ICEMANforChrist

Psalm, Chapter 147, verse 10-11 10  He takes no delight in the strength of horses, no pleasure in the runner’s stride.  11  Rather the LORD takes pleasure in those who  fear  him, those who put their hope in his mercy. This verse actually means that person full of hubris and pride of life has a hard time acknowledging their dependence upon God.  They may feel they have strength and speed however those who have Holy fear God delights in.   The night of the Holy Saint Sylvester, the last night of the year, has always been the night of fun. Every year Berlin hosts one of the largest New Year's Eve celebrations in all of Europe, attended by over a million people. The focal point is the Brandenburg Gate, where midnight fireworks are centered. Germans toast the New Year with a glass of Sekt (German sparkling wine) or champagne. The saint of this day, Pope Sylvester I, according to legend is the man who healed from leprosy and baptized the Roman E...

My  new book is now available and would make good a good gift. Also available in kindle format. http://www.amazon.com/Be-Not-Afraid-Courage-modern/dp/1479372129/ Psalm, Chapter 145, Verse 19 He fulfills the desire of those who  fear  him; he hears their cry and saves them. Today would be a good day to rest in the Lord and go to Mass and receive His body and blood.  As we receive realize that He has heard our cry’s and has saved us.  Such is the love of our God!   After Mass follow the Exhortation given from the 1896 edition of  Goffines Divine Instructions . Ponder with care on the truths and doctrines which the holy Church has laid before thee in the epistles and gospels; thank God with thy whole heart for the great favors and benefits which thou hast received in the incarnation and birth of Jesus Christ; examine thyself also whether thy faith is living and efficient, that thou mayest have the hope of being a child ...

Luke, Chapter 2, Verse 32 A light of revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel. My  new book is now available and would make good a good gift. Also available in kindle format. http://www.amazon.com/Be-Not-Afraid-Courage-modern/dp/1479372129/ Traditionally wine is blessed on the Feast of St. John. Wine if used in moderation is a good thing. Yet, sometimes it may cause an increase in our fears or make us fool hardy when speaking, giving us a false sense of courage. So blessing our wine is a good idea to dedicate its use for our good and not our detriment. St. Johns wine blessing [1] Holy Lord, Father Almighty, eternal God! You willed that Your Son, equal to You in agelessness and substance should descend from heaven and in the fullness of time be born of the most holy Virgin Mary. Thus He could seek the lost and wayward sheep and carry it on His shoulders to the sheepfold, and could cure the man fallen among robbers of his wounds by pouring i...

Psalms, Chapter 128, verse 1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD, and who walk in his ways. Those who fear the Lord work to not react to their feelings but act from the principle of God’s unconditional love to empower others even at personal cost.  They practice the three cardinal virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity.  The act of blessing works both ways and bless’ all; both those who receive and those who give. Today is also the Feast of the Holy Innocents who were killed by Herod in his search to kill the baby King who was born in Bethlehem.  What persons are like Herod?   According the  1896  edition of Goffine's Devout Instructions all those who destroy children, in body or in soul.  For example unmanly men who are cruel to their wives while with child, who strike them, incite them to anger, or terrify them; heedless parents who neglect their little ones, who do not take pains to keep them clean and healthy; those corru...

1 John, Chapter 4, Verse 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. Today is both the feast of the Holy Family. We see here that Jesus was a wanted man because he was fearless toward the Jews and they hated him for it. People were afraid to even speak about Jesus or worst yet speak up in his behalf. Often it is easier for us to not speak up when we hear gossip or worse yet to join in the gossip and relish in it. We often love to hear the worse things about others or lack the courage to defend their good name. It has been said it is better to say nothing then to say anything negative about another but Christ compels us to go even further with this verse; to be fearless in the defense of others. Today is also the Feast of the Holy Family.  Let us reflect that the Holy family was holy because of how they interacted with each other and the world.  A good practic...

