"INDEED THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST RUNS THE RISK OF BEING DISBELIEVED PRECISELY BECAUSE IT IS SO INCREDIBLY WONDERFUL." - (ST CYRIL, PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA).
EXACTLY. SO IS THE MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST. TOO WONDERFUL TO BE BELIEVED BY PEOPLE OF WEAK FAITH.

"When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other shore. A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.” (Matthew 8: 18  - 22).

Monday 27th June 2022, in the 13th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Cyril of Alexandria in Egypt. (376 - 444). Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Cyril played a crucial role in the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD to defend the oneness of the person in Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. If Jesus is One Person, then the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of God (Theotokos).

St Cyril listened to the words of Christ, meditated long on them.  During the crisis of faith that engulfed Christiandom in the middle of the 5th century, Cyril did not collapse from the virulent and battering attacks of heretics. His house "had been set solidly on rock."

Yesterday, Sunday 13th Week of Ordinary Time, we had proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus' call to ministry to three men from the Gospel of Luke. Why is the story being repeated today from the Gospel according to Matthew? The Call to Ministry is very important in the plan of salvation. These three men in the story are types of you and me: the men and women in the pew. In the course of his inspired sermon on the Gospel this Sunday, our pastor prayed for all those present in the Church to heed the call of Jesus.
"O that today you will listen to His voice, harden not your hearts." (Psalm 95).

St Cyril of Alexandria heard the call in the late 4th century in Egypt and answered the call with generosity. What about you?

6. 27. "My Sacred Heart is divinely sensitive to the coldness and indifference of My priests. I ask you to make reparation to Me for them. Allow Me to love you as I would love each of them. Allow Me to heal you, to comfort you, to sanctify you, just as I would heal, comfort, and sanctify any one of My priests. I love My priests—but few of them believe in My love for them. You, believe in My love for you. I am your Friend. I have chosen you to be in life and in death the privileged friend of My Sacred Heart."  (IN SINU JESU).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

IN THE END, MY IMMACULATE HEART WILL TRIUMPH!
AMEN. DEAREST OF MOTHERS. WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH! AND WE TRUST IN THE TRIUMPH OF YOUR IMMACULATE HEART.

"Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
The Gospel of the Lord." (Luke 2: 41 - 51).

Saturday 25th June 2022, of the 12th Week of Ordinary Time is the Saturday after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Church honors the Immaculate Heart of Mary today.

You recognize the Gospel of today as the subject of the 5th Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary.

Why this feast? The Church in her wisdom and discernment instituted this feast to encourage us to have great confidence in approaching the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary for all our spiritual and material needs. By placing the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary back to back, we know by filial instinct that both Hearts are not in competition. It is the will of God that She who is filled with grace and who the Lord God is with in a preeminent manner will play a significant role in salvation history. We do well to approach her constantly to be free from the chain and deceits of Satan.

For the naive and ignorant who imagine that to honor Mary is to depreciate the honor of Jesus, please consider this: Can you fail to honor the ambassador representing the President because of the foolish thought that honoring the ambassador might diminish the President's prestige? If you do this, be ready to taste the wrath of the President.
Mary, the holy handmaid of the Lord does not seek honor for herself. She is in no way in competition with her Lord who has done great things for her.

The Holy Spirit prophesied that all generations will call Mary blessed.
During her 60 years or so on earth, her life was hidden in Christ Jesus. But now that she is assumed into heaven, all generations call her Blessed every day. How? Billions of Hail Marys said every day to honor Mary. Universities, Cathedrals, Institutes all over the world are named after the humble Virgin of Nazareth. Her patronages are countless.

To learn about the 15 Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, click the link below:
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-15-promises-of-mary-to-those-who.html?m=1

6. 25.  The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Two Hearts. One pulse!

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

COME AND FOLLOW ME. DO NOT BE AFRAID. LOOK AT THE BIRDS IN THE SKY. MY HEAVENLY FATHER FEEDS THEM. YOU ARE MORE VALUABLE THAN THE BIRDS.

