Martha you worry too much.

"DO NOT HAVE ANY ANXIETY ABOUT THE FUTURE. LEAVE EVERYTHING IN GOD'S HANDS. FOR HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU." (ST JOHN BAPTISTE DE LA SALLE).

Martha, why are you so anxious and distracted?

"Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “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: 38  -  42).

Sunday July 17th of the 16th Week of Ordinary Time.

Martha and Mary are sisters and live in the same house. Their differences in outlook gives Jesus a teaching opportunity to address a problem that is endemic in our society today. Our lives are distracted by too many gadgets, information overload, mindless multitasking and many other things.

Jesus says to Martha and us:
“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.”

What is the better part that Mary has chosen? Mary chose to honor their Guest. Mary chose the will of God for her at this moment.

When you choose the will of God for you here and now instead of your own will, you have chosen the better part. The will of God is always the better part. In God's will is our peace. Our Shalom!

How do we know the will of God? It is not complicated at all. The easiest way is to ask God. "Lord what will You have me do?" God is our Father who wants the very best for His children. He can never deceive us. He promises us to ask and we shall receive.

God speaks to us in Sacred Scripture. Scripture is the very word of God. As you sit at the feet of Jesus like Mary each day to listen to Scripture, little by little you begin to know "the better part" for you in everything. This is what Scripture calls wisdom. Wisdom is the gift of choosing what God wants you to choose in every given situation.

About four months ago, I started saying this prayer at the beginning of the day and then several times during the day: "Most Holy Spirit, I surrender to You my time and all my activities this day. Take control of everything."

This simple prayer has increased my peace and serenity. When I catch myself hurrying or anxious, I say the prayer. It has worked for me every time.

7. 17. We honor the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July.

“You heard me, only Friend whom I love. To ravish my heart, you became man.You shed your blood, what a supreme mystery!”  (St Therese de Lisieux).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

"WHOEVER DIES INVESTED WITH THIS SCAPULAR SHALL BE PRESERVED FROM THE ETERNAL FLAMES. IT IS A SIGN OF SALVATION, A SURE SAFEGUARD IN DANGER, A PLEDGE OF PEACE AND OF MY SPECIAL PROTECTION UNTIL THE END OF THE AGES." (OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL).

Some years ago, a friend of mine in the RCIA Ministry gave me a Brown Scapula. I hung it on the wall in my Prayer Area. On the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel a couple of years ago, I was inspired to put on that Brown Scapula. It was on my neck day and night. A few months ago, it fell apart from constant use. I prayed to Our Lady on inspiration on how to replace it. The prayer was answered immediately. Do not neglect Sacramentals.

Jesus is The Chosen Servant.
"When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many [people] followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known.  This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory.
And in his name the Gentiles will hope.” (Matthew 12: 14 - 21).

Saturday of the 15th week of Ordinary Time is the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

My Servant shall not brawl or shout in the street.

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles." (Matthew 12: 18).

What words do we associate with Mount Carmel? The Prophet Elijah, the Carmelite Order, St. Simon Stock.

On July 16, 1251 the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St Simon Stock, the Superior General of the Carmelites in England and gave him the brown scapula. Mary promised her protection to all those who wear the scapula. This is the origin of the devotion of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Brown Scapula. The brown scapula is one of the numerous sacramentals of the Church.

Isaiah tells us that our Gospel of today applies to Jesus the Messiah. Jesus makes a tactical withdrawal from Galilee in order to avoid head on collision with the Pharisees who had decided that Jesus must die. Huge crowd followed Him. He healed all those who were sick. Isaiah affirms the healing ministry of Jesus the Messiah whose mission is to make man whole in body, mind and soul.

Although Jesus did not brawl or shout during His public ministry, nor did anyone hear His voice in the street, He was nevertheless tried as a public criminal and suffered the death reserved for the worst criminal. What does this tell us about the plan of our salvation?

Have you not understood that just as the Son of Man must suffer before His victory and triumph, so must we suffer and accept some suffering in our life.
Do you not remember all the miracles performed by Jesus to prove that He is truly God?  How about all His miraculous interventions in our life?

Let us give thanks to God with a shout!

7.16. July is the Month dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

“Blood of Christ, inebriate (intoxicate) me.”  (St Ignatius of Loyola).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Bonaventure, OFM. The Seraphic Doctor.

"IN ALL YOUR DEEDS AND WORDS YOU SHOULD LOOK UPON THIS JESUS AS YOUR MODEL." (ST BONAVENTURE, OFM).

"Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath.” He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent? I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.” (Matthew 12: 1 - 8).

Friday 15th July 2022, 15th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Bonaventure (1221 - 1274). Italian. Franciscan, Bishop, Cardinal and Doctor of the Church. Bonaventure is known as the Seraphic Doctor because of his mastery of mystical theology. He became friends with St Thomas Aquinas, another doctor of the Church in the University of Paris. St Bonaventure who succeeded St Francis of Assisi as the Superior General of the Franciscans wrote the first thorough biography of the great saint.

St Bonaventure, a great man of God by all standards was a very meek and humble man. Although Superior General of the Franciscans for 17 years, Cardinal of the Church, eminent Theologian and Professor of Theology at the University of Paris and later to become one of the 37 Doctors of the Church, Bonaventure is childlike in character.

In the Gospel for today, Jesus reminded the Pharisees of God’s purpose for the Sabbath.

"Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy." (Exodus 20: 8).

