The Solemnity of All Saints, November 1st.

“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” (Revelation 7: 13).

Sunday 1st November 2020, 31st Week in Ordinary Time is the Solemnity of All Saints.

In the vision, the two elders asked John: “Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” The Church celebrates this Sunday the Feast of All the Saints, the countless people who have lived heroic lives on earth and survived countless persecutions for their faith. These are the Saints we honor today. They are now in Heaven enjoying the reward that Jesus Christ promised. What is Heaven? "Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness." (CCC 1024).

The Saints tell us that our experience of Heaven begins right here and now. If you are in sanctifying grace, you experience the presence of the Blessed Trinity living in you. What does this mean? You enjoy to the extent of your capacity the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit. This is what the Saints in Heaven enjoy all the time. St Catherine of Siena says that the joy of Heaven begins here and all the way to eternity.

Jesus promises that He is glorified when we honor His saints. Communion of Saints is one of the most powerful and comforting doctrines in the Church. You can have as close friends as many of the canonized saints as possible. These friend saints take your petitions to the Prince of Saints who has promised to be favorable to their intercessions on your behalf.

We celebrated the feast of St Jude, the Apostle a few days ago. St Jude is a very popular and powerful intercessor who has followers all over the world because he is the patron saint of impossible situations. The reason St Jude has millions of followers is because millions of people have experienced his beneficial intercession. St Anthony of Padua, the Franciscan is the patron saint of of lost items. St Anthony has helped me recover a precious item. Because of this, he became one of my patron saints.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Humility is the doorway to Paradise.

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14: 11).

Saturday 31st October 2020, 30th Week in Ordinary Time.

Jesus is in a dinner party and the principal guests recognized Him and were observing Him to see what He would do or say. Jesus was observing their manners. The crowd justled for recognition in order to show who is who? Jesus did not pass the opportunity to teach about humility. He teaches here that humility is a prudent virtue that will serve you well in social life.

Humility is also a key spiritual virtue to possess. St Augustine says that you can enter the Kingdom of God without chastity. You can never enter Heaven without humility.

How do we acquire humility? Many books have been written on this subject. I can only say how I try to acquire this great gift. I became conscious that people consider me not just arrogant but conceited. Very well, what do I do about this?
I decided to adopt a simple method that has worked for me in other areas. Prayer. I ask Jesus to make me humble. I pray to the humble Virgin of Nazareth to obtain this gift for me. I ask a number of my patron saints who are noted especially for their humility like St Martin de Poress to intercede for me on this. I do this every day. While I cannot boast that I am now a humble man, it doesn't bother me any more if people remind me rudely of my deficiency. I was having a heated discussion with a lady at Church recently and she said that I was very proud. I told her that the Lord Jesus knows about this very well because I talk to Him about it every day.

"Behold the maid servant of the Lord." All generations continue to call the Blessed Virgin Mary blessed.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Hail the Finisher of Good Works!

"I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1: 6).

Friday 30th October 2020, 30th week in Ordinary Time.

Our key Scripture for today is a very comforting Scripture on any day you are tempted to throw up your hands and give up. All the key resources I use for my work are acting up. First I was reminded by the Lord to consider the fact that if you are too sick to attend the Sunday Mass, you are exculpated. What can you do if you desperately want to be at work but you cannot because there is no means to go. You humble yourself and offer up the situation to God. We pray to God: "Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Grant me the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."

We need to remember often that without Jesus we can do absolutely nothing. Therefore be grateful for what He allows you to do. Be happy and confident that the good work He started in you, He will complete in the fullness of time because He is the great Finisher.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

We are in spiritual warfare. Put on the full armor.

"Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.  Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil." (Ephesians 6: 10 - 11)

Thursday 29th October 2020, 30th Week in Ordinary Time. We are in covert spiritual warfare. The first Reading today Ephesians 6: 10 - 20 should appear in the lectionary several times in the course of the year. But that is not the case.