John, Chapter 7, verse 13: Still, no one spoke openly about him because they were afraid of the Jews. Stephen is unjustly persecuted; yet he prays for his persecutors. Can we excuse ourselves if we do not love our enemies? Were not Stephen, and others who have imitated him, men like ourselves? With the grace of God, could not we do what they have done? Could we call ourselves Christians were we not to do this? No; for the love of our neighbor, and of our enemy also, is the chief token of the Christian; since it is only by this love that we become like Christ, and resemble our heavenly Father, Who makes His sun to shine upon the evil and the good, and sendeth rains upon the just and upon the unjust (Matt. v. 45). Let us, therefore, imitate the love of God, of Christ, and of St. Stephen, and then we may one day be able to give up our souls with calmness into the hands of our Maker. Supplication to St. Stephen O St. Stephen, first of the martyrs, who wast filled with for...

Luke, Chapter 1, verse 9: 9 The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear . In this verse the “them” were shepherds. The angels appeared and filled lowly shepherds with holy fear. Shepherds were the gypsy’s of their time. They were in the same social class as dung sweepers and tax collectors.  As you open your “presents” today remember these scum bag shepherds needed to be in His “presence”. To do that was not an easy task; they had to move with all of their sheep to the place of the Kings birth. Can you imagine the scene with hundreds perhaps millions of sheep, bleating as they go and eating everything along the way. It took great courage to do this to bring unlawfully out of the desert these sheep and to honor the King. Imagine their surprise to see the messiah, the king of kings, in a nasty cave used to stable animals, lying in a manger. (A manger is basically a feed troth for animals.) The...

Luke, Chapter 1, verse 67-75: 67 Then Zechariah his father, filled with the holy Spirit, prophesied, saying: 68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and brought redemption to his people. 69 He has raised up a horn for our salvation within the house of David his servant, 70 even as he promised through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old: 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, 72 to show mercy to our fathers and to be mindful of his holy covenant 73 and of the oath he swore to Abraham our father, and to grant us that, 74 rescued from the hand of enemies, without fear we might worship him 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. My prayer is that the Lord our God will rescued the Christians in the Middle East so they might worship him in holiness and righteousness. Indeed this prayer in needed in our own country where our government and the media have shown they hate us. In America, we have until...

Psalm 25, Verse 14 The counsel of the L ORD belongs to those who fear him; and his covenant instructs them. Today is a day for any last minute shopping.  Remember that “ A happy heart is better than a full Purse.” Ponder on the thought that God wants us to study the world, fall in love with its creator, and live happily forever after.  “Lord my God, teach my heart where and how to seek you, where and how to find you.”  Anselm of Canterbury Come to save us, O Lord our God. O Emmanuel, God with us, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: Come to save us, O Lord our God. 

Luke, Chapter 1, verse 50: His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. Happiness is a choice; just as love is a choice. We either decide to be happy or we do not. No amount of money or material things will bring us joy, no amount of pleasure or power either. Mary knew that true happiness comes from God’s mercy. That is a choice too. God’s mercy is given to those who fear Him and then in turn honor the gift of love. We in order to accept the gift of mercy must be open to receive. We make a choice. It is funny Mary’s whose name means bitterness was just the opposite. She emptied herself to be filled to the brim with God’s love and within three days she will gave birth to Christ our redeemer. I imagine she pondered on this day ages ago as she felt His movement within her that his mercy is overpowering. Let us empty ourselves of all our bitterness and resentments asking Mary to pray for us as we do.  Let us in these remaining days before Christmas do all we ...

Luke, Chapter 5, verse 9-10: 9 For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, 10 and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid ; from now on you will be catching men.” The Lord says that to each of us. We all play a role in the plan of God and are forevermore fishers of men. Notice how our Lord took simple fishermen and using their raw natural talent he, even in their sinfulness, was able to mold them into legends. To do this for them they had to have Faith. Faith is the opposite of fear.  Come, and shine on those seated in darkness, and in the shadow of death. O Dawn, splendor of eternal light, and sun of justice, come, and shine on those seated in darkness, and in the shadow of death. Holidays &Traditions around the December solstice The December solstice is the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Summer Solstice in the Sou...

Luke, Chapter 2, verse 8-10: 8 Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. 9 The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear . 10  The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid ; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. During this season let us daily ask of our Lord to remove our hearts of stone and give us a heart of love thus making the winter brighter and our burdens lighter and bring cheer to the hearts of all we encounter. May we through love be brought to Holy fear! Come, and bring forth the captive from his prison. O Key of David, and Scepter of the House of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens; Come and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.