The command to set apart the Sabbath is very important as seen from the way it is treated in Sacred Scriptures. It is the exaggerated concern for the obligation and sanctity of the Sabbath Rest that gave rise to hundreds of minutiae rules concerning the basic command to keep holy the Lord's Day.

Throughout the Christian history, the Magisterium of the Church has not only expounded on the sacred character of the Sabbath but has taught that the Sabbath was instituted for the enjoyment of the People of God. It is a day of worship of God. A day of rest for the whole family from the hustle and bustle involved in making a living. It is a day to enjoy the parks, watch Christian movies. It is a day to visit the sick in the hospital.

The Sabbath Rest is Rehearsal for Eternal life. One day, there will be no work. By obeying the law of the Sabbath, you build up your faith in this promise of God. God plans to redeem man and creation from the present servitude to work.

It is more enjoyable to keep holy the Lord's Day than to do anything unlawful on the Sabbath Rest.

"With compassion, Christ declares the sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing. The sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day to honor God. "The Son of Man is Lord even of the sabbath."  (CCC 2173).

Rejoice in God's generous provision of the Sunday Rest and use it to grow in spiritual and human maturity.

7. 15. We honor the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July.

“O my Most Sweet Jesus, O Jesus, Eternal High Priest, keep Thy priests in the shelter of Thy Sacred Heart, where no one can hurt them. Keep their anointed hands unsullied, which daily handle Thy Sacred Body. Keep pure the lips which are reddened with Thy Precious Blood. Keep pure and unworldly their hearts which are sealed with the sublime token of Thy glorious priesthood. Cause them to grow in love and loyalty to Thee and protect them from the contamination of the world. With their power of transforming bread and wine, give them the power of transforming hearts. Bless their work with rich fruit and grant them one day the crown of eternal life. Amen.”  (St Teresa of Avila).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Kateri Tekakwita, Virgin and Lay Religious.

"WHO WILL TEACH ME WHAT IS MOST PLEASING TO GOD, THAT I MAY DO IT." (ST KATERI TEKAKWITA, LILY OF THE MOHAWKS).

Your yoke is tailor-made to fit you alone.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Matthew 11: 28 - 30).

Thursday July 14th of the 15th week in Ordinary Time. The Church commemorates the life of St Kateri Tekakwita and  St Camillus de Lellis.

#1. St Kateri Tekakwita (1656 - 1680). Born near New York. Daughter of a Mohawk chief. Kateri died at the age of 24. She had great devotion to the Eucharist and Jesus Crucified. She is known as the "Lily of the Mohawks" and is the patron saint of ecologists, environmentalists, and Native Americans.

#2.  St Camillus de Lellis.  (1550 -1614). Italian. Priest. Camillus gave his life to Jesus after a troubled youth. He worked in Giacomo Hospital. While working here, he heard the call from God to found an order dedicated to the care of the sick. God gave St Camillus a special love for the sick. He founded the Order of the Camellians and improved the treatment and care of hospital patients.

The short Gospel for today fits St Kateri as hand in glove. God in His merciful and powerful Providence chooses the weak to accomplish great things. Kateri became a shining star for the Indigenous People of the Mohawk nation in North America.

What are your personal yokes and burdens today?

How many people today find the yoke of marriage unbearable? Or their daily employment intolerable? Think about the burden of debt or financial insecurity? Will this century turn out to be the century with the highest suicide rate among the youth?

Christ Jesus seems to proclaim in the short Gospel of today: "Listen to me! O that you will listen to Me! I have a solution to your dilemma. The Good News is that what you call unbearable yoke and burden are tailor-made to fit you alone. The burden is truly light and the yoke is easy, believe Me."

Four simple steps to turn around your unbearable yoke and transform it into a goldmine:

#1. Embrace God’s gracious will every moment of your life. Don't try to change God or His loving Providence and Plan for your life.
#2. Enjoy the Presence of Jesus in the Sacrament of the Present Moment. Jesus is Emmanuel, the God who is always with us.
#3. Learn to offer continuously a Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving. Thank God always even for what you see as little favors.
#4. Learn the power of Sweet Surrender. Letting Go and letting God is very powerful.

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." (Revelation 3: 20).

"I am glorified when you honor my saints." Lord Jesus remember us who delight in honoring your saints.

"This is why it so grieves Me" , said Jesus to a mystic, "that churches are locked and that I am left for days on end alone in the tabernacle. I would draw souls to My open Heart, I would have them experience what it is to abide in the radiance of My Eucharistic Face, I would give Myself in intimate friendship to souls drawn to Me in the Sacrament of My love, but you priests, shepherds of souls, have forgotten that keeping open your churches is integral to your sacred ministry." (IN SINU JESU page 54).

7. 14. We honor the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July.

“Upon receiving Holy Communion, the Adorable Blood of Jesus Christ really flows in our veins and His Flesh is really blended with ours.” (St John Vianney).

Daily Bible Verse @ 
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The Feast of St Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor.

"LOVE AND PRACTICE SIMPLICITY AND HUMILITY AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE OPINION OF THE WORLD, BECAUSE IF THE WORLD HAD NOTHING TO SAY AGAINST US, WE WOULD NOT BE REAL SERVANTS OF GOD." (St Padre Pio).

"At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, 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." (Matthew 11: 25 - 26).

