Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Isaiah, Chapter 11, verse 2-3:

² The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:  a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, ³ and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.

In Jeremiah 1:8 the Lord called the prophet and if we accept the call like him we will be empowered or prepared for our work from on high with wisdom and understanding and fear of the Lord.  In fact the Church has traditionally enumerated seven gifts of the spirit: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord.  Fear of the Lord enamors the soul with an intense respect for the Church and the commandments of God.  This reverence frees the soul and lightens a person’s worldly fears and concerns.  This is what happens to the happy soul that accepts the “Yoke” of Christ.  ²⁹"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. ³⁰"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30)

It is essential that we pass through worldly fear to grow to Godly fear; getting to the point where we love the Lord so much we desire to prove our love to him by keeping his commandments.   ²³Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. (John 14: 23)  Saint John Paul II wrote “Doctrine of the gifts of the Holy Spirit [is] a very useful teaching of the spiritual life [And] when applied to the Christian soul, it teaches us the fundamental moments in the … interior life: to understand (wisdom, knowledge, and understanding); to decide (counsel and fortitude); to remain and grow in a personal relationship with God, in the life of prayer and in an upright life according to the Gospel (piety and fear of the Lord).” [1]

Behold, our Lord shall come with power; he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.

Today would be a good day to review the 10 Last things. Remembering that Advent is the time to prepare not only for Christ’s first coming, but also His second coming.

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[1] Saint John Paul II, A Catechesis on the Creed: The Spirit, Giver of Life and Love, entry of April 3, 1991.

Monday, November 30, 2015

2 SAMUEL, Chapter 23, Verse 3-4

³ The God of Israel spoke; of me the Rock of Israel said, “One who rules over humankind with justice, who rules in the fear of God, ⁴ Is like the light at sunrise on a cloudless morning, making the land’s vegetation glisten after rain.”

The Rock of Israel (Hebrew: צור ישראל‎, Tzur Yisrael) is a concept in Judaism that alludes to God, and in Zionism and politics, to the cultural and historical heritage of the Jewish people and the foundation of the State of Israel.[1]

God fearing leaders are life giving and not life taking for they have a Holy Fear of God. Traditionally in Judaism there are seven names given for God. The seven names of God that, once written, cannot be erased because of their holiness are the Tetragrammaton, El, Elohim, Eloah, Elohai, El Shaddai, Tzevaot.

Tetragrammaton is YHWH or I am that I am.

El simply means God and is used in the names of IsraEL, AngEL.

Elohim means He is power of powers Eloah is the singular form of Elohim.

Elohai means “My God”.

El Shaddai means “God Almighty”

Tzevaot means “God the armies of Israel”.

Names are important. Most of us remember the elementary school playground and the mean names kids called each other. Author and speaker, Kary Oberbrunner[2], states that we all have a secret name that the One who made us gives us. Oberbrunner said, “My name is Kary, and I have a girl’s name.” He was no stranger to mean names on the playground. He went on to say that each of us has three names:

1.      Our birth name – the name assigned to us when we arrive in this world

2.      Our given names – the names assigned to us as we walk through the world. These names can be positive and negative, ranging from successful, beautiful, star athlete to those names assigned by mean kids, like concentration camp victim, stupid, addict.

3.      Our secret name – the name granted to us by God Oberbrunner said the problem is our birth names and given names don’t ever fill up the void inside us. We pretend and wear masks.

What would God call you? When Christ called his apostles; He revealed to some of them God’s name for them. Sons of Thunder for John and James and for Simon son of John, He called him Peter which means “Rock”. Today is the feast of Saint Andrew brother of the “Rock”.

If today you hear our Lord calling out your secret name; perhaps he is calling you to be a fisher of men like Peter and Andrew.

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_of_Israel

[2] http://www.yoursecretname.com/

Sunday, November 29, 2015 First Sunday of Advent

Psalm 25, verse 14:

¹⁴ The counsel of the LORD belongs to those who fear him; and his covenant instructs them.

 The Advent season coincides with the month of November/December in the Northern Hemisphere is normally cold, dark and the days are short.  Traditions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas have been established to help dispel the psychological fear that develops as a result of the darkness. However, in the Southern Hemisphere the days are long and warm.