We are constantly in spiritual warfare and Jesus promises: I Jesus promise to be your strength in proportion to the trust you place in Me.

Do you doubt the severity of the warfare? Consider a few of the great ones of this world that had been used by the Evil One and then discarded: Judas, Nero, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin. These are the high priests of Satan. The power of darkness is everywhere.  "For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens." (Ephesians 6: 12).

In another passage, St Paul elaborates on our weapon:
"For the weapons of our battle are not of flesh but are enormously powerful, capable of destroying fortresses. We destroy arguments  and every pretension raising itself against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive in obedience to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10: 4 - 5).

Our faith is our shield in this warfare for God promises that His faithful promises are our armor and protection. (Cf Psalm 91: 4).

So brothers and sisters, "Put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground." (Ephesians 6: 13).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of Saints Simon and Jude.

"Jesus departed 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).

Wednesday 28th October 2020, 30th Week in Ordinary Time is also the feast of Saints Simon and Jude who are among the 12 Apostles called by Jesus in today's Gospel. Both Apostles suffered martyrdom. St Jude is a very popular Saint. He is the patron saint of lost and impossible causes.

Jesus spent a long night of prayer and discernment before He chose the 12. Why 12 and not 9 or 13? Because Jesus was already thinking of the Church and wanted the association with the 12 tribes of Israel. But the Apostles were to be different from the 12 founding Fathers of Israel. First, they will all be drawn from the eyewitnesses who knew Jesus from His Baptism to His Ascension. Secondly, they will constitute a tight knit Apostolic College. Last but not least, there will be a system of succession for vacancies that occur as a result of death.

It is the mind of Christ, the Church He founded would be built on the foundation of Apostles and Prophets. What are the characteristics of this Church by which she can be recognized all over the world? There are four marks. As we profess every Sunday, the Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. What do these words mean?
#1 One = One faith, one Baptism, one Shepherd.
#2 Holy = The Holy Spirit that indwells the Church is the source of her holiness. The Holy Spirit continually cleanses the Bride of Christ from defilements.
#3 Catholic = Universal. Found in all the countries of the United Nations and every other place of human habitation.
#4 Apostolic = Every Bishop is directly traceable to the original 12 Apostles who were constituted in today's Gospel. Many Bishops would have their lines run through Saints Simon and Jude, our saints of today.

"Simon and Jude are the holy men
whom the Lord chose in his own perfect love; to them he gave eternal glory." (Cf Entrance Antiphon).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

You are the mustard seed.

Then Jesus said, “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." (Matthew 13: 18 - 19)

Tuesday 27th October 2020, 30th Week in Ordinary Time.

What is the mustard seed? How did the kingdom of God come into my heart? Who sowed the seed? How was it nourished? What is the state of growth of the seed? I will share my experience to illustrate the principle of the mustard seed.

The seed is the word of God. Christ Jesus is the Sower. At the point of a great need in my life, Jesus sneaked in quietly and sowed the mustard seed of His word in my heart:

“Do not fear! Stand your ground and see the victory the Lord will win for you today. For these Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again.  The Lord will fight for you; you have only to keep still.” (Exodus 14: 13 - 14).

The promise was fulfilled. I was impressed and opened my life to the Farmer. Not long after this experience, the Sower sowed what might well be the permanent seed in the garden of my heart:
"Seek First the kingdom of God and His holiness and all your needs shall be met." (Matthew 6: 33).

Jesus the Farmer watered the seed every day through prayer, the word of God, Eucharist, Penance, Spiritual Reading and Faith sharing. Through the power of grace, the mustard seed continues to grow. At first, few birds came and perched on its branches. Slowly, more birds are coming to dwell in its branches.

Brothers and sisters, you are the Mustard Seed. Do not be afraid. Trust Jesus the Farmer. He will not hurt you. He created you and knows intimately who you are, what you need and the purpose of your life on earth. His merciful love will always surround you with the most tender care.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Woman, you are set free.

“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” (Luke 13: 12).

