Monday 27th September 2021, in the 26th week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Vincent de Paul, Priest (1581 - 1660). French.

For many people around the world, St Vincent de Paul needs no introduction. His name and prestige blesses the world-wide charitable organization that ministers spiritually and materially to the needs of the poor, the homeless and the very needy. St Vincent de Paul is known in history for his love of the Poor and for deep humility.  He also had great interest in the formation of priests.
St Vincent de Paul founded the Daughters of Charity with St Louise de Marillac. After this, he founded the Congregation of the Mission.

After the Twelve heard the Second Prediction of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, we were told that they did not understand what Jesus was talking about. They did not want to ask Him any questions. They however launched into a worldly competition as to who is the greatest in the Kingdom of God. 

St Vincent de Paul learned the lesson in our key Scripture in a very personal way. After his ordination, he discerned the greatest need of the Church in France as the training and formation of the clergy. He threw himself into preparation for this ministry. Imagine his dismay when his Bishop sent him hundreds of miles from Paris to the provinces to the home of a prince, friend of the king of France. He remained in the castle for several years teaching the two young sons of the prince.
St Vincent de Paul went to this mission in obedience. For the years he spent in the castle trying to teach the boys who did not want to learn anything, he wondered the strange ways of Divine Providence. He was soon to learn on his return to Paris.

"Jesus took a child and placed it by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”

True greatness in the eyes of Jesus is: humility, a loving concern for the little ones, the poor and the needy and homeless. This became the new ministry of St Vincent de Paul in Paris. Because of the connection with the Prince and his family, St Vincent de Paul got to know who is who in the court of the king of France. These nobles provided the funds for the ministry of St Vincent de Paul to the poor and downtrodden of Paris. St Vincent de Paul did not forget the second love of his life: the formation of the clergy.

All through out his life, Vincent marveled at God's mighty, merciful and mysterious Providence. What happened to the Twelve who wanted to be the greatest in the Kingdom of God. They all followed their Master to the Cross and achieved a different kind of greatness. They became Princes in Heaven and Princes in the Church on earth. 

"I give you Saint Vincent ² to prepare the way. I give you Saint Thérèse to move the hearts and wills of those who, by their word, will open the way before you. I give you Mother Mectilde and Abbot Marmion to instruct you in the life of hiddenness and of praise to which I call you for the sake of My priests and of My Church. I give you My angels to keep a guard about you and to preserve you from the plots and intrigues of the unseen Enemy of your soul and of the souls of all priests. I give you Mother Yvonne-Aimée as a close friend and intimate companion. She will remind you of her little invocation and spur you on to act with a manly courage in all My interests."

²Saint Vincent de Paul, who helped Mother Mectilde de Bar when she and her daughters were homeless after fleeing the war in Lorraine." (IN SINU JESU, Wednesday, September 28, 2011).

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Saturday 25th September 2021, in the 25th Week in Ordinary Time is the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday.

Our short Gospel for today is the Second Prediction of the Passion  of Jesus. Pay attention to the very words of the Messiah: "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”

Jesus is telling us to pay careful attention to the Prediction of His Passion: "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” Here are other rendition of this text:

"Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” (NIV).
“Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.” (NLT).
"Let these words sink into your ears: the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men [whose conduct is opposed to God]." (AMPC).

Note carefully that the Father allowed His Son to be delivered into the hands of wicked men. Why? The Father had decided that the Cross is the Means of Salvation for all mankind.

How does this message of Jesus affect the 21st century Christians? It eliminates totally all prosperity gospels. All wishful thinking about how we want the kingdom of God to be. It places the Cross in its proper home: At the Center of the Salvation Drama.

God the Father wills that All men should be saved. How? Through the Cross. Take up your cross and follow after me. Jesus pleads.  Your daily cross may relate to health, family, job, money, children, house, car, etc. All the myriad of issues that trouble and deplete us. Whatever your cross may be, bear it with love and patience.

The Blessed Virgin Mary whom we honor today understands the Cross very intimately. She is the only human being that knows Jesus from womb to tomb. For that, she deserves our profound respect and gratitude.

"The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary Yes, my beloved little son, the eighth sorrow of my maternal and Immaculate Heart is that my Son is so offended in the Sacrament of His love. This sorrow of mine will endure until the end of time, when the real presence of my Son in the Most Holy Sacrament will give way to the sight of His divine majesty. Then will faith give way to vision, and hope to possession. Then will love be secure and everlasting for all who will have died in the embrace of His divine friendship." (IN SINU JESU, Thursday, September 15, 2011).

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Sunday 26th September 2021, in the 26th Week in Ordinary Time.

Once upon a time, a learned and devout pastor of my parish said in a homily that one of the most profound mysteries of God's mighty, merciful and mysterious Providence in his opinion is allowing Martin Luther to tear the Church apart. I had reflected much about this comment. My consolation comes from the words of St Augustine: "God will never permit any evil unless He can draw a greater good from it."

The first Reading from Numbers 11: 25 - 29 and the Gospel Reading reminds us that God's ways are not our ways and God's thoughts are not our thoughts. Our mistake is to think that God's ways and thoughts are similar to ours but much more bigger.

In the first Reading from the Book of Numbers, we see a type and shadow of Pentecost where the Spirit of God works independently of human expectations.
In the Gospel, we read:
"At that time, John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”

A propos the sovereignty and independence of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says:  "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3: 8 NIV).

Are you trying to block the action of the Holy Spirit in your life or in the life of someone else?
“Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us."

"My Heart thirsts for the love of the saints. To those who come to Me, I will give love and holiness. And in this shall My Father be glorified.  And this shall come to pass through the intimate action of My Spirit. Where I am present in the Sacrament of My love, there also is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. It is by the Holy Spirit that My Eucharistic presence is My glorious presence to the Father in heaven, and it is by the Holy Spirit that My Eucharistic presence touches the souls who adore Me to unite them to Me, and to bear them up even before My Father’s face."  (IN SINU JESU, Monday, October 29, 2007).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com