Zacchaeus succumbed to the charm of Jesus.

“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” (Luke 19: 8).

Sunday of the 31st week in Ordinary Time. Zacchaeus experiences the irresistible power of the Presence of Jesus. Result: Instant and profound conversion. Many thieves and fraudsters who are caught red handed try to negotiate the terms of the settlement. Not Zacchaeus. His attitude is: Lord, I give up everything to be a part of You and Your Enterprise.

Taking a cue from the conversion of Zacchaeus, the Church teaches:
"Jesus calls to conversion. This call is an essential part of the proclamation of the kingdom: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."......... It is by faith in the Gospel and by Baptism that one renounces evil and gains salvation, that is, the forgiveness of all sins and the gift of new life." (CCC 1427).

"But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook sins for the sake of repentance." (Wisdom 11: 23).

I will praise Your name forever my King and my God.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of All Souls.

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself." (Philippians 3: 20 - 21).

Saturday of the 30th week in Ordinary Time is the Feast of the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed traditionally called the Feast of All Souls. Where are your loved ones who have departed from this life? They are no longer Australian citizens, or American or Mexican citizens. If they died in Jesus Christ, their citizens is now in heaven. Are they enjoying eternal life right away with Jesus? Possibly. Most likely, they "await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself."

This purification or transformation that most of us need is what the Church calls Purgatory. Furthermore, "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven...... The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned." (CCC 1030 - 1031).

"Listen kindly to our prayers, O Lord,
and, as our faith in your Son, raised from the dead, is deepened,
so may our hope of resurrection for your departed servants also find new strength.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." (Collect of the Mass of All Souls).

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The Solemnity of All Saints.

“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”.... “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7: 13 - 14).

The Church worldwide celebrates today a major feast in its Liturgical Calendar: The Solemnity of All Saints. In the Communion of Saints, we celebrate the Communion of holy people and holy things. Man is the apex of creation. It is therefore fitting that a holy person glorifies God's work of creation.

"Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness." (CCC 1024). The Church declared.

Our Scripture verse today teaches that in order to be among those in white robe, you must must make that robe white again in the blood of the Lamb. Brethren, do not be afraid of this for your Father is determined to give you the Kingdom. Make this Kingdom your first priority and the holiness it requires and everything else here on earth and in heaven shall be given to you.

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Don't forget to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus also on the Solemnity of All Saints.

November 1st, 2019 - First Friday in November: Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on us.

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 11th month of the year 2019, we look at Promise #11.

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

Friday, November 1st , 2019 is  the Solemnity of All Saints, a major feast in the Church Calendar. The Church remembers all the souls of the just who are in heaven with Jesus. The Sacred Heart of Jesus, who is true and faithful Witness promises us that "Those who propagate the devotion to His Sacred Heart shall have their name written in My Heart, and it shall never be effaced."

Do you trust the promises of Jesus or do you not?

Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus this Friday.

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

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

FOR BLOG ON ALL SAINTS, HEAD HERE: Seekfirstcommunity.com

When God is with you, you accomplish important things.

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8: 31).

Thursday of the 30th week in Ordinary Time is the 31st of October.

Brethren, make our Scripture for today personal: "If God is for me, who can be against me?" If you do not know the powerful punch of this Scripture, it may be because you do not fully know who God is! "The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits." (Daniel 11: 32 NKJV).

If God is for you in your job, who can be against you? When God is with you in your family, health, finances, possessions your objectives and heart's desire will be accomplished. What if you do not know your God or His plan for your life? You will be like a heir to a great estate and fortune who sleeps under the bridge as a homeless because he is ignorant of the fact that less than a kilometer from him is his father's estate.

Those who minister to the dying report that in the last few days of life, their greatest regret is not having invested time to know God.
Now that you know, you will be blessed if you do it.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

God can write straight with crooked lines.

"We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified." (Romans 8: 28 - 30).

Wednesday of the 30th week in the Ordinary Time. Brethren, what does Scripture mean by "All things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose?"

Our daily Scripture verse for today contains one of this most significant word: "ALL." Define simply, ALL here means No exceptions, No discriminations, No exemptions. It means the Whole, Todo, Tuus.

We have supreme confidence in Divine Providence based on this significant revelation in Romans 8: 28. God promises: "No matter whatever happens, you are covered. I am able to write straight lines with crooked lines. Where you are now is exactly where I want you to be. I AM GOD."

