"HE WHO SHUTS HIS EAR TO THE CRY OF THE POOR WILL HIMSELF CALL AND NOT BE HEARD." (PROVERBS 21: 13).

"The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” (Luke 8: 19 - 21).

Tuesday 20th September 2022 of the 25th Week  Ordinary Time is the feast of St Andrew Kim Taegon, priest and martyr and Paul Chong Hasang, catechist and 130 Korean martyrs. They all gave their lives to Christ between 1839 and 1867. Among the martyrs were priests and laity and a full representative of the Church in Korea from all backgrounds.

We celebrate today the witness of the martyrs of Korea to the truth that the message of Jesus of mercy, peace and promise of eternal life can resound in every heart in the world. A Korean traveler in China heard the Good News in that country. He returned home to Korea with tracts of the Catechism. He brought the light of the faith to Korea.

In the Gospel of today, we hear:
“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it." Is this true? Let us check the experience and history of Christianity.

The saints hear the word of God and act on it. The saints are doers of the word and not just hearers. This is why they are saints and according to the word of the Way, the Captain of our faith are His "mother and brothers."

A lamp is lit to be placed on a lampstand.

Our saints of today Saints Andrew Kim Taegon and Paul Chong Taegon Hasang and their companion Korean martys heard the message of Jesus Christ and believed it. Not just believed it to be true, they acted on it. The proof of how much they believed the Good News and craved for the promises is that they sacrificed their lives for the Truth.

"The Korean Church is unique because it was founded entirely by laypeople. This fledgling Church, so young and yet so strong in faith, withstood wave after wave of fierce persecution. Thus, in less than a century, it could boast 10,000 martyrs. The years 1791, 1801, 1827, 1839, 1846, and 1866 are forever signed with the holy blood of your martyrs and engraved in your hearts." (Pope St John Paul II).

Consider this astonishing fact about the faith and the courage of this Korean martyrs. They lacked the infrastructure of faith that we take for granted. In the city where I live, there are about six Catholic Churches within within twenty kilometers radius my home. The Churches are well connected by a network of good roads, bus and train services and mobile internet towers.
Go to any of these churches on Sunday and you will never see every seat occupied. Go on a week day, you find few people.

What is wrong? Are we losing the faith? How come it that we have grown so lukewarm about the promises and excitement of the Gospel?

"Christianity came to Korea through Christian books which had been brought across the border from China. In 1784 the small community of Koreans who had been converted through what they read in the books sent one of their own to Beijing to receive baptism."

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

"WHOEVER FINDS GOD, FINDS EVERYTHING; WHOEVER LOSES GOD LOSES EVERYTHING." (ST ROBERT BELLARMINE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH).

“When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.

“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold.”

"After saying this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”." (Luke 8: 5......14).

Saturday 17th September 2022 of the 24th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Robert Bellarmine of the Society of Jesus. (1542 - 1620). Italian. Bishop, Cardinal, Apologist and Patron Saint of Catechists.

Robert Bellarmine resided in Rome during most of his work life. The poor of Rome came to know him well and called him "the new poor one," reminiscent of St Francis of Assisi, the original poor man of Assisi. Bellarmine shared his table regularly with the poor of the city of Rome.

Bellarmine was the nephew of Pope Marcellus II.  St Robert Bellarmine was a renowned scholar, a great apologist and contributed immensely to the Council of Trent and the reforms mandated by the Council.
In spite of all these encomiums, Bellarmine could say with Paul:
"By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective."

September 17th is also the feast of Hildegard of Bingen: (1098 - 1179). German. Benedictine. Virgin and Doctor of the Church. The incredibly talented Hildegard wore many hats: Mother superior, theologian, teacher and preacher, scientist, gynecologist, musician, etc. St Hildegard is the patron saint of musicians and writers.

Did you guess that the Sower in the Gospel for today (Luke 8: 4 - 15) is Jesus the Farmer? The seed is the word of God.
The seed that fell among thorns may be likened to those living today in western societies. Unbridled affluence and materialism have eroded the faith of Our Fathers. People hear the Pearl of the Gospel: "Seek first the kingdom of God and holiness of life above every other thing and all your needs shall be met. Stop worrying about tomorrow which you cannot control. Trust firmly in my Divine All Powerful Providence. (Cf Matthew 6: 33 - 34). We hear the word and prefer to be hearers only and not doers of the word.

Our ever merciful Savior continues to sow the word every day through the Sacred Scriptures, teachings from Sacred Tradition and Magisterium. But you too, you are a sower of the word whether you are a teacher, catechist, evangelist, nurse, housewife, politician, gabage collector, etc. Whatever you are or do, the Lord has entrusted you to partner with Him to transform the world today. How do you respond?

