master says: "You cannot serve two masters at the same time." Serving two masters will create divided loyalty. Note that Paul was not shy of claiming to be: "called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God." When you find your purpose through the Divine Scriptures or by whatever means, you too will have no false modesty in sharing it. Because purpose and mission are intertwined.

Through God's Divine Providence, we tend towards our purpose as the sunflower to the sun.

"To you all, then, who are God’s beloved [in Rome], called to be saints, may God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send grace and peace." (Romans 1:7).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Do not deny God your sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

"And one of them [leper], realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;  and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan." (Luke 17: 15 - 16).

Sunday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time. The first Reading from 2 Kings and the Gospel from St Luke point us to Prayer of Thanksgiving. “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?" Asked Jesus. Was Jesus hurt that ten lepers who were healed of the terrible malady of leprosy walked away without giving thanks. I bet he was. Here is why:

Worship is at the heart religion. At the heart of worship is Thanksgiving. God does not eat steak, barbecue or drink champagne or wine. He has no need for gold or silver. God feeds on: "Sacrifice of thanksgiving." And again in the same Psalm 50: "Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God." Imperative!

Do not walk away after realizing that you are pregnant, got the job, home, health, money, etc, Return and Give Thanks.

The Church teaches on Thanksgiving:
"Thanksgiving characterizes the prayer of the Church which, in celebrating the Eucharist, reveals and becomes more fully what she is. Indeed, in the work of salvation, Christ sets creation free from sin and death to consecrate it anew and make it return to the Father, for his glory. The thanksgiving of the members of the Body participates in that of their Head." (CCC 2637).

Do not deny God your sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

God's word never fails.

"Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." (Luke 11: 28).

Saturday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time. Do you truly want to be blessed? Do you desire happiness above all things? Let us listen to the Blessed One, the Master teach us the secret of happiness.

First, note that Jesus points to His Mother Mary as a truly blessed One. She is "full of grace."
Blessedness, happiness (makarios) occurs 15 times in Luke.
In Luke 1: 45, Elizabeth pronounced Mary a blessed One for hearing God's incredible promise and believing it. In Matthew and Luke, the Beatitudes bring happiness and a blessed state.

Our Gospel pick for today gives us a sure, tried, proven means of being blessed:
"Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." Faith comes from hearing the word of God. The word of God is so powerful because God is in His word. The word of God brings wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, piety and fear of the Lord.
Do not forget that another name for Jesus is the "the word of God."

It is not possible to hear the word of God, understand it and not observe it. This is because the word of God is the word of life. But Jesus added for emphasis in our Scripture for today: "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it."

All things are established in the will (word) of God and nothing can resist God's will (word). (Cf Esther 4: 7).

John the Evangelist teaches that observing the word of God is not difficult. "In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome." (1 John 5: 3).

Let us ask God to open our eyes to the beauty of His word and give us the grace to keep it so that we can enjoy happiness here on earth and life everlasting.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

You Jesus are the Lord of all.

"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters." (Luke 11: 23).

Friday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time. Are you for Jesus or against Him? How do you know where you stand with Jesus? Ready for the test?

#1 Are you aligned with the mind of Jesus on the poor and the homeless?
#2 Are you helping as a shepherd to attract people to the Church or scattering them in all directions?
#3 What is your attitude to orphans, widows and immigrants?
#4 Where do you stand on life issues? 50% or 100%?

These are just a few questions. You see clearly that there can be no neutral position on these questions. No "Independents." You are either working with Jesus or hurting the cause of Jesus. Decide today to work with Jesus in building up His Kingdom.

"But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also." (Matthew 6: 33 AMP).

Jesus is the Lord of all the creation.
"Within your will, O Lord, all things are established, and there is none that can resist your will. For you have made all things, the heaven and the earth, and all that is held within the circle of heaven; you are the Lord of all." (Cf Esther 4: 17).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

I will rebel against the Lord. No more prayers. No Mass. No nothing.

“It is vain to serve God, and what do we profit by keeping his command, and going about in penitential dress in awe of the Lord of hosts? Rather must we call the proud blessed; for indeed evildoers prosper, and even tempt God with impunity.” (Malachi 3: 14 - 15).

Thursday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time. I am enjoying the comforting message from the Prophet Malachi in the first Reading. Have you ever wondered why individuals or nations who do not fear the Lord seem to prosper while those who keep His laws and wait upon Him appear to lack everything? Well, you are not alone. We may say that this is the perennial preoccupation of the prophets.

Now consider this: What if you rebel against God and say: No more prayers or Mass! No more Bible reading or study! No more tithing or fasting! Will the rebellion help you in any way? Of course not. Our destiny is in the hands of God.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1: 17).

On Sunday, we read how God answered Prophet Habakkuk:
"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." (Habakkuk 2: 2 - 3).

Today God answers the Prophet Malachi:
"The Lord listened attentively; And a record book was written before him of those who fear the Lord and trust in his name. And they shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, my own special possession, on the day I take action. And I will have compassion on them, as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. Then you will again see the distinction between the just and the wicked; Between the one who serves God, and the one who does not serve him." (Malachi 3: 16 - 18).