Come back to this Scripture again and again to nourish your soul. As you do, your insight into what it means for you expands more and more.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Do not despise small beginnings

“What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a person took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and ‘the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.’” (Luke 13: 18 - 19).

Tuesday of the 30th week in Ordinary Time. What is the significance of comparing the Kingdom of God with a mustard seed?

The mustard seed is a very tiny seed and therefore liable to be lost without regret, thrown away without remorse. Jesus gives us the best analogy of the the humble beginning of the Church in the Parable of the Mustard Seed.

After a night of prayer to His Father, Jesus chose, called and anointed 12 Apostles to go and announce the Kingdom of God. Imagine that you were there in the crowd on the day that Jesus appointed Peter, Simon and Jude and others as Apostles. Could you believe that 2000 short years after, this tiny mustard seed will be a family of some 3.5 billion people spreading out branches throughout the earth?

The Kingdom of God is a mystery. The life inside the tiny mustard seed is a mystery. The tiny spermatozoon is packed with a DNA which is a mystery.

Do not despise the small beginning. Do not thrash the Church and its mysteries because you do not understand them. The mystery of faith calls for only one thing: Belief. When you believe, you stand the chance that you can understand. Believe always comes first.

"Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for revealing the mysteries of the Kingdom to mere children." (Matthew 11: 25).

Accept the Kingdom of God like a little child.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude.

"Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles." (Luke 6: 12 - 13).

Monday of the 30th week in Ordinary Time is the feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles. These two are among the Twelve called by Jesus in the Gospel of today. Jesus did not choose people from the upper class, nor from the middle class. He did not select scientists or doctors of the law or people from the merchant class. He intentionally chose simple fishermen, uneducated, untraveled and men without influence in the society.

Those Jesus chose, He trained and qualified. He instructed them:
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 19 - 28).

Jesus built His worldwide Church on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets. Each year, we celebrate the glory of Saints Simon and Jude and the other Apostles. We do not celebrate the glory of Caesar or King Henry VIII or Napoleon.

The message of the Apostles still go out throughout the world.

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God justified David who committed adultery, cover up and murder.

"The tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ (Luke 18: 13).

Sunday of the 30th week in Ordinary Time. "O God, be merciful to me a sinner." The attitude and prayer of the Tax Collector becomes our example of the type of prayer that justifies and the prayer that is heard by God. Here is what the Church teaches on the Prayer of Humility:

"The first movement of the prayer of petition is asking forgiveness, like the tax collector in the parable: "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" It is a prerequisite for righteous and pure prayer. A trusting humility brings us back into the light of communion between the Father and his Son Jesus Christ and with one another, so that "we receive from him whatever we ask." Asking forgiveness is the prerequisite for both the Eucharistic liturgy and personal prayer." (CCC 2631).

"Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions, " (Psalm 51: 3) cried King David after his sins of adultery, cover up and murder. His prayer was heard by God and David went home justified. The Lord hears the cry of the poor and the humble.

Because of the great mercy of God, God gave the Church Baptism as the great Sacrament of Reconciliation and Regeneration. Baptism wipes out our sins and the record of our sins. Does Baptism remove concupiscence, our ingrained tendency to certain sins? It does not. What then happens to sins that are committed after Baptism? Jesus Christ gave the Church the Sacrament of Reconciliation to deal with this crisis of sin.

Those who are humble like the Tax Collector are justified by this Sacrament and enjoy the mercy and peace of God.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Starve the wolf to death.

"For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8: 2).

Saturday of the 29th week in Ordinary Time. Are you groaning from the compulsion to sin? Do you feel a secret hostility towards God? Or consider Christianity or the gentle yoke of Christ oppressive?

If your answer is Yes to any of the above questions, then you are clearly still under the yoke. You still live according to the flesh where your concerns are eating, drinking, dressing up and having a good time. By your daily choices, you reject the spirit of life and peace.

You ask: "Brother, what must I do?"
"Repent! Stop feeding the wolf. Allow it to starve to death."

Invite the Spirit of Jesus into your heart and experience the new life that is your birth right. With the Holy Spirit fully in control, you can embrace God's gracious and mysterious will in your life.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The good, the bad and the grace.

 "For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.  So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil is at hand.  For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self,  but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7: 19 - 25).

Friday of the 29th year in Ordinary Time. The Scripture verses we have for reflection may well be some of the most important in the Bible. It addresses the most agonizing problem most Christians face.

How do we free ourselves from the impulsiveness of sinful actions? How do we overcome that annoying habit of confessing the same sins over and over again? The answer given is: by the power of God's grace working through Christ Jesus. But how does this work out in practice?