Monday 26th October 2020, 30th Week in Ordinary Time.

Jesus observed a crippled woman, bent over and badly deformed in the Synagogue in the course of His teaching. Who is this woman? Let us try to figure out who she is:

#1 She was not embarrassed to go to the weekly service in the Synagogue despite her sorry state.
#2  She is a woman of strong faith who believes that God is her Father and loves her deeply in spite of her handicap.
#3 She believes that in His infinite power, God can bring good out of every evil.
#4 She submitted her condition to the will of God. "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done."

Is it surprising that Jesus noticed her?  “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” Jesus then laid His hands on her and she was healed at once. Notice what she did next: "She glorified God."

Signs and wonders point to the arrival of the Kingdom of God. At the time Jesus was ministering, we know that many in Israel were awaiting the manifestation of the Kingdom of God. Simeon and Anna in the incident of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple were some of the people expecting the coming of the Messiah.

How about us? The Messiah Jesus is with us. He is Emmanuel. He is truly present in the Holy Eucharist. He is present in the Blessed Sacrament in unique and very real manner. Thirdly, He is present in you and me in the Sacrament of the Present Moment. How is He working in us? Every single comfort, every mercy, every breakthrough you experience in life is from Jesus. Like the crippled woman in our Scripture today, glorify God and give Him thanks when you experience favor in your life. Do not delay in enjoying the benefits of the Emmanuel, the God who is always with you.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Do not molest the widow, orphan and immigrant.

“You shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. You shall not wrong any widow or orphan." (Exodus 22: 20).

Sunday 25th October 2020, 30th Week in Ordinary Time.

In the Gospel for this Sunday from Matthew 22: 34 - 40, the Pharisees asked Jesus which commandment is the greatest. Jesus went beyond their narrow standard in His answer:  "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22: 37 - 40).

In our key Scripture for today from Exodus 22: 20 - 26, we read of the magna carta of love of neighbor: the poor, the weak, the sick, the homeless, the hungry. All these are represented by the  immigrants, orphans and widows. God commands: Do not oppress or molest them. To oppress or molest them is to break all the laws in the Decalogue.

If we consider this law oppressive, then God reminds us: "You were once aliens residing in the land of Egypt." Right? What is the incontestable reason for pardoning someone who has offended you? You were forgiven a debt of $10 million. Can't you forgive someone who owes you $500?

Our Father in Heaven, increase our faith, hope and love. Make us love the immigrants, the orphans and widows as You command us,
so that we may merit what you promise.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Anthony Mary Claret

“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?  By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!" (Luke 13: 2 - 3).

Saturday 24th October 2020, 29th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Anthony Mary Claret (1807 - 1870). Spanish missionary and Archbishop of Santiago, Cuba. He founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Claretians).

St Anthony Mary Claret was no stranger to the type of cruelty Pilate perpetrated on the Jews in the Gospel Reading for today's Liturgy. The Jews reported to Jesus how Pontius Pilate massacred the Jews inside the Temple. They expected great sympathy from Jesus but He said:

“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?  By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!  Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?  By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” (Luke 13: 2 - 5).

Jesus took the opportunity of this encounter with the Jews to teach a necessary lesson to them and to us: We must always be READY to die any moment.  Death can come suddenly without warning like a thief in the night.

How do we prepare ourselves for sudden and unexpected death?
#1 Constant prayer is the best and perhaps the only means of vigilance. St Alphonsus Liguori says that he who prays is saved. He who does not pray is lost.

Added to prayer as a means of vigilance is daily word of God and Sacrament of Reconciliation. Since one may not be able to partake of the Sacrament of Reconciliation daily, the daily examination of conscience is a necessity. 1 Corinthians 13: 4 - 7 is a short Examen one can use every day.

To learn more about the Examination of Conscience, click the link below:

http://seekfirstcommunity.com/2020/09/a-good-examination-of-conscience.html

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Feast of St John Capistrano.

"You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?" (Luke 12: 56).

