LOVE & FORGIVE YOUR ENEMIES.
"YOU CANNOT REMAIN A PRISONER OF THE PAST." POPE ST JOHN PAUL II.
FORGIVE AT ONCE. FORGIVE EVERYONE. FORGIVE ALL OFFENSES. OVERCOME EVIL BY GOOD.

“Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  (Matthew 5:  43 - 48).

Tuesday 14th June 2022, in the 11th Week of Ordinary Time.

The new law proclaimed by Jesus Christ is for children of the heavenly Father. The law inaugurated by Moses is different. "While the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1: 17).

The new law is the Covenant of grace. We become members of the New Covenant through faith. "But to those who did accept him [Jesus] he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God." (John 1: 11 - 13).

Now that we understand that we live under the Covenant of grace, we see that it is not impossible to live the command of Jesus Christ in our key Scripture in our own strength:
"Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."  For we are now sons and daughters and no longer slaves. The Spirit of Abba Father lives in us. The Spirit helps us to take full possession of our inheritance.

Our Father in Heaven makes His sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

Abba Father, make us love all men for Your sake. Father, in Your will is our peace.

6. 14. “The Blessed Sacrament is the Invention of Love. It [the Blessed Sacrament] is life and fortitude for souls, a remedy for every fault, and viaticum for the last passage from time to eternity. In it, sinners recover life for their souls; tepid souls true warmth, fervent souls tranquility…saintly souls wings to fly toward perfection…pure souls sweet honey…” (St Margaret Mary Alacoque, the Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE MYSTERY OF THE TRINITY. I PRAY TO ABBA FATHER USING THE LORD'S PRAYER TAUGHT US BY JESUS OUR TEACHER. I PRAY TO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD AND SON OF MARY. I EXPERIENCE THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER, IN HIS INSPIRATIONS AND POWER. THIS IS HOW I KNOW THAT THE TRINITY IS REAL. I BELIEVE BECAUSE THE CHURCH TAUGHT ME TO BELIEVE.

"Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16: 12 - 15).

Sunday 12th June 2022 is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The Godhead, the adorable Blessed Trinity. One God, three co-equal Persons. Father, Son and Holy Spiri is the llllrevelation of the Son, Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity. This truth did not come to us from a philosophical deduction.

It is interesting that the mystery of the Holy Trinity was revealed at the end of Christ's earthly ministry. This mystery was revealed in the context of Baptism and Mission of the Church. What could this mean? Jesus Christ became Man so that man can know God, love Him and serve Him and live with God forever.

The Trinity is a great mystery beyond the intellect of man. We make the sign of the Cross in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The Creed teaches us all we need to know about the Holy Trinity, the One Undivided Unity.

"We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of all that is, seen and unseen.

"We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father.

"We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified."

This is the Faith of our Fathers. The Faith revealed by Jesus Christ.
We believe!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

O DEAR ST ANTHONY, FAITHFUL FRIEND OF YOUR FRIENDS, COME QUICKLY TO MY HELP AT THIS MOMENT OF NEED. I LOST MY KEYS, WALLET, SPECTACLES, BOOK, ETC..
TEACH ME HOW TO BE GRATEFUL FOR ALL GOD'S MERCIFUL LOVE. TEACH ME TOO HOW TO GLORIFY JESUS BY HONORING THE SAINTS. AMEN.

"Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow." (Matthew 5: 38 - 42).

Monday 13th June 2022, in the 11th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Anthony of Padua (1195 - 1231), Franciscan Priest and Doctor of the Church. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, trained in Italy, his outstanding talent as a preacher took him to Africa and France. Anthony is a great miracle worker and is fondly remembered for his help in finding lost objects. After he helped me find an important object, he became one of my patron saints.

Offer no resistance to one who you know to be a thief, a liar, an oppressor, a violent person, etc. What is Jesus teaching us here? Let us note that it is impossible to go through life without meeting the type of person the Lord calls "evil."

Our key Scripture for today evokes some word associations: Forgiveness, Retaliation, Litigation, etc.
What archetypes of evil does the Bible place the wicked person? "immorality, impurity, licentiousness,  idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions,  occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like." (Galatians 5: 19 - 21). In the same passage it says that those with such behavior will never see the Kingdom of God.
Now, if we desire to see the Kingdom of God, we must practice what Jesus teaches: Forgiveness and not retaliation. Reconciliation and not litigation.

When we live as Christians in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will produce the fruits of the Spirit which are:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5: 22 - 23).

"If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit." (Galatians 5: 25).
This is the core teaching of our key Scripture for today?

6. 13. "We will show Thee our love and gratitude, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, by keeping Thy sacred precepts, by rendering Thee atonement and reparation, by honoring the image of Thy Divine Heart and by confiding in Thine all-powerful assistance."  (DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com