Wednesday 13th July 2022,  of 15th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Henry II. (973 - 1024). German. Crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1014 by Pope Benedict VIII as Emperor Henry II. He was a powerful man of the world, a man of war and international politics. He became a saint.  It shows that anyone can become a saint. Henry used his wealth and power to promote the Kingdom of God by supporting missionary work. In spite of his cares of the earthly Roman Empire, his gaze was on Heaven, the eternal Kingdom.

In our Gospel of today, there is a note of joy in the voice of Jesus as He talked about the secret of how the gracious and mysterious will of the Father works. We know that Abba Father has a tender love or preferential options for the widow, orphans and migrants. This is an Old Testament teaching. Jesus added another class of people to the preferential group: the "Childlike."

Who are the Childlike?

God in His merciful and powerful Providence chooses the weak to accomplish great things. He chose Mary, the 14 year old Virgin of Nazareth to be the Mother of the Son. He chose Saints Catherine of Siena and Therese, the Little Flower and revealed to them the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. He called and chose St Maria Faustina and revealed to her the secrets of the Divine Mercy.

The childlike therefore are people like the above mentioned saints but also these old and tried warriors: Moses, David, Elijah, Paul, Mother Teresa, Sister Angelica. God makes known His inner life and His ways to them. God who does not ration His Holy Spirit wants to make the same gift of the Holy Spirit to all His children.

"It is the little and the poor who come to Me in the Sacrament of My love and who console My Heart by their presence to Me. It has always been so. The proud and the worldly have no time for Me, because I am hidden, because I am poor, because I am silent, in the Sacrament of My love. But those who are themselves humble and poor are drawn to the humility and the poverty of My Eucharistic presence. I welcome them. I take comfort in their presence, and I recognize them as those blessed of My Father to whom belongs already the Kingdom of Heaven." (IN SINU JESU page 229).

7. 13. July is the Month dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who by the Holy Ghost offered himself unspotted unto God, cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?”  (Hebrews 9:14).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Sin of Unbelief is dangerous.

"SINCE NO MAN IS EXCLUDED FROM CALLING UPON GOD, THE GATE OF SALVATION IS OPEN TO ALL. THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO HINDER US FROM ENTERING, BUT OUR OWN UNBELIEF." (JOHN CALVIN).

"Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes." (Matthew 11: 20.... 24).

Tuesday 12th July 2022, of the 15th Week of Ordinary Time.

In our key Scripture for today, Jesus taught that those who have received more are expected to give back more.  They are expected to produce more fruits. They should make more saints and send out more missionaries. Chorazin and Bethsaida received more of Jesus teaching and miracles. But both cities were obstinate when it comes to belief and repentance. Their hardness of heart is caused by UNBELIEF.

Why was Jesus stern in His reproach of Chorazin and Bethsaida?
The citizens of both cities locked up their hearts in unbelief. They were very cynical brood of vipers. Unbelief is very dangerous. Look around the society today and see for yourself what unbelief can produce. Where there is unbelief, there will be no repentance.  It may well be the Sin of Unbelief that make some Christian theologians like St Augustine postulate a belief in predestination. Without repentance one cannot be saved. Unbelievers have no time for repentance. For example,
robbers who are caught red-handed on camera have sworn that they are innocent. This is the result of Unbelief. By their fruits you will know them.

Brethren, we are Chorazin. We are Bethsaida. Let us come before Jesus in humility and have our sins washed away in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The merciful love of Jesus is waiting to give us a new mind and a new heart.

"If souls understood what treasures of love are freely given to those who approach Me in the Sacrament of My love, My churches would be filled day and night, and unable to contain the multitudes drawn to them. But the Evil One has schemed and plotted to cover the mystery of My presence with a dark veil of neglect, of irreverence, of forgetfulness, and of unbelief. He has obscured the mystery of My real presence, and so My faithful, beginning with My priests, have walked away from Me, one after the other, even as they did when first I spoke plainly of Myself as the living Bread come down from heaven to give life to the world." (IN SINU JESU page 226).

"If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts."

7. 12. July = The Most Precious Blood of Jesus Month.

“I adore You, O Precious Blood of Jesus, flower of creation, fruit of virginity, ineffable instrument of the Holy Spirit, and I rejoice at the thought that You came from the drop of virginal blood on which eternal Love impressed its movement; You were assumed by the Word and deified in His person. I am overcome with emotion when I think of Your passing from the Blessed Virgin’s heart into the heart of the Word, and, being vivified by the breath of the Divinity, becoming adorable because You became the Blood of God.”  (St Albert the Great).

Daily Bible Verse @  SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Benedict of Nursia OSB, Abbot.

JESUS TO ST CATHERINE OF SIENA: "MY DAUGHTER, IF YOU THINK OF MY BUSINESS FIRST, I WILL THINK OF YOURS FIRST."

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10: 34.... 11:1).

Monday 11th July 2022, of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of a pivotal figure in the history of Christianity: St Benedict of Nursia, Abbot. (480 - 547). Italian and founder of the Benedictine Order. His twin sister St Scholastica embraced religious life and became a leader in monastic movement for women.
St Benedict is the co-patron saint of Europe. He is also the patron saint of monks, witchcraft, diseases among others. His rules for monastic life is still widely used. His motto is: "Pray and Work."

Do you find anything difficult in today's Gospel? I find many tough challenges. There are No Half Measures in the words of Jesus!! Jesus did not say:
It is OK if you love your father or mother 50% and love Me Jesus 50%. It is OK when you pick up your cross whenever you feel like and follow Me.
Jesus says what He means. He means what He says. If you follow Me, it has to be fully if you want to reap the full benefits.