This is a good time if you have the means to take a winters break and go to a warmer climate to give you a chance to create a brighter spirit.  However, if this is not possible we can greatly reduce our fears by getting some sun for 10 or 15 minutes a day.  Try to walk at the brightest time of the day, or if you have a sun window to sit in the sun.  This would also be a good time to pray.  Through prayer the Holy Spirit strengthens us from the inside and the sun charges us from the outside.

Also spending some time exercising daily will definitely dispel our fears.   We are both physical and spiritual and having a balance of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual activities will make us resilient to the darkness in the world. I find hiking a wonderful anecdote to the blues and fears.  I hike as often as I can using the Beatitudes as a meditation as I hike.

It is also important to reach out to others.  We can strengthen ourselves by being with and for others. No matter what your cultural background is the Advent season that will provide many cultural opportunities to celebrate together.  Think of the giant Redwoods they are the largest trees in the world. These trees survive by intertwining their roots because the ground is so hard the Redwood cannot strike a taproot to hold itself up but by supporting each other they become the largest trees in the world

The season of Advent is a period of preparation for the coming of God to man and the catechism of the Holy Catholic Church contains His covenant.

The catechism of the Holy Catholic Church states:

GOD COMES TO MEET MAN

50 ...Through an utterly free decision, God has revealed himself and given himself to man. This he does by revealing the mystery, his plan of loving goodness, formed from all eternity in Christ, for the benefit of all men. God has fully revealed this plan by sending us his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
51 "It pleased God, in his goodness and wisdom, to reveal himself and to make known the mystery of his will. His will was that men should have access to the Father, through Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Holy Spirit, and thus become sharers in the divine nature."
52 God, who "dwells in unapproachable light", wants to communicate his own divine life to the men he freely created, in order to adopt them as his sons in his only-begotten Son.³ By revealing himself God wishes to make them capable of responding to him, and of knowing him and of loving him far beyond their own natural capacity.
64 Through the prophets, God forms his people in the hope of salvation, in the expectation of a new and everlasting Covenant intended for all, to be written on their hearts. The prophets proclaim a radical redemption of the People of God, purification from all their infidelities, a salvation which will include all the nations. Above all, the poor and humble of the Lord will bear this hope. Such holy women as Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Judith and Esther kept alive the hope of Israel's salvation. The purest figure among them is Mary.

There will be no further Revelation
66 "The Christian economy, therefore, since it is the new and definitive Covenant, will never pass away; and no new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ." Yet even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries.

IN BRIEF

68 By love, God has revealed himself and given himself to man. He has thus provided the definitive, superabundant answer to the questions that man asks himself about the meaning and purpose of his life.
69 God has revealed himself to man by gradually communicating his own mystery in deeds and in words.
70 Beyond the witness to himself that God gives in created things, he manifested himself to our first parents, spoke to them and, after the fall, promised them salvation (cf. Gen 3:15) and offered them his covenant.
71 God made an everlasting covenant with Noah and with all living beings (cf. Gen 9:16). It will remain in force as long as the world lasts.
72 God chose Abraham and made a covenant with him and his descendants. By the covenant God formed his people and revealed his law to them through Moses. Through the prophets, he prepared them to accept the salvation destined for all humanity.
73 God has revealed himself fully by sending his own Son, in whom he has established his covenant for ever. The Son is his Father's definitive Word; so there will be no further Revelation after him.

Today start a new family tradition and make an advent wreath


.http://www.holytrinitygerman.org/adventcustoms.html#adventwreath

Saturday, November 28, 2015

2 Samuel, Chapter 14, Verse 14-15

14 We must indeed die; we are then like water that is poured out on the ground and cannot be gathered up. Yet, though God does not bring back to life, he does devise means so as not to banish anyone from him. 15 And now, if I have presumed to speak to the king of this matter, it is because the people have given me cause to fear. And so your servant thought: ‘Let me speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the petition of his servant.

Friday, November 27, 2015 Black Friday

2 Samuel, Chapter 12, Verse 26-28

²⁶ Absalom then said, “If not you, then please let my brother Amnon come with us.” The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?” ²⁷ But at Absalom’s urging, the king sent Amnon and with him all his other sons. Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a king. ²⁸ But Absalom had instructed his attendants: “Now watch! When Amnon is merry with wine and I say to you, ‘Kill Amnon,’ put him to death. Do not be afraid, for it is I who order you to do it. Be strong and act like warriors.”

