"The statutes of the Lord are true,
all of them just;
More desirable than gold, than a hoard of purest gold,
Sweeter also than honey or drippings from the comb.
By them your servant is warned;
obeying them brings much reward." (Psalm 19: 10 - 12).

Sunday 22nd January 2023 of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time is the Word of God Sunday.

Below is the way Pope Francis suggests we observe the Word of God Sunday:

*1. Enthrone the sacred text.*
*2. Highlight the proclamation of the Word of the Lord.*
*3. Emphasise the honour due to the word of God in the homily* .
*4. Celebrate the Rite of Installation of Lectors or a commissioning of Readers.*
*5. Provide training for Readers.*
*6. Give a Bible, or one of its books, to everyone.*
*7. Encourage people to read and pray with Scripture daily,* *especially through the practice of Lectio Divina.

I rejoiced when Pope Francis established the Word of God Sunday in 2019 to be celebrated on the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. I love Sacred Scripture and Sacred Scripture has loved me back. It has given me joy, peace, hope and wisdom. On the 18th of January 2023, I clocked 6000 reflections on Daily Mass Scripture. Thank You Holy Spirit.

I celebrate the Word of God Sunday with the Responsorial Psalm 27 in today's Liturgy. Why? Because of the incredible promises in this Psalm 27. As mentioned above, Scripture has been good to me and on my part, I am greedy for all God's promises in Sacred Scriptures.

The Responsorial Psalm 27:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation;whom should I fear?
The Lord is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?

"One thing I ask of the Lord;
this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord and contemplate his temple.

"I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord."

If you can wait for the Lord for the fullness of time, you will enjoy every one of the promises the inspired you to appropriate and pray for.

Happy Word of God Sunday to all our readers.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

"Everything that the priesthood of the Old Covenant prefigured finds its fulfillment in Christ Jesus, the "one mediator between God and men." The Christian tradition considers Melchizedek, "priest of God Most High," as a prefiguration of the priesthood of Christ, the unique "high priest after the order of Melchizedek"; "holy, blameless, unstained," "by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified," that is, by the unique sacrifice of the cross." (CCC 1544).

"Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High,
met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings
and blessed him.

"And Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything.
His name first means righteous king, and he was also "king of Salem," that is, king of peace.
Without father, mother, or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life, thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

"It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up after the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become so, not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descentbut by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.
For it is testified:

"You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 7: 1 - 3, 15 - 17).

Wednesday January 18th in the 2nd week of the Ordinary Time.

Our choice of Scripture is from the first Reading: Hebrews 7: 1 - 3, 15 - 17.

1. Who is Melchizedek, the chief character in the narrative?
2. What is the purpose of the sacred Priesthood?
3. What is the Priesthood of All Believers?
4. What is the ministerial Priesthood?
5. Why is Melchizedek a type of Jesus Christ?
6. Why is Jesus Christ the perfect Priest? A Priest, a Victim and the Altar of Sacrifice?

Brethren, there is so much meat in today's Scripture. Ask the Holy Spirit for light and guidance as you ruminate on the questions above.

You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

"Do not worry over things that generate preoccupation, derangement and anxiety. One thing only is necessary: to lift up your spirit and love God." (St Padre Pio).

"Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” (Mark 3: 20 - 21)

Saturday 21st January 2023 in the 2nd Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Agnes (+ 304). Virgin and Martyr. Agnes who made a private vow of chastity to Jesus Christ resisted the attempt to force her into marriage. She was martyred at the age of 13. St Agnes is the patron saint of young girls and purity.

When we suffer with Christ, we can then shout with joy when His glory is revealed. No birth pang, no joy of nursing. No trials, no triumph. No cross, no crown.
St Agnes whose feast is today suffered deprivation and martyrdom for the sake of Christ. Today she is enjoying her crown and glory in heaven. Her life is still remembered and celebrated throughout the world. Many churches and schools are named after her.
Our Gospel of today gives us a peek into Jesus very busy ministry: teaching, feeding His hungry followers, healing the sick and casting out demons. The demand on His time and energy is relentless. His relatives had little sympathy for His work routine and
when they heard that the crowd made it impossible for Jesus and His disciples to eat, "they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

Do you know that one of the greatest obstacles to following Jesus is: "What will the family say about me? What will the neighbors and colleagues think of me?" They may think that personal failure has driven you into religion, or something worse. Does it really matter what they think?

If you have never met the reproach of walking with and standing up to your faith, then you are a novice. Jesus Christ experienced it. He is the Way, the Truth and Life. What he experienced, be prepared. It might come to you one way or another, sooner or later.

St Padre Pio faced all types of trials as a priest. The numerous spiritual warfare he fought and won helped him to develop immense wisdom. He is still healing and helping many of his clients from Heaven.
“Have courage and do not fear the assaults of the Devil. Remember this forever; it is a healthy sign if the devil shouts and roars around your conscience, since this shows that he is not inside your will.” (St Padre Pio).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

“The illusions of this world soon vanish, especially if a man arms himself with the Sign of the Cross.
The devils tremble at the Sign of the Cross of our Lord, by which He triumphed over and disarmed them.” (St Anthony the Abbot).

"Brothers and sisters: God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones.

"We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of hope until the end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises.

"When God made the promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, and said, I will indeed bless you and multiply you. And so, after patient waiting, Abraham obtained the promise. Now, men swear by someone greater than themselves; for them an oath serves as a guarantee and puts an end to all argument.

"So when God wanted to give the heirs of his promise an even clearer demonstration of the immutability of his purpose, he intervened with an oath, so that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to hold fast to the hope that lies before us.

"This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil, where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner, becoming high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 6: 10 - 20).

Tuesday 17 January 2023 of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Anthony, Abbot (251 - 356). Also called St Anthony the Great, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Hermit, Anthony of Egypt.

Anthony inherited vast wealth from his parents who died when he was about 20 years old.
It is said that Anthony
"On his way to church one day, he found himself thinking about the words of Jesus, where He said, "Sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and come follow me." When he got to church, he heard the preacher speaking on those very words. He took this as a message from God for him, so having provided for the care of his sister, he gave his land to the tenants who lived on it, and gave his other wealth to the poor, and became a hermit, living alone for twenty years, praying and reading, and doing manual labor."
St Anthony is called the Father of Monasticism. He died at the age of 105.

Our key Scripture for today is from Hebrews 6: 10 - 20. I am lifted up by how God nourishes us through the Scriptures. As part of the penitential part of the Liturgy, the priest may say to God: "You give us the consolation of the Scriptures. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy..."

Today God is giving us plenty of consolation from holy Scriptures. An example:

"Brothers and sisters: God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones."

God will never forget any of your prayers or sacrifices on His behalf. Rejoice! Rejoice!

"This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil, where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner, becoming high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

St Anthony the Abbot pray for us.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com