Do you now understand why some people say that Christianity does not work for them? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says:
"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).

If you desire all your needs to be met, you know what to do. You  make God's business your top priority.

Thank You Jesus for the promise below.

"My Heart is open to your prayers and I receive them with favour because it is I who inspire you to speak to Me in this way. This is the secret of prayer pleasing to My Heart: it rises out of a grace that I have already planted in the soul, even before you come into My presence, even before you open your mouth, or take up your pen, or begin to formulate words. These are the prayers that I answer most readily; these are the prayers that I answer unfailingly, because they are the fruit of the work of the Holy Spirit in the soul, teaching the soul to pray in perfect harmony with the desires and designs of My own Sacred Heart." (IN SINU JESU page 120).

7. 11. July is the Month dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

“Sometimes let us kindle in our souls an ardent affection, considering his great affection towards us, which upon the cross he declared and manifested to the whole world. And the benefit which he bestowed upon us in his passion, because he bought us with the inestimable price of his precious blood, of which only, we reap the benefit and commodity.”  (St. Peter of Alcantara).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Be my Good Neighbor. Let me be your Good Neighbor.

"AS LONG AS ANYONE HAS THE MEANS OF DOING GOOD TO HIS NEIGHBORS AND DOES NOT DO SO, HE SHALL BE RECKONED A STRANGER TO THE LOVE OF THE LORD." (ST IRENAEUS).

“And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus replied,  “A man fell victim to robbers."
"A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight."
"Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”  (Luke 10: 25 - 37)

Our key Scripture for today is from the Parable of the Good Samaritan. You may call this a story of mercy.
What is mercy? From the Parable, we may say that mercy is when someone shows you a totally unexpected pity in a moment of great need.

Our neighbor is every person in need.

Jesus ends what we call the Parable of the Good Samaritan by saying to the scholar of the law: Go and do as the Good Samaritan. Every person in need is our neighbor.

Be a good neighbor.
Allow someone to be a good neighbor to you. Jesus is always a good neighbor.

Jesus gave us the Divine Mercy Devotion through St Maria Faustina. This devotion is summarized through the ABC of Mercy:

A = Ask for mercy.
B = Be Merciful.
C = Completely trust Jesus for mercy.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Augustine Zhao Rong and the Martrys of China.

"NOTHING CAN HAPPEN TO ME THAT GOD DOESN'T WANT. AND ALL THAT HE WANTS, NO MATTER HOW BAD IT MAY APPEAR TO US, IS REALLY FOR THE BEST." (ST THOMAS MORE)

"Jesus said to his Apostles:........

"Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." (Matthew 10: 24...... 33).

Saturday 9th July 2022, of the 14th Week of Ordinary Time  is the feast of St Augustine Zhao, Chinese priest and martyr and 119 of his companion martyrs. These 120 martyrs died
between 1648 and 1930.  Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese soldier and after his conversion was ordained a diocesan priest. He was martyred in 1815.

The Chinese martyrs were beatified in groups at various times. On the 1st of October 2000, Pope St John Paul II canonized the 120 martyrs in Rome.

The Gospel of today contains one of the sweetest doctrines in the Bible.  It is God's powerful and merciful Providence over all of creation. What does this mean? Abba Father cares lovingly even for the tiniest creatures such as sparrows. He cares for them so much that He gives sparrows permission to build their nests right above His altars. David envied the tiny sparrows this privilege.

How is it possible that man created in the image and likeness of God, destined to live forever with God could be possibly treated with less dignity than a sparrow?  You are worth more than many sparrows, declares Jesus. Believe this. Faith comes from hearing. You have heard/read this. This is the word of God proclaimed today in every Church in the world. I believe it.

"I will teach you all that you need to know as you go forward' says Jesus to a mystic.  "I will not give you My words ahead of time, but I will give them to you as you need them, at the moment chosen by My loving providence. Renounce the desire to control and arrange things ahead of the time that I have decreed. Each thing has its own moment, and that moment alone and no other brings with it the grace sufficient to your need, to your weakness, and to the task at hand. I am proceeding this way with you because I want you to trust Me completely, to trust Me in all things, great and small." (IN SINU JESU pg 76).

Thank You Jesus. This is a sweet message.

7. 9. We honor the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July.

“Don’t hold yourselves cheap, seeing that the creator of all things and of you estimates your value so high, so dear, that he pours out for you every day the most precious blood of his only-begotten Son.” (St Augustine).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Holy Spirit will be your Helper.

"YES, THE HOUR IS COMING, FOR EVERYONE WHO KILLS YOU, TO THINK HE IS OFFERING WORSHIP TO GOD." (JOHN 16: 2).
MY BRETHREN, THAT HOUR MAY BE VERY CLOSE!

“Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.

"When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.

"When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” (Matthew 10: 16 - 23).

Friday 8th July 2022, of the 14th Week of Ordinary Time.

Our Gospel for this Friday is from the Missionary Discourse of Jesus. Jesus continues to train His disciples for future missionary work. He tells them and us what to expect. They are:

#1 The mission field is Wolfland. Their shrewdness will come from their awareness that they are not alone. "Behold I am with you always."

#2 They will be arrested and arraigned before courts. They should not be anxious about how to defend themselves. "For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." (Matthew 10: 20). The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete and Advocate is the Voice that speaks in Court. Be calm and confident and allow Him to do His job.

#3 "You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved." (Matthew 10: 22).