David’s family life after the murder of Uriah reads like a mafia tale with David being the Don and all his son’s vying for power.  

Amnon was the heir-apparent to David's throne; Amnon though is best remembered for the rape of his half-sister Tamar, daughter of David with Maachah. Despite the biblical prohibition on sexual relations between half-brothers and sisters, Amnon had an overwhelming desire for her. He acted on advice from his cousin, Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, to lure Tamar into his quarters by pretending to be sick and desiring her to cook a special meal for him. While in his quartered s, and ignoring her protests, he raped her, then had her expelled from his house. King David was angry about the incident, but could not bring himself to punish his eldest son, while Absalom, Amnon's half-brother and Tamar's full brother, nursed a bitter grudge against Amnon for the rape of his sister. Two years later, to avenge Tamar, Absalom invited all of David's sons to a feast, then had his servants kill Amnon after he had become drunk with wine.[1]

David’s sin had found him out. When he kill Uriah it was like killing his old self; the good self. Now David was insecure and he was more about Thanksgetting than Thanksgiving and he ignored the sins of his children not holding them accountable. They became monsters. David’s youthful heart of gratitude and love for God was sorely wounded. David never regained the law of the Sacrifice. Yet, from David’s line comes Jesus Christ; His sacrifice saves us all and you can, “Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.” (Lk. 21:28)

Having and retaining a grateful heart is the key to making right judgments and being a person of character. Continuing our study of John McCain’s book, “Character is Destiny”[2]

John highlights the life of the Native American war chief Tecumseh as our example of a man that never lost his gratitude in life.

Tecumseh was a great Indian leader who lost a war but taught even his enemies how to live. Everyone knew that the great Tecumseh, fearless warrior and visionary, steadfast leader, did not tolerate torture or murder, or suffer intentional harm to be done to innocents. He was a man of honor. Even his enemies knew that, especially the man who had fought him the longest, William Henry Harrison. However, as a youth Tecumseh was unnerved in his first encounter with organized bloodletting, and fled the battle. It was the only time in his life his courage failed him. In a later raid near the end of the war, the Shawnees attacked the crew of a flatboat on the Ohio River. All but one of the crew was killed in the encounter. The lone survivor was dragged ashore and burned at the stake. The atrocity left a deep mark on Tecumseh, who, though he was too young to intervene in the victim’s behalf, denounced the murder after it occurred, and swore he would never again remain silent in the face of such an injustice. He would live and die determined to defend Indian land from the insatiable appetites of American settlers. In the course of his crusade, he became the greatest Indian leader of his time. Many would argue, including Americans who fought him, that he was the greatest war chief of all time. Raised by his older brother Chiksika, he took special care of his younger brother Tecumseh. He taught him to hunt and fish, and to learn the fighting skills of a Shawnee brave. He raised him to revere the memory of their courageous father, and the virtues he had exemplified as a warrior who preferred death to dishonor. There was something in his character that repelled despair, finding in life, with all its many tragedies, a reason to be thankful for the very fact that he could remain true to himself. He was the kind of person for whom life was a gift that could not be diminished by suffering, and it gave him a unique strength, a confidence that was superior to most people. Tall and sinewy, with an erect bearing, a superior skill at arms, exuding a sense of command, and possessing a gift for oratory that earned him admirers even among his enemies, he was renowned as a capable provider and protecter of his clan, whose leadership had an ever-broadening appeal to neighboring tribes. Tecumseh delivered an address to his people as he prepared them for the coming struggle that has become famous not only as a measure of his own character, but as a code of honor that merits respect and emulation. So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.

On the day of his final battle never having despaired over the vicissitudes of life, he would not do so now. He arose in the morning and gave thanks for the joy of living. At the Battle of the Thames in Ontario on October 5, 1813, British General Procter and his soldiers fled the field after the first volley was fired. Tecumseh dispensed with his sword and British officer’s jacket, and charged, as always, into the thick of the battle. When a musket ball shattered his right leg, he told his braves to leave him. He kept fighting until a crowd of American soldiers surrounded him. He sang his death song and died like a hero going home.

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnon

[2] McCain, John and Salter, Mark. (2005) Character is destiny. Random House, New York.