I have found helpful repeating this formula again and again sometimes doing it on Rosary beads.

"JESUS I TRUST IN YOU. I SURRENDER MYSELF TO YOU. TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING."

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Christians know who you are and set the world on fire!

“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!" (Luke 12: 49).

Thursday of the 29th week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop (1807 -  1870). As Archbishop of Santiago, Cuba, he fought for social justice for the slaves. Back home in Spain, Bishop Anthony led a revival in Spain. He founded in 1849 the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, popularly known as the Clarentians.

Our key Scripture evokes the memory of St Catherine of Siena:
"Be who you are and you will set the world on fire." (St Catherine of Siena).
"I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!" (Luke 12: 49).

Do you know who you are? I mean as God sees you?  How did Jesus and the saints set the world on fire?

Not all of the saints who set the world on fire are first class brain; not all are great orators, philosophers or teachers. But all of them found out who they were created to be. They knew their creator, Redeemer and Savior. They knew they could do nothing without the Christ who promised them His strength always and everywhere.

Christian, know who you are!

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Much will be required of you because you have received much.

"Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." (Luke 12: 48).

Wednesday of the 29th week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St John Capistrano (1386 - 1456), a Franciscan friar who was a successful lawyer before he became a Franciscan priest. John brought his natural gifts as a lawyer into his preaching ministry and brought about great revivals in various countries of Eastern Europe.

Much was required of St John Capistrano because much was given to John by Jesus. Happily John delivered much and no doubt earned the greatest accolade: "Well done John. You are a good and faithful servant."
How about you? How about me, brother and sister? Consider what Jesus has given to us:
#1 Holy Spirit, the Helper
#2 The Church
#3 The word of God
#4 The Sacraments

We have a cloud of witnesses in heaven who received exactly the same gifts and perhaps less than us because every day more saints are added to the clouds.

Let us use our gifts to build up the Body of Christ and give the People of God comfort in their trials.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

How to wait for the big Moment.

“Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks." (Luke 12: 35 - 36).

Tuesday of the 29th week in Ordinary Time. Today's reflection invites us to consider: How to wait for the big moment. Everyone on earth is waiting for something. Some are kicking, waiting to be born, others are in excruciating pain waiting to die. Christians are waiting for the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ.

Whatever you may be waiting for, Jesus gives us infallible rule on how to wait successfully for anything.
"Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to stand with confidence before the Son of Man." (Luke 21: 36). You must be vigilant at all times and use prayer as a means to maintain your vigilance.

In His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus warned the three disciples who accompanied Him into the Garden that unless they are awake and pray, they will be unable to resist the temptation of the devil. We know what happened.

Maybe you are waiting for God to fulfill a promise to you. Is there an infallible rule to follow so that you do not miss your promise? Abraham and Sarah, Hannah, David teach us how to wait in an active mode. The servant who waits like this is "ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks." That servant is praised by his boss:
"Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.  And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants." (Luke 12: 37 - 38).

He who is faithful in little things will be faithful in great things. If you have mastered the principle of waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast, then you may be sure that you you can wait for the Return of Jesus.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

A Faith that empowers us...

"Abraham did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief; rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God  and was fully convinced that what he had promised he was also able to do." (Romans 4: 20 - 21).

Monday of the 29th week in Ordinary Time. The Church faces today unprecedented crisis of faith. The weakening of faith is at the root of all the problems that the Church is facing today.

Abraham did not doubt God's promises in unbelief. Imagine all the promises that Jesus makes to provide fully for all the needs of individuals, missionaries and the Church. If we are to be honest, some of us doubt these promises in unbelief. It is heart breaking to hear news of scandals with regard to Church banks and investments in the stock market. For a Church that trusts the Providence of God to provide its needs, what to make of banks, insurances and stock market investments that belong to the Church? What has Jerusalem in common with Athen?

“Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” (Luke 12: 15). Greed is the cause of hoarding. Hoarding is a sign of insecurity and weak faith.
If the Church exhibits lack of trust with regard to God's promises to provide fully for its needs, the faithful in the pew will notice this.

The love of God compels us to love our neighbor. Similarly, faith is like an engine which empowers us and propels us to fly.

Abraham who was the first man called by God to leave a pagan culture believed in the promises of God and hoped against hope that God would never fail to honor His promises. How about us? We have the Scriptures. We have the Church. We have 2000 years of Church history and we have clouds of witnesses. What more do we need to believe?

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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.

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