The missionary is not a baby-kissing politician, a movie star or a socialite. He is the ambassador of the One who calls Himself "the Truth, the Way and life." Caesar and the powers of this world will ask scornfully "What is truth?" So do not expect to be welcomed everywhere with open hands.

Don’t plan to come down from the cross. Once you put your hands on the plough, it is forward march to the very end. Salvation belongs to those who persevere to the very end.

Jesus also predicted a great deal of victory and consolation for His disciples. Arraignment before governors and magistrates will be an opportunity for them to see the power of the Holy Spirit in their defense. We see the fulfillment of this when Peter and John faced the full Sanhedrin.

We see the same power at play when Paul was before Festus, the Roman high official. Jesus was not kidding. He promises to support His disciples. He does so always.

"The movement of persecution that is about to break out against My Church will focus on three objects. In fact, this has already begun. I will be attacked in My priests; they represent My Eucharistic Face. The face of the priesthood is My Face, once again mocked and covered with mud, spittle, and blood. I will be dishonoured in the Sacrament of My Body and Blood. You will see an increase of sins against the mysteries of My Body and Blood: sacrilege, desecrations, and mockeries. I will be attacked in the weakest and most vulnerable members of My Mystical Body. This too has already begun, but it will increase until it reaches proportions that will oblige My Father to avenge the blood of His beloved innocents." (IN SINU JESU pg 91).

7. 8. We honor the Most Precious Blood of Jesus in July.
“This blood, when worthily received, drives away demons and puts them at a distance from us, and even summons to us angels and the Lord of angels. This blood, poured out in abundance, has washed the whole world clean. This is the price of the world; by it Christ purchased the Church.” (St John Chrysostom).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Do not take your credit cards on your mission journey.

WITHOUT COST WE RECEIVE THE GOSPEL. HOW CAN WE SHARE THE GOOD NEWS WITHOUT COST AS JESUS INSTRUCTS US? BY LIVING AND PRACTICING THE EVANGELICAL SIMPLICITY OF JESUS.

"Jesus said to his Apostles: “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep." (Matthew 10: 7 - 10).

Thursday 7th July 2022, of the 14th Week of Ordinary Time.

The Church continues to respond to the missionary mandate of Jesus Christ worldwide uninterrupted by persecutions and pandemics.
"As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand."

What is the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of heaven?
Where is it?
Who is in it?
How does it work?

Jesus Christ is the King. Where the King is, there is the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is unlike the Kingdom of David. The Kingdom of David was limited by geography and was temporary. The Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaims is universal and eternal. Jesus today exercises His kingship in the heart and mind of everyone who accepts Him and welcomes Him.

The seed of the kingdom exists in the Church. (CCC 671). The Church is the community of the Mystical Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

The Church welcomes everyone who presents himself for Baptism. The new Christian is instructed in all that Jesus has taught the Apostles. He is then admitted to the Sacraments of Salvation and begins his growth into the mysteries of Christ.

Our response to the gift of the kingdom should be intense gratitude and full commitment to the growth of the kingdom.
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28–29).

Do you know the shortcut to the Good Life?  Make the Kingdom of God your first priority in everything and the holy life that it calls for. Then believe without a single doubt that God who is so faithful and true will provide ALL your NEEDS. God who created you knows what you need and when you need it.

7.7. The Church dedicates July to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus.

“No! the chastisements of God are not yet at an end; still more sorrowful times are ahead; and divine justice will be placated by the devotion to the Blood of Jesus Christ.”   (St. Gaspar del Buffalo).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS HERE AND NOW.  WHEN THE HUNGRY ARE FED, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS HERE. WHEN THE CRY OF THE POOR IS HEARD, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS HERE. WHEN THE SICK IS HEALED, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS HERE. WHEN TRUTH IS TOLD, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS HERE.

"Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them ­authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.  "(Matthew 10: 1 - 7).

Wednesday 6th July 2022, 14th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Maria Goretti (1890 - 1902). Italian. Virgin and Martyr. Maria was barely twelve years old when she was attacked by Alessandro Serenelli, a 19 years old man who tried to rape her. Maria resisted fiercely.  Alessandro stabbed her to death.
Maria forgave him in her death bed. Alessandro spent 27 of 30 years in prison. Maria appeared to him in a dream and brought him flowers. Alessandro Serenelli was in the audience at the Vatican when Maria was canonized in 1950. He later joined the Capuchin monastery.
St Maria Goretti is the patron saint of purity, young women, rape victims and youth.
In her liturgy, the Church teaches us that God is the source of innocence and lover of chastity.

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples. Who are the Twelve disciples today? Historically, the Twelve disciples represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Today they are the Bishops, the successors of the Apostles. 

In the Gospel of today, we see the rollout of God's Plan. The Twelve Tribes became the Twelve Apostles. The Twelve became the beginning of the Seed of the Kingdom, the Church. The Church is the Seed of the the Kingdom of God on earth. (CCC 671).

The Kingdom of heaven is not just at hand. It is here. We are the New Israel.  Our mandate is to take authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness and to preach the Good News to everyone on earth.

"Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 10: 6 - 7).

Jesus had a magnificent obsession for the Kingdom of God. Jesus wants you and me to develop such an obsession. Various opposing but not contradictory statements describe the Kingdom:

#1. It is here and now and there and then.
#2. The Kingdom is immanent and transcendent.
#3. It is visible and invisible.

One thing that is absolutely clear and certain is that everyone is expected to be involved in bringing about the dawn of the Kingdom. How?