Thursday, November 25, 2015 Thanksgiving Day

2 Samuel, Chapter 12, Verse 18

On the seventh day, the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said: “When the child was alive, we spoke to him, but he would not listen to what we said. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do some harm!”

Even today advisers and courtiers of powerful men and women dread to tell bad news or to tell the unfortunate truth to their leaders. David has fallen by killing Bathsheba’s husband Uriah and the child of their unholy union has died. David and even modern leaders forget the law of sacrifice. The law of the sacrifice is simple: Those leaders who stop seeking new challenges; stop growing, inevitably stop leading. John Maxwell states, “When we stop sacrificing, we stop succeeding.”[1]

If you want to become a great leader, you must be willing to make sacrifices.

1.      There is no success without sacrifice. Every person who has achieved any success in life has made sacrifices to do so.

2.      Leaders are often asked to give up more than others. Leaders have to give up their rights. Leaders need to learn how to put others ahead of themselves. It’s not easy, but you need to give up more than the people you lead.

3.      You must keep giving up, to stay up. John Maxwell takes the Law of Sacrifice even further when he states that ‘If leaders have to give up to go up, then they have to give up even more to stay up’. Today’s success is the greatest thread to tomorrow’s success. There’s always a cost involved in moving forward. The day you stop being willing to pay the price is the day when you stop creating the results you desire.

4.      The higher the level of leadership, the greater the sacrifice. You’ve probably noticed that the higher the position, the fewer the number of people able to step in. It’s not because there’s lack of capable people. It’s simply because there’s not enough people willing to pay the price. From my childhood I remember learning about the utopia of communism – they tried to make everybody equal. Everybody should have the same rights and the same pay. The problem with this is the law of sacrifice. There will always be some who will be willing to sacrifice more, while others will not be willing to do anything extra. No philosophy of equality will ever be able to overcome this mindset. It’s the inner job. You must decide for yourself how much time, effort or other sacrifice you’re going to assign to a specific job, project or task. The Law of Sacrifice states that those who do, will go up. And those who continue doing this, will stay up.[2]

On this Thanksgiving Day let us be grateful and give thanks to our Heavenly Father, His son Jesus Christ and for the Holy Spirit that He sends to us; which is the spirit of holy sacrifice. Let us also give thanks for our families and Nations past sacrifices. Let us give Thanks; for it is only through sacrifice that we can be truly grateful. To remain faithful requires sacrifice.

Leaders who follow the law of the sacrifice turn Thanksgetting into Thanksgiving.

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[1][1] John Maxwell, The John Maxwell Leadership Bible

[2] http://silviapencak.com/law-of-sacrifice/

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

2 Samuel, Chapter 10, Verse 19

When Hadadezer’s vassal kings saw themselves vanquished by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became their subjects. After this, the Arameans were afraid to give further aid to the Ammonites.

God was with David and he now defeats the Syrians and the Ammonites. The life of David was that of a warrior and this was David’s last victory before his fall with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah from David’s hand. All life is a battle and sometimes we fail but like David let us always return to the Lord.

Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rv. 2:10)

Let us build up our gratitude to the Lord for his saving graces.

“Lord Jesus Christ, you are the strength or the weak and the confidence of those who trust in you. Be my secure confidence and my abundant strength! Teach me to understand myself and to believe in effectiveness of your saving grace. Grant me the courage not to stop trying and teach me the humility to trust in you when I tend to be discouraged by my weakness.[1]

The Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, be my sanctification.
Body of Christ, be my salvation.
Blood of Christ, fill all my veins.
Water of Christ’s side, wash out my stains.
Passion of Christ, my comfort be.
O good Jesus, listen to me.
In Thy wounds I fain would hide,
N’er to be parted from Thy side,
Guard me, should the foe assail me.
Call me when my life shall fail me.
Bid me come to Thee above,
With Thy saints to sing Thy love,
World without end. Amen.

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[1] A. Francis Coomes, S. J., Fathers’ Manual.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

2 Samuel, Chapter 9, Verse 7

“Do not be afraid,” David said to him, “I will surely be kind to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. I will restore to you all the lands of Saul your grandfather, and you shall eat at my table always.”