"When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him.......

"As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus ­answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”

"And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9: 51 - 62).

Three enthusiastic would be disciples of Jesus received similar answer to their application to follow Jesus:
You must count carefully the cost of discipleship.  How far and how long are you prepared to follow Me? What will you do when the going gets tough?  I will show you what a prudent and faithful disciple looks like.  That disciple followed Me from the beginning of my ministry to the end.

Are you called to serve the Lord? The marching order is intimidating. Don't waste time about who died and burial rites. “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.” On another occasion, Jesus commanded the disciples:
"More than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well." (Matthew 6: 33 CEV).

Pope St John Paul II writing on faithfulness says:
It is good to be faithful for one day.
It is better to be faithful for ten years.
It is excellent and blessed to be faithful day after day to the end.

Will you quit if the cost of discipleship becomes unbearable?  Jesus had no apartment or home.  He did not have a servant or income. He had no horse or donkey.

“Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”  (Luke 9: 60)
"Come and follow me."

6. 26.  "Holding His Heart in His hand, Jesus once said to St. Gertrude: “Behold My most magnificent Heart, the melodious harp whose notes ravish the Holy Trinity. I give It to thee, and as a faithful and diligent servant It will be at thy disposal to supply for all thy powerlessness.”  (Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

JESUS MEANS SAVIOR. JOHN MEANS GOD IS GRACIOUS. THE GRACIOUS FAVOR OF THE SAVIOR, THE WORD OF GOD HAS GIVEN US JOHN, THE VOICE OF GOD AS A BRIGHT LIGHT FOR OUR JOURNEY OF FAITH.

"When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed.....

“What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel." (Luke 1: 57.....66, 80 ).

Thursday 23th June 2022, in the 12th Week in Ordinary Time is the Solemnity of the Nativity of St John the Baptist.  How many Birthdays are celebrated in the Church's 365 days Liturgical Calendar? Only Three:

1. Christmas, Birthday of Christ the Lord - 25th December.
2. Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary - 8th September.
3. Birthday of St. John the Baptist - 24th June.

This indicates that John the Baptist is a significant persona in salvation history. Let us sketch a profile of St John the Baptist:

#1 His name is John: "God is gracious."
#2.  He was sanctified in his mother's womb. He kicked his mother hard in the womb with excitement when Mary visited Elizabeth.
#3. John was chosen by the Father to be forerunner of Jesus Christ and to prepare His way.
#4. John baptized Jesus in the River Jordan.
#5. His humility is supreme. He said: "He [Jesus] must increase. I must decrease." And he allowed his disciples to switch allegiance and follow Jesus.
#6. John gave his life for Jesus. He was a great martyr for Jesus.

"[John's] birth brought great rejoicing;
even in the womb he leapt for joy
at the coming of human salvation.
He alone of all the prophets
pointed out the Lamb of redemption.
And to make holy the flowing waters,
he baptized the very author of Baptism
and was privileged to bear him supreme witness
by the shedding of his blood."  (From the Preface of the Mass of the Feast.)

Jesus paid St John the Baptist one of the greatest compliments:
"For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."  (Luke 7: 28 KJB).

John is the Voice. He is not the Word.
I am just a servant of the Word. He must increase. I must decrease. O Lord Jesus Christ, may all Your servants decrease so that You increase in us.

6. 23. FRIDAY JUNE 24TH IS THE SOLEMNITY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS. THIS IS WHY THE CHURCH MOVED THE SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST USUALLY CELEBRATED ON JUNE 24TH TO THE 23RD OF JUNE. JESUS EXPRESSLY ORDERED THE SOLEMNITY OF HIS SACRED HEART TO CELEBRATED ON THE FRIDAY AFTER CORPUS CHRISTI.
HONOR THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS BY ATTENDING HOLY MASS AND RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION THIS FRIDAY.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com