Message: If you serve the Lord, be patient. Learn to wait for the Lord. In the fullness of time, the Lord will bless you mightily.

"The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him.  It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." (Lamentations 3: 25 - 26 TLB).

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." (1 Peter 5: 6).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Why we pray every day "Your Kingdom Come."

“Lord, teach us to pray... “When you pray, say:... your kingdom come." (Luke 11: 1 - 2).

Wednesday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Denis. The first Bishop of Paris died with his companion martyrs under the persecution of Emperor Valerian about 258 AD.

Jesus teaches us to ask the Father every day: "Your Kingdom come." What does Jesus mean? First, the Kingdom is the realm, domain where the King exercises authority. The King makes laws but unlike earthly kingdoms has no need to enforce the laws. The Church is the seed and the beginning of the Kingdom of God on earth.

We pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God every day because the Kingdom of God is the means of Restoration of mankind to fullness of salvation. Christ's death, Resurrection and Ascension ushered the inauguration of the Kingdom.

When we open our hearts and minds to the reign of King Jesus over our Time, Talent and Treasure, we are sincerely praying for "Your Kingdom come!" When we participate in the work of evangelization, catechesis, spiritual and corporal works of mercy, God is using us mightily in building up His Kingdom on earth. As the Church grows every day in charity, the Kingdom of God or what St John the Evangelist calls Eternal life is growing.

Be active builders of the Kingdom of God.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Mary has chosen the better part.

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10: 41 - 42).

Tuesday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time. If someone asks you this question: What is the one thing necessary in your life? How would you respond? To be in good health? To have a beautiful family? To have plenty of money? To have a great job or your own business? To have great home with everything in it? To have a pantry filled with good and exotic food?

In today's Gospel Reading, Jesus invites us to consider carefully our priorities. Martha hurriedly welcomed Jesus in her home and dived right back into the kitchen. When she emerged after some thirty minutes, she said: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.”

How do you welcome the presence of Jesus in Prayer? When you read the word of God? In the Blessed Sacrament and in the Eucharist? With an eye on your watch? Anxiously trying to anticipate the next deadline?

In the first Reading, Jonah successfully preached the message of repentance. Our Martha would have been very busy in the kitchen and missed the message of the Prophet. Correct thought is the key to correct action.

Jesus is saying to us today that He is the King and where He is, there is the Kingdom. If we seek first His Kingdom and His manner of doing things, every other thing will fall into place. (Cf Matthew 6: 33).

Lord Jesus, open our hearts and minds to the truth that makes us free.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb." (Cf Luke 1: 28,42).

Monday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time is the feast Our Lady of the Rosary. I shared with a friend after Mass this weekend how I attribute my metanoia to the power of the Holy Rosary. In recognition and gratitude for such a momentous grace, I have said the Rosary every day for almost 25 years. Incredibly powerful prayer.

No prayer in the Church's Treasury of Grace has been commended and recommended by Pontiffs, Doctors of the Church and saints for centuries as the Rosary. This is what the Church says about Marian devotions and especially the Holy Rosary:

"All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary." (CCC 971).

Pope St John Paul II wrote àpropos the Holy Rosary:
"The Church has always attributed particular efficacy to this prayer, entrusting to the Rosary, to its choral recitation and to its constant practice, the most difficult problems. At times when Christianity itself seemed under threat, its deliverance was attributed to the power of this prayer, and Our Lady of the Rosary was acclaimed as the one whose intercession brought salvation." (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, #39).

The Rosary is a prayer that will never disappoint you.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Our God is the God of Divine Providence and not of Chance.

"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." (Habakkuk 2: 2 - 3).

Sunday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time. What a feast of Sacred Scriptures we enjoy this Sunday.

In the first Reading today, God asks the Prophet Habakkuk to write down the answer to what He plans to do in the future. Every plan, vision of God is for its intended time. Abraham and Sarah were promised a son. When this promise was fulfilled 25 years later, Sarah sang that it had pleased God to fulfill His promise at the time of His own choosing. Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist praised God for answering her prayers for a son at His chosen time. In the fullness of time, the Angel Gabriel visited Mary of Nazareth and announced the birth of the Messiah.

Search throughout Sacred Scripture, you will not find anything  happening by haphazard. Our God is a Father of Divine Providence and not a god of Chance. Your future and your destiny does not belong to lottery or gambling. It is not from any chance that your comfort and happiness springs. Every joy, every good thing you enjoy in life comes from God's gracious ordaining.

Thank You O Faithful Father. I have learned that You are a Father who keeps His promises. You asked me to write down my dream so that I do forget it. I nearly forgot it but You reminded me and restored my dream. Thank You Father.

"Within your will, O Lord, all things are established, and there is none that can resist your will. For you have made all things, the heaven and the earth, and all that is held within the circle of heaven; you are the Lord of all." (Cf Esther 4: 17).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Are you aware of the power of the name of Jesus?