Every single thought, every single word and every action either contributes to the coming of the Kingdom of God or the delay of it. The Kingdom of God comes through your thought, word and deed.

"The kingdom of God is close at hand: repent and believe the Good News." (Mark 1: 15).

The Church is the Guardian of the greatest mystery of the Kingdom of God:

"It [The Eucharist] was to extend the graces of My Incarnation and earthly life to all of My disciples, to My chosen friends, until the end of time. So much of what I held in My Heart when I instituted this Sacrament has now been forgotten, or obscured, or deliberately contradicted. This is what causes the sorrow of My Eucharistic Heart. This is why I turned to you and asked you to give Me your life, the rest of your life, in adoration and reparation. I want the free response of your adoring love to My Eucharistic love." (IN SINU JESU).

Our Baptism makes us priest, prince and prophet. You too are a Guardian of the Eucharistic mystery.

7.6. July the Month dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

“Devotion to the Precious Blood is the devotion of our time . . . It is a devotion for all souls, for the whole world.” (Pope John XXIII).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feasts of Saints Anthony Zaccaria and Elizabeth of Portugal.

ONE OF THE MAIN GIFTS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS THIS:
WE BELIEVE IN THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. JESUS SAYS IN THE LITURGY OF THE MASS THAT WHEN WE HONOR HIS SAINTS, WE GLORIFY THE SAINT-MAKER. HOW MANY PATRON SAINTS DO YOU HAVE?
"CLING TO THE SAINTS, FOR THOSE WHO CLING TO THEM WILL BE SANCTIFIED." (POPE ST CLEMENT I).

"A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Matthew 9: 32 - 38).

Tuesday 5th July 2022, 14th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of Saints Anthony Zaccaria and Elizabeth of Portugal.

St. Anthony Zaccaria (1502-1539). Italian from Cremona in Lombardy. He became a successful medical doctor at the age of 22. Unsatisfied with worldly success, he became a priest. He continued to care for the sick and comfort the dying. In Milan, he co-founded women’s religious order and then a congregation of priests called the Clerics Regular of Saint Paul (the Barnabites). Anthony reinvented a three-day exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the Forty Hours Devotion.  St Anthony Zaccaria died in 1539 at the age of 37.

St Elizabeth of Portugal :
Also known as Elizabeth of Aragon. (1271 - 1336). Elizabeth married King Denis of Portugal when she was very young. She set an example of Christian charity in the court and was the peace-maker between her husband and the children. After her husband died, Elizabeth became a Franciscan tertiary.

We see in our key Scripture for today the compassion of Jesus for the crowds who were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. He healed many of their diseaae and illness and preached to them the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Yet Jesus was sad because the need is so great and the human resources needed for the work are paltry.

The Lord has given us today two incredible and powerful tools for Evangelization and Cathechesis:
#1. The Internet.
#2. Music

On the Internet for example, millions wander about troubled, seeking spiritual nourishment. There are great possibilities for catechesis and evangelization through the social media. The social media, viz: Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, etc are the Mission Field of Today.

Music is a powerful tool for the New Evangelization. Both the young and the old love music. Music is one of the first blessings we shall recognize in Heaven. There is today abundant Christian music. They have good theology and lyrics. Subscriptions are available and affordable through Amazon Music and Google YouTube Music and others.

If you want to learn more about what the Catholic Church believes and teaches, click the link below:
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2021/03/compendium-of-catholic-teachings.html?m=1

7. 5. July = Most Precious Blood Month.
“Almighty Father, I place the Precious Blood of Jesus before my lips before I pray, that my prayers may be purified before they ascend to Your divine altar.”  (St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Courage, your faith has restored your health.

"WHAT IS FAITH? IT IS THE CONFIDENT ASSURANCE THAT SOMETHING WE WANT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. IT IS THE CERTAINTY THAT WHAT WE HOPE FOR IS WAITING FOR US, EVEN THOUGH WE CANNOT SEE IT UP AHEAD." (HEBREWS 11: 1 TLB).

“While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, “My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured.
When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. And news of this spread throughout all that land.”  (Matthew 9: 18 - 26).

In today's Gospel, we are blessed with two examples of STRONG FAITH in action:

1.  Jesus said to a desperate woman with twelve years problem of issue of blood: “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.”

2.  Jairus the Synagogue official approached Jesus believing that Jesus could raise her daughter from the dead. 

The Christian has a silver bullet in his armor against fear: Faith!  Faith is generated by prayer and nourished by the word of God. Faith destroys fear, worry and doubt.
"Fear is useless; what is needed is trust."  (Luke 8: 50; Mark 5: 36)

Without faith, we can do nothing. "The just shall live by faith."  My faith is nourished by the two healing incidents in today's Gospel. It teaches me not to be afraid to ask Jesus to do big things for me. It reminds me that all things are possible for God and all things are easy for God.

"What is Faith and why is it so important?

"What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead." (Hebrews 11: 1 TLB).

Everyone who matters in the Bible from Abraham, David, John the Baptist, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Peter and Paul were not just people of faith but lived by faith.

The woman with the issue of Blood in today's Gospel exercised her faith:
“If I only touch him, I will be healed.”
Jesus turned around and spoke to her. “Daughter,” he said, “all is well! Your faith has healed you.” And the woman was well from that moment." (Matthew 9: 21 - 22).

We are saved by grace through faith. You can start living by your faith right here and now.