Friday 23rd October 2020, 29th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St John Capistrano.  (1386 -1456). Italian Franciscan Priest. His charismatic preaching brought about great revival in the countries of Eastern Europe. John was one of the few clerics in history who led an army into battle. He did so to defend Europe against the menacing advances of the Turks.

Jesus implies in His blunt remarks to the crowd in our key Scripture from the Gospel of today that they should know how to interpret the signs of the times. It is easy to tell if there will be rain or snow. Is it easy to know with any certainty what the pandemics mean for us?
Why is it happening?
When will it end?
Are we going to survive it?
How many people will perish?
What shall we do to help ourselves?

All these are grave questions that impact the signs of the times. If Jesus says we know the answers to these questions, I believe Jesus knows what He is talking about. Where do we begin the search? His word. The Bible. The word of God contains all the mysteries and answers that relate to our life and salvation.
Jesus says that it is the gracious and mysterious will of the Father to reveal these mysteries to the childlike.

Two Scriptures may give us a clue:
#1 The Lord's Prayer: (Matthew 6: 9 - 13).
#2 SeekFirst (Matthew 6: 33 - 34).

If you want to learn more about the Lord's Prayer and how to use to discern the signs of the times, click the link below:

http://seekfirstcommunity.com/2020/10/meditation-on-our-father.html?m=1

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Meditation on Our Father

Meditation on:  OUR FATHER / THE LORD’S PRAYER:

#1.  I cannot say OUR, if my religion has no room for others and their needs.

#2.  I cannot say FATHER, if I do not demonstrate this relationship in daily living.

#3. I cannot say WHO IS IN HEAVEN, if all my interests and pursuits are in earthly things.

#4.  I cannot say HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME, if I, who is called by His name, am not holy. 

#5.  I cannot say YOUR KINGDOM COME, if I am unwilling to give up my own sovereignty and accept the righteous reign of God. 

#6.  I cannot say YOUR WILL BE DONE, if I am unwilling or resentful of having it in my life. [Embrace Your gracious and mysterious will in everything, always and everywhere.] 

#7.  I cannot say ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, unless I am truly ready to give myself to His service here and now.  [SeekFirst the Kingdom: Matthew 6: 33]. 

#8.  I cannot say GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD, without expending an honest effort for it or by ignoring the genuine needs of those around me. 

#9.  I cannot say FORGIVE ME MY SINS AS I FORGIVE THOSE THAT SIN AGAINST ME, if I continue to harbor a grudge against anyone. 

#10.  I cannot say LEAD ME NOT INTO TEMPTATION, if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation where I am likely to be tempted. 

#11.  I cannot say DELIVER US FROM EVIL, if I am not prepared to fight in the spiritual realm with the weapon of prayer. 

#12.  I cannot say YOURS IS THE KINGDOM, if I do not give the King the disciplined obedience of a royal subject. 

#13. I cannot say YOURS IS THE POWER, if I fear what my friends and neighbors might say, think, or do. 

#14.  I cannot say FOREVER, if I am too anxious about each day's affairs. 

#15.  I cannot say AMEN, unless I honestly say "Cost what it may, this is my prayer!" 

(Adapted from the OUR FATHER from Father Paul, OFM.) 

COLLECT PRAYER:

O God, from whom all good things come, grant that we, who call on you in our need,

may at your prompting discern what is right, and by your guidance do it.

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.

🙏🙏🙏

A letter to Proba by St Augustine: On the Lord's Prayer 

We need to use words so that we may remind ourselves to consider carefully what we are asking, not so that we may think we can instruct the Lord or prevail on him.

    Thus, when we say: Hallowed be your name, we are reminding ourselves to desire that his name, which in fact is always holy, should also be considered holy among men. I mean that it should not be held in contempt. But this is a help for men, not for God.

    And as for our saying: Your kingdom come, it will surely come whether we will it or not. But we are stirring up our desires for the kingdom so that it can come to us and we can deserve to reign there.

