Thursday 9th December 2020, 2nd Week of Advent is the feast of St Juan Diego. (1474 - 1548). Mexican. Hermit and visionary. Our Blessed Mother appeared to this humble and simple Indian and used him to transform the nation of the Aztecs. "Behold the humble maid servant of the Lord. Be it done to me according to Your promise." God can use you and me to accomplish great things in the world. All He needs is humility and faith.

In the Gospel of today, Jesus praised John the Baptist. "Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
Pope St John Paul II in the Mass of canonization of St Juan Diego in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2002 praised Juan Diego as a great example of holiness for our times. Juan Diego, a lay man accepted the difficult mission that the Blessed Virgin Mary entrusted to him.

John the Baptist, the son of the Priest Zachary and saintly mother Elizabeth abandoned his rights to a priestly inheritance and a comfortable life to embrace the purpose of God for his life. He was the voice crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord." He accomplished his mission and at the end was martyred by King Herod.

Let us live justly and devoutly in this age as the two Johns in this message. Let us await the blessed hope and the coming of the glory of our great God. (Cf Titus 2: 12 - 13).

"Be on your guard, then, and be prudent, but without fear, because I am your Mother and, just as I said to my beloved little son Juan Diego, I hold you beneath my protecting mantle, in the crossing of my arms, close, very close to my Immaculate Heart. Trust in my protection. Yes, I am your Mother of Perpetual Help, every ready to come to your rescue, ever ready to provide for your needs, to deliver you from danger, and to console you in sorrow. Approach me with childlike confidence and you will never be disappointed." (IN SINU JESU, Tuesday, December 9, 2008).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

"Jesus said to his disciples: “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.  (Matthew 18: 12... 14).

Tuesday 7th December 2021, 2nd Week of Advent is the feast of St Ambrose of Milan (340 - 397). Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Italian. Ambrose was a high civil servant in the Roman imperial government in the city of Milan when Jesus Christ tapped him to shepherd His Church.
A man of immense talent and holiness, he brought along all his gifts to his new vocation of priest and Bishop. Great preacher, he touched the cold heart of the young Augustine and converted him. He was also a great politician who dealt with emperors without fear. Last but not the least, he left the Church volumes of theological works that continue to nourish the Church.

Friends, I call the Gospel of today the Power of One. You may not believe it, our God cares a lot about details. One sheep, one coin, one little child. The world does not waste time on details. They are only interested in the arithmetic of large numbers: millions, billions, etc.

I still regret the years when I apply this arithmetic to my ministry. Write, teach only to large groups. I am deeply impressed that in many parishes where I have attended daily Mass, sometimes only a handful of people are present. Yet the priest celebrates the Eucharist and preaches with gusto. Remember:

"In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”

"My Heart is moved to pity for this little flock and My love is stirred to help them according to the desires that I have placed deep within them." (IN SINU JESU, Friday, February 8, 2008 At D., Ireland).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com

.... 38).

Wednesday 8th December 2021, 2nd Week of Advent is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. This is the patronal feast of the United States of America.

What is the Immaculate Conception and why does it matter?  In the first Reading today from Genesis, God said to the Serpent: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel." (Genesis 3: 15). This is the promise of our Redemption after the fall of Adam and Eve. God chose Mary before the foundation of the world and prepared her to be the sinless Mother of His Son. God preserved the Blessed Virgin Mary from original sin by virtue of the Death of her Son, Jesus the Christ which God foresaw.

Only a pure Vessel can hold a pure God. Why does this matter? Jesus is 100% God and 100% Man. Although Mary is 100% human, it is absolute necessity that the Mother of the Redeemer be not tainted with the least sin.

Mary's generosity in giving her Yes made the Incarnation possible.
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1: 38).

The total faith and surrender that Mary displayed here is rewarded by God's special revelation to Mary:

"For nothing will be impossible for God.” (Luke 1: 37).
Let this words nourish our faith today and always. When you are afraid, when you worry, when you are tempted to doubt God's power and promises, redouble your trust in God and remember that nothing will be impossible for God.

"Honour My Mother in the mystery of her Immaculate Conception. This is a mystery full of grace and of light for those who ponder it. It is the remedy for many of the ills that afflict My priests and poison their souls. Invoke My Mother conceived without sin and she will communicate to you something of the purity and brightness of her all-holy and immaculate Heart." (IN SINU JESU, November 29, 2008 After First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

Vậy làm thế nào chúng ta có thể làm hài lòng Đức Chúa Trời nếu không qua lối sống đạo đức? 

2/ DO Thái 11:6 là câu trả lời tốt nhất, “Không có đức tin thì không thể nào làm hài lòng Đức Chúa Trời; vì người nào đến gần Đức Chúa Trời phải tin rằng Ngài thực hữu, và Ngài là Đấng ban thưởng cho những ai tìm kiếm Ngài.”

Đức tin khiến chúng ta tin vào đấng KI TÔ  và công việc được làm trọn của Ngài đã đủ cho chúng ta. Điều này khiến chúng ta hạ mình thừa nhận rằng chúng ta không thể kiếm được ân điển của Đức Chúa Trời và làm hài lòng Ngài bởi sức riêng của mình. 

3/ ROMA/LA Mà3:10 nhắc nhở ta rằng “chẳng có một ai công chính cả, dù một người cũng không.”

Chúa không vui vì những việc chúng ta có thể làm cho Ngài, nhưng vui khi thấy chúng ta vui vẻ và mở lòng mình ra đón nhận những gì mà Ngài đã làm cho chúng ta.