7.4. July is the Month dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

“Precious Blood, ocean of divine mercy: Flow upon us! Precious Blood, most pure offering: Procure us every grace! Precious Blood, hope and refuge of sinners: Atone for us! Precious Blood, delight of holy souls: Draw us! Amen.”  (St Catherine of Siena).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Come to the Church and find comfort.

"THE CHURCH EXISTS FOR NOTHING ELSE BUT TO DRAW MEN INTO CHRIST, TO MAKE THEM LITTLE CHRISTS. IF THEY ARE NOT DOING THAT, ALL THE CATHEDRALS, CLERGY, MISSIONS, SERMONS, EVEN THE BIBLE ITSELF, ARE SIMPLY A WASTE OF TIME. GOD BECAME MAN FOR NO OTHER PURPOSE."  (C. S. LEWIS).

"Thus says the LORD:
 Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, all you who love her;
 exult, exult with her, all you who were mourning over her!
 Oh, that you may suck fully of the milk of her comfort, that you may nurse with delight at her abundant breasts!
 For thus says the LORD:
 Lo, I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent. As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms, and fondled in her lap; as a mother comforts her child,
 so will I comfort you; in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.

 When you see this, your heart shall rejoice and your bodies flourish like the grass; the LORD's power shall be known to his servants." (Isaiah 66: 10 - 14c).

Sunday July 3rd of the 14th week of Ordinary Time. The word to live by comes from (Isaiah 66: 10 - 14).

Where do you plan to find your comfort in this world? The first Reading from Isaiah answers this question for all of us. Only in Jerusalem. Meaning only in the Church.

The Lord God promises peace and prosperity and overflowing good fortune to Jerusalem after her period of chastisement. Jerusalem here is a type of the Church. We are urged to find our comfort in the Church and much more:

"Rejoice with her in her joy,
all you who mourn over her—
So that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast;
That you may drink with delight at her abundant breasts!" (Isaiah 66: 10 - 11).
What is this consoling breast, this abundant breast? Just think of the Church for a moment. What does the Church offer to the world? The Church offers to the world:

#1. The word of God.
#2. The 7 Sacraments.
#3. Light and wisdom through her authoritative teachings.
Everybody without exception is invited to "nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast;
and drink with delight at her abundant breasts!"

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed the man who seeks refuge in him." (Psalm 33: 9).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The First Saturday of July, Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

"FASTING CLEANSES THE SOUL, RAISES THE MIND, SUBJECTS ONE'S FLESH TO THE SPIRIT, RENDERS THE HEART CONTRITE AND HUMBLE, SCATTERS THE CLOUDS OF CONCUPISCENCE, QUENCHES THE FIRE OF LUST AND KINDLES THE TRUE LIGHT OF CHASTITY." (ST AUGUSTINE).

"The disciples of John ap­proached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?”

" Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9: 14 - 17).

Saturday July 2nd of the 13th Week of Ordinary Time is the First Saturday of July and Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

In the Gospel of today, Jesus is queried about the fasting practices of His disciples. Jesus is saying: There is time for everything. A time to fast and a time to feast. As for the disciples not fasting, It seems as if the kid goats watch their mother as she chews the cud and do what they see their mother do.  Be that as it may, Fasting, Prayer and Almsgiving are the 3 pillars of Christian spiritual life.

Do you fast? How often? When? What do you fast from?
On the three pillars of the spiritual life, the Church teaches:

"The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others. Alongside the radical purification brought about by Baptism or martyrdom they cite as means of obtaining forgiveness of sins: efforts at reconciliation with one’s neighbor, tears of repentance, concern for the salvation of one’s neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the practice of charity “which covers a multitude of sins.” (CCC 1434).

Some Christians abstain from meat and alcohol on Friday and Wednesday. Others abstain also from television, movies and gambling.

The truth is that if you consider yourself a good Christian, fasting is part of your Christian armor.

7.2. “Let us fix our gaze on the Blood of Christ and realize how truly precious It is, seeing that it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of conversion to the whole world.” (Pope Clement).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com

Feast of St Junipero Serra, OFM.

THE CHURCH HONORS THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF OUR LORD JESUS IN JULY.  BY GOD'S MERCIFUL PROVIDENCE, I GOT TO KNOW ABOUT THE POWER OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD AND THE DEVOTION TO THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS AT THE END OF JUNE 2021. THROUGHOUT JULY 2021, I PRAYED TO JESUS TO HEAL MY SICK HEART THROUGH HIS MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD. HE HEALED ME. I CANNOT BELIEVE IT IS ALREADY ONE YEAR SINCE THE HEALING.
[You can find a link to read the Testimony at the bottom of this page].

"As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I ­desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”  (Matthew 9: 9 - 13).

Friday 1st July 2022, of the 13th Week of Ordinary Time is both the Feast of St Junipero Serra, OFM and also the First Friday in July. St Junipero Serra (1713 - 1784). Spanish Franciscan Priest evangelized Mexico and California and firmly established the Church in these regions.

Junipero arrived in the New World and sought good and not evil for the people of this region. He fought for the cause of justice for the native people of the area.
This Spanish Franciscan priest evangelized Mexico and California and firmly established the Church in these regions.

Our key Scripture today narrates the Call of Matthew. From the narrative, it appears a happenchance, a natural coincidence.  Jesus was passing by and saw Matthew and called him. The meeting of Jesus with Matthew on this day is not a chance meeting. The Bible has no word for Chance. Everything is Providence. God governs the world He creates by His powerful and merciful Providence. His governance is called Providence, God's grand Purpose, Blueprint or simply Plan.
Matthew met his destiny at the right time and place. How about you? Have you found your purpose?