    When we say: Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are asking him to make us obedient so that his will may be done in us as it is done in heaven by his angels.

    When we say: Give us this day our daily bread, in saying this day we mean “in this world.” Here we ask for a sufficiency by specifying the most important part of it; that is, we use the word “bread” to stand for everything. Or else we are asking for the sacrament of the faithful, which is necessary in this world, not to gain temporal happiness but to gain the happiness that is everlasting.

    When we say: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, we are reminding ourselves of what we must ask and what we must do in order to be worthy in turn to receive.

    When we say: Lead us not into temptation, we are reminding ourselves to ask that his help may not depart from us; otherwise we could be seduced and consent to some temptation, or despair and yield to it.

    When we say: Deliver us from evil, we are reminding ourselves to reflect on the fact that we do not yet enjoy the state of blessedness in which we shall suffer no evil. This is the final petition contained in the Lord’s Prayer, and it has a wide application. In this petition the Christian can utter his cries of sorrow, in it he can shed his tears, and through it he can begin, continue and conclude his prayer, whatever the distress in which he finds himself. Yes, it was very appropriate that all these truths should be entrusted to us to remember in these very words.

    Whatever be the other words we may prefer to say (words which the one praying chooses so that his disposition may become clearer to himself or which he simply adopts so that his disposition may be intensified), we say nothing that is not contained in the Lord’s Prayer, provided of course we are praying in a correct and proper way. But if anyone says something which is incompatible with this prayer of the Gospel, he is praying in the flesh, even if he is not praying sinfully. And yet I do not know how this could be termed anything but sinful, since those who are born again through the Spirit ought to pray only in the Spirit.

🙏🙏🙏

A letter to Proba by St Augustine 2

Let us exercise our desire in prayer:

Why in our fear of not praying as we should, do we turn to so many things, to find what we should pray for? Why do we not say instead, in the words of the psalm: I have asked one thing from the Lord, this is what I will seek: to dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, to see the graciousness of the Lord, and to visit his temple? There, the days do not come and go in succession, and the beginning of one day does not mean the end of another; all days are one, simultaneously and without end, and the life lived out in these days has itself no end.

    So that we might obtain this life of happiness, he who is true life itself taught us to pray, not in many words as though speaking longer could gain us a hearing. After all, we pray to one who, as the Lord himself tells us, knows what we need before we ask for it.

    Why he should ask us to pray, when he knows what we need before we ask him, may perplex us if we do not realise that our Lord and God does not want to know what we want (for he cannot fail to know it), but wants us rather to exercise our desire through our prayers, so that we may be able to receive what he is preparing to give us. His gift is very great indeed, but our capacity is too small and limited to receive it. That is why we are told: Enlarge your desires, do not bear the yoke with unbelievers.

    The deeper our faith, the stronger our hope, the greater our desire, the larger will be our capacity to receive that gift, which is very great indeed. No eye has seen it; it has no colour. No ear has heard it; it has no sound. It has not entered man’s heart; man’s heart must enter into it.

    In this faith, hope and love we pray always with unwearied desire. However, at set times and seasons we also pray to God in words, so that by these signs we may instruct ourselves and mark the progress we have made in our desire, and spur ourselves on to deepen it. The more fervent the desire, the more worthy will be its fruit. When the Apostle tells us: Pray without ceasing, he means this: Desire unceasingly that life of happiness which is nothing if not eternal, and ask it of him who alone is able to give it.

🙏🙏🙏

Responsory 1

℟. When you seek me, you shall find me – if you search with all your heart.* If you pray to me, I will listen to you.

℣. I know the plans I have in mind for you – plans for peace, not disaster, reserving a future full of hope for you.* If you pray to me, I will listen to you.

🙏🙏🙏

Responsory 2

℟. Ask and you will receive;* for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

℣. The Lord is near to all who call upon him, who call upon him from their hearts;* for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St John Paul II.