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com

"YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. ONCE AGAIN, "OF THE WORLD"; NOT OF ONE NATION OR TWENTY CITIES, BUT OF THE WHOLE WORLD....." (ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH).

"Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.

"Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away." (Luke 8: 16 - 18).

Monday 19th September 2022 of the 25th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Januarius. (+ 305). Italian. Bishop and Martyr under Emperor Diocletian. His dried blood liquufies miraculously several times a year. Even science and agnostics are confounded by this. Jesus our Savior still presents believers more than sufficient proofs like the liquification of the the blood of Januarius to strengthen their faith.

A lamp is lit to be placed on a lampstand. The light here in the teaching of Jesus in the Gospel for today represents the precious word of God planted in our heart.

Examples of those who spread the light:
1. Mary heard the word of God and hastened with it to Elizabeth.
2. Anna the Prophetess saw the light at the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and became an evangelist spreading the message to everyone she meets from that point.
3. Philip met the Light and heard Him speak and hurried off to share the Good News with Bartholomew.
4. Saints Francis of Assisi, Dominic, Ignatius, Teresa of Kolkata heard and saw the Light. They founded religious orders which continue to spread the word throughout the world.

Jesus says that there are dire consequences for hiding our talent.
"Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

Use your light or lose it!

"I have chosen you to live in My friendship. Let Me respond, as I see fit, to all your heart’s desires. In what I will give you, there is no bitterness, no poison, no deception—I will give you only My light, My truth, My sweetness, My love, and a participation in all My states and in all My mysteries. I will take you into the innermost sanctuary of My Heart where I adore My Father as His eternal priest, and offer myself to Him as a perpetual victim of love."  (IN SINU JESU, Tuesday, January 8, 2008).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com

"THE SOULS OF THE SAINTS ARE REJOICING IN HEAVEN, THE SAINTS WHO FOLLOWED THE FOOTSTEPS OF CHRIST..." (ENTRANCE ANTIPHON).

"Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.

"Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources." (Luke 8: 1 - 3).

Friday 16th September 2022 of the 24th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Cornelius. Pope. Martyred under Emperor Gallus in 253. We also honor today St Cyprian. Bishop and Martyr. Cyprian from Carthage (modern Tunisia) was martyred in 258 under Emperor Valerian.

The two saints we honor today were acquainted with one another. They lived under one of the most severe persecutions of the Church. Tens of thousands were martyred. Rome was determined to stamp out once and for all Christianity in the empire. Many Christians did not have the courage to face martyrdom. So they denied Jesus in order to preserve their lives. When the violent persecution abated, those Christians who denied Jesus wanted to be received back into the Church.  Some Bishops said Yes. Other Bishops refused them a second chance. The controversy nearly split the Church asunder.

Pope Cornelius wanted the Christians who apostasized to confess their sins and do appropriate penance and be allowed to rejoin the Church. Many Bishops opposed him.

St Cyprian from the powerful African Church in Carthage came to his support. Their side won and schism was prevented.

In the Prayer over the Gifts, the Church affirmed that the Eucharist gave Saints Cornelius and Cyprian the courage to offer their lives for Christ. The same Eucharist can keep us faithful in all our trials, the Church prays. If you can receive the Eucharist more than once a week and do not do so, how can you justify your abstinence from such a Gift?

In the Gospel of today, we see that
women who benefited from the ministry of Jesus provided for His needs and those of His disciples. They provided for them "out of their means." The widow of Zarephath provided for Elijah out of her meagre resources. God blessed this source and it never dried up.

This incidence is typical of God's arrangement for providing the future disciples of Christ. In the Old Testament, we see many instances of God providing for His servants through people. This principle was established with the levitical priesthood. Elisha, the prophet was likewise provided for by a couple in the course of his work. In the New Testament, we find abundant examples from the works of the Twelve and St Paul.

What are the lessons for us? God makes adequate provisions for the needs of those who preach the gospel. God prefers a situation of weakness and dependence for His servants so that His wisdom and power can triumph through their work. God infact wants His collaborators in the work of salvation to imitate the simplicity of Jesus Christ. He appoints people to supply the needs of His workers.

How do the disciples of Christ today appropriate God's blessings and provisions for them? First, they must be aware of these provisions in the Bible. They must understand what God's word or promise is saying to their particular situation. Disciples of Jesus must believe his word and act on this word.  Prayer, trust and obedience activate the power of the word.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com