David is showing compassion to Mephibosheth; Jonathan’s disabled son following the civil war between Israel and Judah. In the end David reigns over all of Israel. Israel with David’s leadership then quickly defeats the Jebusites taking Jerusalem; defeats the Philistines and brings the Ark to Jerusalem and God makes his Covenant with David. Thus David’s heart was full of gratitude.

David now can return the favor of his old friend Jonathan to his son and restores his lands and David orders his servants to cultivate Mephibosheth’s lands, providing him with food, income and a place in the court. Gratitude cultivates generosity. This is the law of the Picture.[1]

 

The law of the picture summarizes what is often observed in human nature. People tend to mimic the behaviors of their leaders. When a leader demonstrates behaviors that lead to success, people that follow mimic those behaviors and succeed as well. The picture consists of vision, mission, and strategy. When the leader lives the vision, the leader models the vision making it real and alive.

Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them, day after day – Arthur Gordon

Good leaders recognize the importance of the example they set.

1. People watch what you do. As a leader, recognize that people tend to model behaviors that you display. People tend to believe what they see not necessarily what they hear. You convince people by what you do not by what you say.

2. Teaching what is right is easier than doing what is right. Leaders must be willing to make sacrifices that are painful and personal.

3. Change yourself before trying to improve others. As a leader, you need to lead yourself first. Set high standards of excellence for yourself. Work the hardest and longest on improving yourself. Failing to lead by example creates a fuzzy picture to those you intend to lead.

4. A leader’s example is the most value gift a leader can give. People desire leaders where espoused beliefs and actions align. People learn best from watching good leaders in action. Many leaders emerge by observing and replicating the behaviors of leaders that mentored them.[2]

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[1] John Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible.

[2] http://darrylpendergrass.com/Blog/13-the-law-of-the-picture/

Monday, November 23, 2015

Daniel, Chapter 1, Verse 9-10

⁹ Though God had given Daniel the favor and sympathy of the chief chamberlain, ¹⁰ he said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who allotted your food and drink. If he sees that you look thinner in comparison to the other young men of your age, you will endanger my life with the king.”

Sunday, November 22, 2015

2 Samuel, Chapter 3, Verse 11

Ishbaal was no longer able to say a word to Abner, he feared him so.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

2 Samuel, Chapter 1, Verse 14

David said to him, “How is it that you were not afraid to put forth your hand to desecrate the LORD’s anointed?

My new book is now available on AMAZON in the kindle version only; hard copies will be available soon. Thank You! I prepared it for the new year of Mercy.

Enjoy and BE NOT AFRAID!

Friday, November 20, 2015

1 Samuel, Chapter 28, Verse 20

Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, in great fear because of Samuel’s message. He had no strength left, since he had eaten nothing all that day and night.

Christ is the strength of the weak and the humble confidence of those who trust in him. Christ says to us, “My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me. (Jn. 10:27) Saul was in great fear because the spirit of God had long ago left him and he no longer heard the voice of God. In desperation now that Samuel had died was to have the witch of Endor act as a medium to conjure up the spirit of Samuel to help save him from the Philistines. Saul broke his own laws by seeking the aid of a sorcerer. The Israelites were a Holy people and Saul could not understand the Ends never justify the means. No we must be calm and listen to the voice of he that was the epitome of fairness and justice that took upon Himself our sins to the cross and thus bearing our guilt to make us a Holy people.

America is now at the threshold of history. We see the camps of the Philistines. The gut instinct is to do battle, but what is the Lord calling us to do? American’s are a just people and fair people and our hearts go out to the world.

Many years ago while reviewing the CIA handbook I noticed that economically all of the nations that have been giving us the most trouble militarily were also on the list of those countries with the worst per capita income: people who make less than 200 dollars a year. I thought rather than do battle with a number of of these people in some way if we were to bring the economic power of America to these people and help them to improve their lives and rid themselves of the gangs and dictators. Thus bringing up their per capita income; what would the effect be on those who we may have to embattle? I questioned would improving their lives in their own country decrease our need to do battle? I decided to do an experiment. With a little research I invested in one of the stocks from one of the poorest countries Zimbabwe. After three months I sold my stock after doubling my money. My point is perhaps we as America’s can do more by helping the downtrodden in building up their own countries. American’s are fair people.

According to John McCain a person or nations character determines its destiny. In our book study of Character is Destiny[1], John points out the person who most exemplifies the characteristic of fairness is that of Martin Luther King, Jr.  