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

Thursday 22nd October 2020, 29th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of Pope St John Paul II (1920 - 2005). Polish. First non-Italian Pope in 455 years. Accomplished writer. Traveled all over the world to promote human brotherhood. His enduring legacy is the Catechism of the Catholic Church which he promulgated in 1992.

Some people think that the Gospel of today from Luke 12: 49 - 53 is a hyperbole, that is, great exaggeration. Do you think so? Then look at a Crucifix. Is Jesus nailed to the Cross wearing a crown of thorns a hyperbole?

Jesus proclaimed: "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!" Jesus said in another passage that the purpose of His life is to proclaim the truth. If you belong to the truth, you will listen to His voice, He further said. If you do not belong to the truth, you will oppose Him.

Falsehood always opposes the truth. Cain murdered Abel. Esau hated his brother Jacob and would have killed him if he had the opportunity. The brothers of Joseph sold him into slavery. Judas, intimate companion of Jesus betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver. This tug of War still plays out relentlessly in families everywhere. Do not be afraid of those who oppose you because you have responded to the call of Jesus. Be rather afraid of failing to acknowledge Jesus before men. Jesus wants us to love our families and friends but never make idols of them.

Do you remember how David slew Goliath? Now see what weapons God has given us for the inevitable struggle of the present time:
"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10: 4 - 5).

Our God is a consuming fire!

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com

Much will be required of the person entrusted with 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 21st October 2020, 29th Week in Ordinary Time.

In today's Gospel Reading, Jesus ended His teaching on the need to be prepared at all times for His sudden and unannounced coming with a curious ending:
"Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more."

Why did Jesus end His teaching thus? Perhaps because the irresponsible servants in the story may not even be aware of their gifts  and responsibilities. Are you aware of your gifts as a Christian? As a Catholic Christian with the fullness of faith? As Catholic Christians, we enjoy the fullness of the content of Revelation or the fullness of truth that God offers the world for the sake of our salvation. No other church or ecclesiastical community enjoy 100 % of the fullness of faith. Only the Catholic Church claims this from the beginning of her life.

If you do not know your gifts, tools and responsibilities, how can you be expected to be faithful to your assignment? Jesus will not accept ignorance as an excuse. If you do not know your master's will, you will still be "beaten lightly."

We have been given a lot. We have been given the Seven Sacraments, and the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit. If you want to learn more about these topics, click the link below:

http://seekfirstcommunity.com/2020/10/gifts-fruits-of-holy-spirit-and.html?m=1

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Gifts, Fruits of The Holy Spirit and Sacraments

There are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony."

Sacraments of Christian Initiation:

BAPTISM + CONFIRMATION  +   +EUCHARIST

Sacraments of Healing:

PENANCE + RECONCILIATION   + ANOINTING OF THE SICK

Sacraments of Service:

MATRIMONY +  HOLY ORDERS

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

What are the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit? (CCC #1831)

The 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit are: (CCC #1831)

1. Wisdom

2. Understanding

3. Counsel

4. Fortitude

5. Knowledge

6. Piety

7. Fear of the Lord

What are the 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit? (CCC #1832)

The 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit are:

1. Charity

2. Joy

3. Peace

4. Patience

5. Kindness

6. Goodness

7. Generosity

8. Gentleness

9. Faithfulness

10. Modesty

11. Self-control

12. Chastity

Seekfirstcommunity.com 

Feast of St Paul of the Cross.

“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 20th October 2020, 29th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Paul of the Cross. (1694 - 1775). Italian. Priest, mystic, Founder of the Passionists. The charism of St Paul of the Cross is a profound understanding of the mystery of the Cross and translating this understanding into a plan of life.

In our key Scripture for today, Jesus urges His followers to be ready and prepared for His Second and sudden Coming. That Coming will most likely be delayed. The hint to this is many in the Gospels. The warning is clear. Do not be asleep and foolish. Do not think: The Lord has not returned for 2000 years. We have more than sufficient time to put our houses in order before Jesus returns.