“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” (Luke 10: 17).

Saturday of the 26th week in Ordinary Time. Do you believe in demons? Do you believe in angels? How irrational it is to believe in one and not in the other.

I believe in demons because the Sacred Scriptures reveal and teach it. I believe in demons because holy Mother Church teaches it. I believe in demons because I had contended with demons and lost many battles. But today, thanks to the Name of Jesus, I win more battles than I lose.

“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” The name of Jesus is the Person of Jesus. The name of Jesus is the Power of Jesus. The name of Jesus is the Presence of Jesus. Jesus ordered us to bear witness to the power of His name. His disciples were ecstatic when they discovered the power of the name of Jesus. You too will experience unbelievable joy when you discover the power of this name.

How do you activate this power? When you remember Jesus, He promises to be present. You remember Jesus by calling His sweet name, by looking at His picture, by reading His word, by receiving Him in the Eucharist.  Form the habit of saying this sweet name often. The name of Jesus is a full prayer. By calling on His name often, you strengthen yourself against the snares and wiles of the enemy of mankind who prowl the world looking for easy victories.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of St Francis of Assisi.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5: 3).

Friday of the 26th week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Francis of Assisi and the First Friday in October.

Who is St Francis of Assisi? (1182 - 1226). He became famous for imitating closely the poverty of Jesus Christ in spirit and in deed. Holiness always attracts. Francis soon attracted a group of like-minded young men who bound themselves together to live evangelical poverty, chastity and obedience. Our Lord Jesus Christ, Head of the Church has used simple men like Francis and the Franciscans to renew the Church which is ever in need of reform. Other pivotal figures raised up by Jesus for the renewal of the Church are:
Benedict, Clare, Dominic, Ignatius Loyola, Teresa of Avila, etc.

Are you the next great Saint?

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus this Friday.

October 4, 2019 - First Friday in October.

The 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus:  Jesus promised 12 special favors to all those who will honor His Sacred Heart especially on the First Friday of every month.  In the 10th month of the year 2019, we look at Promise #10.

#10.  "I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts."

Do not think: "I am not excited by this promise.  I am not a priest."  Error! We are all baptized and by virtue of this Baptism are priests, princes and prophets. Of course, Jesus Christ chose a tiny percentage of men and configured them to be ministerial priests to celebrate the Sacraments.  The first mission of the Church is evangelization.  You see where the 10th Promise is relevant for you?  Moreover, the first 3 Spiritual Works of Mercy instruct us:
#1. Instruct the ignorant.
#2. Counsel the doubtful.
#3. Admonish sinners.

Jesus promises to give you power to touch the most hardened of sinners.  They could be family. They could be friends or neighbors.  Will you refuse such a gift?

Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus this Friday by attending Holy Mass.

For the 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, click the link below:

http://sfjweb.com/?q=content/sacred-heart-12-promises

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The kingdom of God is here.

"The kingdom of God is at hand for you." (Luke 10: 9).

Thursday of the 26th week in Ordinary Time. Jesus appointed 72 disciples and sent them out on practice evangelization. He gave them a precise talking point. No beating about the bush. No disputations. No arguments. Just a simple message:
‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’

We have seen that Jesus has magnificent obsession for the Kingdom. The Teacher knows that those who are ready will receive and understand this code. Mind you, Israel has been waiting for the Kingdom to come for centuries. Isaiah has prophesied it. John the Baptist came as a herald to prepare for it. Now Jesus commissioned 72 disciples to announce the imminent breakout of the Kingdom.

What is the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God is the Reign of God. There cannot be a Kingdom without a King. ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ This is a code to alert the chosen ones that the King has arrived. Jesus is the King. But this King is different from worldly kings. He was born of the Virgin Mary in a manger. He was an apprentice carpenter and then a self-employed carpenter for all his working life. What do you make of this humble King?

The Church teaches that the Church is the seed of the Kingdom of God on earth.

"The kingdom of heaven was inaugurated on earth by Christ. "This kingdom shone out before men in the word, in the works and in the presence of Christ" (LG 5). The Church is the seed and beginning of this kingdom. Its keys are entrusted to Peter." (CCC 567).

Does the King Jesus reign in every situation in your life?

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Angel of God my Guardian and my Friend...

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." (Matthew 18: 10).

Wednesday of the 26th week in Ordinary Time is the feast of Our Guardian Angels. God blessed me with Christian parents. One of the legacies they bequeathed to me is strong devotion to my Guardian Angel. As an active and adventurous boy, I know how many times my Friend saved me from peril. Today I honor my Guardian Angel with a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

This is what the Church says of Guardian Angels: "From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life." Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God." (CCC 336).

"Receive, O Lord, the offerings we bring before you as we venerate your holy Angels, and graciously grant that under their constant protection we may be delivered from present dangers and brought happily to life eternal. Through Christ our Lord." (Offertory Prayer on the Feast of the Guardian Angels).

The Angel of God my Guardian and dear Friend, thank you for your protection. Continue to enlighten and guard me till my last breath. Amen!

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com