John says of King:

From a jail cell he wrote a letter that is one of the most celebrated documents in American history, and summoned his country to the cause of justice. “My Dear Fellow Clergymen,” it began. Recognizing that his correspondents were “men of genuine good will and your criticisms sincerely set forth,” he promised to respond in patient and reasonable terms. They were reasonable terms, and undeniably fair, but patient they were not.

We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. . . . Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say, “Wait.” But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: “Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?”; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading “white” and “colored”; when your first name becomes “nigger,” your middle name becomes “boy” (however old you are) and your last name becomes “John,” and your wife and mother are never given the respected title “Mrs.”; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of “nobodiness” then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair.

America still struggles internally and externally to arrive at the place Dr. King had summoned us to, that exalted place that had been the highest ambition of our Founding Fathers and the highest value we recommend to the rest of the world; the place where all people are recognized as equal, and endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights. African Americans recognize the debt they owe Dr. King’s courage, wisdom, and unshakable sense of fairness. But Americans of European descent owe him a greater one. At the cost of his life, he helped save us from a terrible disgrace, the betrayal of our country, and the principles that have ennobled our history. And that is a debt we must happily bear forever.

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[1] McCain, John and Salter, Mark. (2005) Character is destiny. Random House, New York.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

1 Samuel, Chapter 28, Verse 5

When Saul saw the Philistine camp, he grew afraid and lost heart completely.

  

Are we like Saul? Have we lost heart completely? Have we seen the camps of our enemies and come to despair. God will not abandon us like we have abandoned him. Do not despair but call out to the Lord and listen. Pay attention and if today you hear His voice harden not your hearts. 

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

2 Maccabees, Chapter 7, Verse 29

Do not be afraid of this executioner, but be worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with your brothers.” 

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Psalm 3, Verse 7

I do not fear, then, thousands of people arrayed against me on every side.

Monday, November 16, 2015

1 Samuel, Chapter 23, Verse 15

While David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh he was afraid that Saul had come out to seek his life.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

1 Samuel, Chapter 23, Verse 7

He said to him: “Have no fear, my father Saul shall not lay a hand to you. You shall be king of Israel and I shall be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.”

Saturday, November 14, 2015

¹ Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, ² “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. ³ And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ ⁴ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, ⁵ because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’” ⁶ The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. ⁷ Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? ⁸ I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

With the events in France due to terrorism this verse has particular meaning. Will the Son of Man find faith on earth when he comes? In France and the US we must remain faithful to the gospel of Christ and stand with the Holy Catholic Church. We must continue to ask Him to come to our assistance against the Philistines of our age. We must not fail to call out to Him night and day to save us from the wicked and to pray for their conversion and for the souls of the Martyrs of freedom that they have made. Our enemy is not men but the devil and those are in his control. We must never become to weary or afraid to take the gospel to those places that are most devoid of faith, hope and love.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Here is a translation of a statement issued by the director of the Holy See press office, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, shortly after the terror attacks in Paris Nov. 13.

Here in the Vatican we are following the terrible news from Paris. We are shocked by this new manifestation of maddening, terrorist violence and hatred which we condemn in the most radical way together with the Pope and all those who love peace. We pray for the victims and the wounded, and for all the French people. This is an attack on peace for all humanity, and it requires a decisive, supportive response on the part of all of us as we counter the spread the homicidal hatred in all of its forms.

Friday, November 13, 2015

1 Samuel, Chapter 23, Verse 1-4

¹ David was informed that the Philistines were attacking Keilah and plundering the threshing floors. ² So he consulted the LORD, asking, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” The LORD answered, Go, attack them, and free Keilah. ³ But David’s men said to him: “Even in Judah we have reason to fear. How much more so if we go to Keilah against the forces of the Philistines!” ⁴ Again David consulted the LORD, who answered: Go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your power.

Again we see David protecting the people; even the people who are the friends of Saul. The same Saul who; out of his envy, is seeking David and his follower’s deaths. David’s faith makes his actions beyond those of rational fairness; no David’s action show the very mercy of God.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

1 SAMUEL, Chapter 22, Verse 23

Stay with me. Do not be afraid; whoever seeks your life must seek my life also. You are under my protection.”

