"seek ye first"
"Turn now ten times the more to seek Him." —Baruch 4:28
Our hearts have been disposed to stray from God (Bar 4:28), that is, we have been tempted to sin. Some of these temptations have been very strong. However, the Lord calls us to seek Him with a zeal ten times stronger than our strongest temptations. When we seek the Lord this zealously, we will have enduring joy instead of disaster (Bar 4:29).
Isaiah prophesied: "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call Him while He is near" (Is 55:6). The Lord promises we will find Him when we seek Him with our whole heart and soul (Dt 4:29). Then He will change our lot and bring us back (Jer 29:14).
Therefore, seek the Lord; seek first His kingdom (Mt 6:33); seek His face (Ps 27:8, RSV-CE). Seek the Lord as the deer "longs for the running waters" (Ps 42:2). Seek Him more than those in the world seek money, success, sex, or pleasure. Seek Him Whom your heart loves (Sg 3:1).
Stop seeking anything that distracts you from seeking the Lord. When you seek only Him, when you seek Him with your whole heart, you will find Him with you (Jer 29:13-14). "Seek the Lord while He may be found" (Is 55:6).
Prayer: Father, as I pray the rosary, may my desire for You increase with every "Hail Mary."
Promise: "Do not rejoice so much in the fact that the devils are subject to you as that your names are inscribed in heaven." —Lk 10:20
Praise: St. Therese sought the Lord and found Him by entering the convent at age fifteen. She had such a heart for evangelization and interceded so zealously for missionaries that the Church named Therese as patroness of foreign missionaries even though she never left the convent.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our leaflet Seek First The Kingdom.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Bishop-Elect, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 26, 2011 (for 10-1-2011 through 11-29-2011) and May 26, 2011 (for 11-30-2011)
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