Consider this insightful piece from St John Henry Newman:

"God has created me to do him some definite service; he has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission—I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next…. I have a part in a great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do his work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep his commandments and serve him in my calling."

Follow Me and Matthew got up and followed Jesus.

7. 1.  "When you come into His Eucharistic presence, be aware of His precious Blood streaming from His open Heart. Adore His Blood and apply it to your wounds and to the wounds of souls. The Blood of my Son brings purity and healing and new life wherever it flows. Implore the power of the precious Blood over yourself and over all priests. Whenever you are asked to intercede for souls, invoke the power of the precious Blood over them, and present them to the Father covered with the Blood of the Lamb." (IN SINU JESU).

Click below to read the testimony of how Jesus healed my sick heart.

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2022/01/testimony-of-how-jesus-healed-my-heart.html?m=1

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Receive the Eucharist this Friday, July 1st 2022.

July 1st , 2022 is First Friday in July.

Jesus promised 12 special favors to all those who will honor His Sacred Heart especially on the First Friday of every month.  In the 7th month of the year 2022, we look at Promise #7.

#7.  "Tepid souls shall become fervent."

What is tepid?  Tepid is defined as lukewarm, slightly warm, unenthusiastic, apathetic, half-hearted.
Listen to what Jesus says about such persons:
"Because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth."  (Revelations 3: 16).

Are you lukewarm with regards to Jesus, to spiritual things? Regain your fire through devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
"We should, every morning, place our sufferings, prayers and labors in the pierced Heart of Jesus; there everything will be purified and perfected." (Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus).

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

For the 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sacred Heart devotional prayers and prayer intentions click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2020/08/12-promises-of-sacred-heart-of-jesus.html?m=1

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of the First Martyrs of the Roman Church.

ONE OF THE MOST CONSOLING THOUGHTS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY IS THIS: ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE FOR GOD. ALL THINGS ARE SIMPLE FOR GOD. TODAY'S GOSPEL ILLUSTRATES THIS.

"After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” He rose and went home. When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to men."   (Matthew 9:  1 - 9).

Thursday 30th June 2022, in the 13th Week of Ordinary Time is the
feast of the First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church. In 64 AD, before the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome, the vicious Emperor Nero set Rome on fire. To escape the wrath of the Roman people, he blamed the Christians. Then he ordered all Christians arrested and be put to death. We celebrate today the witness of the multitude of Christians who demonstrated astonishing courage to perish for faith in Jesus Christ. This event happened so early in Christian era in the persecution of Emperor Nero. Many who witnessed the courage of the martyrs became Christians. "The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christianity." (Tertulian).

Jesus was ministering in a room packed with people.  The friends of the paralytic man lowered him from the roof and dropped him in front of Jesus.  Their action is the "faith" that Jesus saw.  So we can see faith.
The bigger theme of the Gospel of today is the sin of the paralyzed man.  Since Jesus came to suffer and die for sin, He dealt first with the root and source of illness.  “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven." (Matthew 9: 2).  Jesus was immediately attacked for forgiving the man's sins. “This man is blaspheming.” (Matthew 9: 3).

The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world knows more than anyone the intricate connection between Sin, Suffering and Salvation.  He proves it:
"Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”  (Matthew 9: 5 - 6). For God all things are possible. All things are easy.

"Lord, send your mercy and your truth to rescue us from the snares of the devil, and we will praise you among the peoples and proclaim you to the nations, happy to be known as companions of your Son."  (Psalm Prayer, Lauds).

6. 30.  Today is the end of the month of June dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The month of July is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus.

Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom are all treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells the fullness of divinity, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased, have mercy on us.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.

THE MESSAGE OF PETER AND PAUL STILL GOES ROUND ALL OVER THE WORLD EVERY DAY.  THIS SUBSIST IN THE FULLNESS OF TRUTH IN THE HOLY, CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH.

"When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

"Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16: 13 - 19).

Wednesday 29th June 2022, in the 13th Week in Ordinary Time is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.

This great feast has been celebrated for Peter and Paul together from the earliest days of the Church. Why?
Peter and Paul are recognized as the principal pillars of the Church. We declare in the Creed: "I believe in the holy Catholic and Apostolic Church." The one only Church founded by Jesus Christ on Pentecost Sunday is built on the foundation of the Apostles. Hence every Bishop in the Church enjoys legitimacy through Apostolic Succession from the original Twelve Apostles.

Scripture teaches that the Church is built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. (Cf Ephesians 2: 20). Peter and Paul are joint managing directors of the institution, which is called the Church.

"You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it."  (Matthew 16: 18)
Paul got his mandate to be an Apostle directly from Jesus.

"Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin.  For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ."  (Galatians 1: 11 - 12).

Peter and Paul were called to be friends and companions of Jesus before anything else.

"I ask you only to be My friend and to live at every moment in the grace of My divine friendship. All the rest follows. Perfection is the fruit of friendship with Me, not a precondition for it. You, and many souls like you, are confused about this. My friendship is not earned, it is not something acquired by measuring up to the standards of perfection that you have set for yourself. My friendship is pure gift." (IN SINU JESU).

Peter and Paul are the ones who, living in the flesh, planted the Church with their blood; they drank the chalice of the LORD and became the friends of God. (Cf Entrance Antiphon).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com