David said this to Abiathar: the sole survivor of Eli’s household which Saul killed for giving aid to David. David now has in his service the only priest of the Lord left in the land and exclusive access to the ephod for consulting the Lord. David later appoints Abiathar co-high priest with Zadok in Jerusalem.

Yet, when I read this verse I hear the Lord saying this to us all-Stay with me-do not be afraid. Today go to the Blessed Sacrament and spend some time with the Lord. There our Lord will pull us to Himself and transform us into warriors and conquerors. Draw near to Him and He will transform your disenchantment with the world and help you along the road to holiness and sainthood.

Our lives are songs; God writes the words and we set them to music at pleasure; and the song grows glad, or sweet or sad, as we choose to fashion the measure.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015-Veterans Day

Wisdom, Chapter 6, Verse 7-8

⁷For the Ruler of all shows no partiality, nor does he fear greatness, because he himself made the great as well as the small, and provides for all alike; ⁸ but for those in power a rigorous scrutiny impends.

God does not fear to make men great; but for those who are made great they must be responsible, humble and fair for those in command are thoroughly judged by God. We must be of the mindset as spoken by Charles Mayes: “Make sure the thing your living for is worth dying for.” And as leaders we must make sure that when we send others into harm’s way that it would be only if we ourselves would be willing to die to get it done. As confirmed members of the body of Christ it is our duty; no, our sacred honor to give meaning to the words of the psalmist:

“Defend the lowly and fatherless; render justice to the afflicted and needy. Rescue the lowly and poor; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Ps. 82:3-4)

Today is Veterans Day let us remember to pray today for both our military and veterans. Also ask today's Holy Saint Martin of Tours to intercede for our military and veterans who have born the yoke of service to this nation.

 MARTIN was born in the year 316 in Pannonia, or Hungary, of pagan parents, but he received secret instructions in the Christian religion, and in his tenth year was received into the number of the catechumens, that is, of those who are preparing themselves to receive holy Baptism. At the age of fifteen he became a soldier, being, as is probable, forced to do so by his father, to whom the religion of the boy had become known. Out of love of God he not only kept himself aloof from the excesses so common in this state of life, but he took advantage of it to practice love for man, by dividing his pay among the poor. Being one day solicited for alms by a beggar, and having nothing but his arms and his cloak, he gave him half his cloak. The following night Christ appeared to him, wearing that half of the cloak, and said to him: Martin, who is yet a catechumen, has clothed Me with this garment. Moved by this comforting apparition, he received holy Baptism, gave up the life of a soldier, and betook himself to St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, in France. As he was careful for his own salvation, so also was he careful of the salvation of others, particularly of his parents and relatives, for the sake of whose conversion he undertook a journey to his native land. On his return he built, not far from Poitiers, the first convent in France, into which he received twenty-four monks, with whom he led a strict and virtuous life. His great faith made him like the apostles in regard to miracles, and the fame thereof spread abroad to that degree that, in spite of his refusals, he was chosen Bishop of Tours. This high dignity made no change in his manner of living; rather it increased his humility, his patience under the greatest persecutions, his zeal for the glory of God, his love for his neighbor, and particularly for his enemies. After he had in such manner ruled over his diocese for twenty-six years, being then over eighty years old, the strength of life left him. He thereupon collected his disciples about him, and said: Children, I am dying. They wept and mourned. Moved by their tears, he in his prayers professed himself willing to labor longer if it were God's will. But he had labored for heaven enough, and God desired to place upon him the long-merited crown. With his eyes raised to heaven, he prayed incessantly, allowing himself no relief. At his last moments the enemy sought to confound him by a horrible apparition, but, full of confidence in God, the saint cried out: What do you seek, cruel monster? In me you will find nothing that is yours; and soon after his spirit gently sank to rest. Would that we might learn from this saint truly to love God, and to care not only for our own salvation, but for the welfare of our fellow-men in body and soul ! Then we, too, might have nothing to fear in death.

In honor of St. Martin today would be a good day to go through our closets and cut our cloaks in half to donate to the poor.

While serving in Germany myself I have a fond memory of St. Martin Day in which my children participated in the nightime St. Martins Day Parade in the small town of Gersbach, Germany.