How do we gird our loins and light our lamps to await our master’s return? The answer is Prayer. Prayer is the means of vigilance. Prayer is a vital necessity for this reason and others. In His Agony in the Garden, Jesus told His disciples "Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation." Why? Because while their spirit is willing, experience shows that their flesh will succeed in dragging down their spirit. The remedy is: Prayer. Prayer. Prayer.

St Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop, Founder of the Redemptorists and Doctor of the Church has this to say on Prayer:
"Were you to ask what are the means of overcoming temptations, I would answer: The first means is prayer; the second is prayer; the third is prayer; and should you ask me a thousand times, I would repeat the same." (St Alphonsus Liguori).

Jesus declared blessed all those who are vigilant and wait for Him. Their reward will be huge and unbelievable.

"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." (Luke 12: 37).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and companions.

"Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”  (Luke 12: 19).

Monday 19th October 2020, 29th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of the North American Martyrs: John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and companions. All French and all of the Society of Jesus. 8 in all, 6 priests and 2 brothers. They labored day and night under harsh conditions with almost the certainty of martyrdom to bring Jesus Christ to the Native Americans.

Our key Scripture for today is the self congratulatory words of the foolish rich man whose land produced abundant harvest. He did not give thanks to God. He did not share his bounty with the poor.  He received a jolting message from God who is our Divine Providence:

"You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?" (Luke 12: 20).

From the beginning of salvation history, God has taught man to trust in Him for all his needs. Below are a few relevant Scriptures:

#1. Gather the manna you need for one day.  The next day, "I the Lord Your God will supply fresh manna for the new day." (Cf Exodus 16: 21 - 35).
Hoarding is idolatry. Deal with your insecurity with prayer.

#2. "Give us today the food we need."  (Matthew 6: 11).
God who is our Providence knows exactly what we need and when we need it.

#3.  "Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."  (Matthew 6 : 34).
God says: My Name is: I AM. My Name is not I WAS. My Name is not I WILL BE.
Learn from God's Name that He is always Emmanuel, God with you always. He is in control everywhere, in everything and always. Do not be fooled by what you consider accidents or coincidences.

Jesus promises that if we seek first the kingdom of God and His holiness, God who knows what we need and when we need it will never fail to provide adequately for us.

Do not allow wealth to be a snare for you.  Rather make your wealth the trusting of God's promises. God wants His faithful promises to be our protection and armor in every situation. (Cf Psalm 94: 4). Not even a single one of them has failed.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

What belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God.

“So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”  (Matthew 22: 21).

Sunday 18th October 2020, 29th Week in Ordinary Time is Mission Sunday 2020.

The Church world-wide celebrates Mission Sunday today. The Gospel for today reminds us of the existence of two kingdoms living side by side. There is the Kingdom of God whose seed on earth is the Church. There is also the kingdom of Caesar with its goals and methods often contrary to the mission of the Church.

The Pharisees ask Jesus whether they should pay tax to the government or not. Where should our loyalty be? Jesus used the trick question to teach us a vital lesson. Yes we owe the government lawful taxes. But as for the kingdom of God, we must seek it first and its righteousness. If we do this, everything will fall into place. The taxes to Caesar, our daily bread and all we need will be guaranteed, Jesus promises. (Cf Matthew 6: 33).

Mission Sunday celebrates the truth that the Church exists to evangelize. The Church is missionary in its deepest nature. How missionary are you in your thoughts and prayers? St Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower never stepped out of her convent, yet she is the patron saint of missionaries. How? She carried the mission fields and work in her thoughts and prayers. She taught that prayers could be a vital contribution to the mission. We all can pray for the missions. We all can make some financial contributions from time to time towards mission work.

Be missionary.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Ignatius of Antioch, Father of the Church.

"I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.  But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God." (Luke 12: 8 - 9).

Saturday 17th October 2020, 28th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of a giant of our faith: St Ignatius of Antioch. (+ 107). Syrian. Bishop and Martyr. Ordained Bishop by St Peter himself. Father of the Church. Ground to pieces by wild beasts under the persecution of Emperor Trajan.