On St. Martin's Day, children in Flanders, the southern and north-western parts of the Netherlands, and the Catholic areas of Germanyand Austria still participate in paper lantern processions. Often, a man dressed as St. Martin rides on a horse in front of the procession. The children sing songs about St. Martin and about their lanterns. The food traditionally eaten on the day is goose, a rich bird. According to legend, Martin was reluctant to become bishop, which is why he hid in a stable filled with geese. The noise made by the geese betrayed his location to the people who were looking for him.

Tueday, November 10, 2015

1 Samuel, Chapter 21, Verse 13

David took note of these remarks and became very much afraid of Achish, king of Gath.

One wonders why was David so afraid. According to David Roper this was David’s testing.

Just about the time I think I've got it all together, some unsightly emotional display, some inappropriate reaction, some other embarrassing behavior blows my cover and I have that horrible experience of being found out. It's humiliating! But humiliation is good for the soul. Through it God deals with our self-admiration and pride. Without it we could never make the most of our lives. The trouble with us is that we want to be tremendously important. It's a terrible trait, the essential vice, the utmost evil. It's the sin that turned the devil into the demon he became. Obscurity and humility, on the other hand, release God's greatness. It is the basis of our life with God and our usefulness in this world. Thomas à Kempis wrote, "The more humble a man is in himself, and the more subject unto God; so much more prudent shall he be in all his affairs, and enjoy greater peace and quietness of heart." Because ambition and pride is the center of our resistance to God and the source of so much unhappiness, "God opposes the proud" (James 4:6); he brings us to our knees, where He can then begin to do something with us.

David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this [mad] man come into my house?" David [then] left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 21:10-22:1). David fled south from Nob — with Saul in hot pursuit — and he made his way across the Judean hills and through the Valley of Elah where a few years before he had engaged Goliath in combat. It was to Gath — the home of his enemies — that David now turned for shelter from Saul. I don't know what possessed David to flee to Gath. Perhaps he thought he wouldn't be recognized, since this was several years after his encounter with Goliath, and he had grown to manhood. Perhaps he disguised himself in some way. But David was instantly recognized, and his presence was reported to king Achish of Gath: "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" The phrase "they sing" could be translated, "they still sing," suggesting a popular tune. David's fame was celebrated everywhere — even in Philistia. You have to understand the implications of this song. David had slain his ten thousands of Philistines; his fame had been established at the expense of bereaved Philistine women and children. Here was an opportunity to take vengeance. Furthermore, he was considered "the king of the land [of Israel]." By some means David became aware that he had been found out, and that he was facing imprisonment and death, so David lost his nerve (see Psalm 34 and 56). Motivated by sheer terror, David pretended to go mad, foaming at the mouth and scrawling crazy slogans on the walls. According to the title of Psalm 56 the Philistines "seized him" and brought him to Achish, who dismissed him with the contemptuous remark: "Behold, you see a madman! Why have you brought him to me? Am I lacking madmen that you have brought this to ply his madness against me? Must this come into my house?" The word translated "mad man" (21:15), used three times by Achish, suggests something other than insanity. The word in other Near Eastern languages means "highly aggressive" — violent and dangerous — which gives added force to the king's remark: ". . . you have brought this to ply his madness [ravings] against me?" Achish was afraid of David. The title to Psalm 34 supplies the conclusion of the matter: Achish "drove him away," out of his court and out of town — David, run out of town on a rail, utterly humiliated. David, the tough guy, the hero of Israel, the man they celebrated in song and dance had wimped out in the face of physical danger and made an utter fool of himself. With no place else to go, unwelcome in both Israel and Philistia, David fled into a labyrinth of broken ridges and rimrock about three miles from Gath and crept into a cave. The cavern in which he found refuge was called the Cave of Adullum (Adullam means refuge). It can't be located with certainty, but the traditional site is a dark vault located on a shelf at the top of a near-perpendicular cliff. In that dark place — humiliated, crushed, alone — he wrote Psalm 34 and Psalm 56. He was at his nadir. In that dark place David cried out to God: "This poor [humiliated] man called, and the LORD heard him." There he learned that "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (34:6, 18). Lord Byron wrote from Reading Jail, "How else but through a broken heart can Lord Christ enter in?" Furthermore, David learned to boast in the Lord rather than in his own ability (34:2). Through shame and disgrace he became a more modest man — one whom God could shape and use.[1]

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[1] http://www.ccel.us/mountain.chap9.html