Why is St Ignatius of Antioch so revered by the Church? To be ordained Bishop by the Apostle Peter is a big deal. But there are other reasons. During his journey from Antioch to Rome under heavy armed guards, Ignatius composed 7 extraordinary letters. These letters are the earliest authoritative teaching on the Eucharist, the hierarchy of the Church, etc. I was shocked to watch a prominent Evangelical pastor, Dr X last week declare on Christian television that it is God's will for the fragmentation of the Church and the existence of over 60,000 churches. Does he know about St Ignatius of Antioch and these 7 letters?

Ignatius was grounded by the iron teeth of wild beasts because He acknowledged Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior before Emperor Trajan. Jesus made another big promise in today's Gospel Reading of which I can bear witness in my experience:

"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).
My personal favorite title for the Holy Spirit because of experience of the fulfillment of this promise is: The Voice that Speaks in Court. The Holy Spirit has enabled me speak with wisdom and courage when I needed it most.

Below is St Ignatius of Antioch in his own words:

“Let me be food for the wild beasts for they are my way to God. I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God.” (St Ignatius of Antioch).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Margaret Mary Alacoque, the Visionary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.  Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows." (Luke 12: 6 - 7).

Friday 16th October 2020, 28th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647 - 1690). St Margaret is the French Visitation Nun that brought the world the private revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Today is also the feast of St Hedwig (1173 - 1243). Wife of the Duke of Poland and mother of 7 children. After the death of her husband, Hedwig took the habit of a Nun and lived the rest of her life in a Cistercian monastery that she and her late husband had founded.

Our key Scripture for today has very important consoling message. If you are prone to worry, make many copies of it and place them in your bedroom, restroom, kitchen, etc. Glance at the healing message from time to time during the day and night. In 60 days, you will begin to experience peace, joy and contentment and a lessening of anxieties, fears and worries. Such is the power of the word of God applied daily with faith and purpose.

The saints we celebrate today overcame the handicap of fear, worry and doubt by trusting completely the promises of Jesus like the one we have today from Luke 12: 6 - 7.

Below is a quote from St Margaret Mary Alacoque. She shares her secret of peace, joy, contentment and tranquility.

"Rely entirely on God with perfect confidence in his goodness, which never forsakes those who, distrusting themselves, hope in him. Do not be afraid to abandon yourself unreservedly to his loving Providence, for a child cannot perish in the arms of a Father who is omnipotent." (St Margaret Mary Alacoque).

For the Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the 12 Promises of Jesus to those who show devotion to His Sacred Heart which Jesus authorized Margaret Mary to make public, click the link below:

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

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

The Feast of St Teresa of Avila

"Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.” (Luke 11: 52).

Thursday 15th October 2020, 28th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of a great woman: St Teresa of Jesus, popularly known as St Teresa of Avila. (1515 - 1582). Spanish Carmelite and great Reformer. She was a mystic and great spiritual writer. She is one of the four women to be proclaimed Doctor of the Church.

What do you make of our key Scripture for today with regard to St Teresa whose feast we celebrate today? Coincidence or prophetic? There are so many doctors or scholars of the law in the Church but there are only 35 Doctors of the Church. What is the difference? Look at the life and work of St Teresa of Avila and compare it to the academic doctors of theology in the Church you know.

The teaching of Teresa aims at bringing you to Jesus. She wants you to know Jesus more, so that you can love Him and serve Him more. Teresa and other Doctors of the Church are deeply interested in your eternal destiny. The academic doctors of theology are often speculative and not explicit of their intentions to evangelize. This is why the scholars of the law did not take the criticism of Jesus lightly:
"When he [Jesus] left [after criticizing them], the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things, for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say." (Luke 11: 53 - 54].

Here is one of the great maxims of St Teresa of Avila. I read it every morning so that the truth will penetrate my soul:

"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).

St Teresa of Avila pray for us.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com