Saturday, November 12, 2016

Acts, Chapter 20, Verse 20

I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus.

Paul here is exhorting the Ephesian leaders to have the heart of an effective leader which is “being before doing.” Leadership begins with the heart.

A Leader’s Heart[1]

Paul had a heart that was:

1.      Consistent-he lived steadily while moving among them.

2.      Contrite-he acted humbly and willingly showed his weakness.

3.      Courageous-he didn’t shrink from doing the right thing.

4.      Convictional-he communicated his convictions boldly.

5.      Committed-he left for Jerusalem, willing to die for Christ.

6.      Captivated-he showed that a surrendered man doesn’t have to survive.

Saint Josaphat[2]

Josaphat Kuncewitcz was born about the year 1580 at Vladimir, Volhynia, [part of the Polish province of Lithuania at the time] and given the name John at baptism. While being instructed as a child on the sufferings of our Savior, his heart is said to have been wounded by an arrow from the sacred side of the Crucified. In 1604 he joined the Ukrainian Order of Saint Basil (Basilians), lived as a monk in a very mortified life, went barefoot even in winter, refrained from the use of wine and flesh-meat, and always wore a penitential garb. In 1614 he was appointed archimandrite of Vilna, Russia and four years later archbishop of Polotzk; in this position he worked untiringly for Church reunion. He was a great friend of the poor, once even pledged his archepiscopal omophorion (pallium) to support a poor widow. The foes of union decided to assassinate him. In a sermon, he himself spoke of his death as imminent. When he visited Vitebsk (now in Russia), his enemies attacked his lodging and murdered a number of his companions. Meekly the man of God hastened toward the mob and, full of love, cried, "My children, what are you doing? If you have something against me, see, here I am." With furious cries of "Kill the papist!", they rushed upon him with gun and sword. Josaphat's body was thrown into the river but emerged, surrounded by rays of light, and was recovered. His murderers, when sentenced to death, repented their crime and became Catholics.

National Pizza Day[3]

National Pizza Day is dedicated to appreciating pizza, a baked flatbread that is topped with tomato sauce and cheese.  Many toppings and sauces can be added to pizzas, including vegetables, meats and seafood.  Pizza was invented in Naples, Italy around the 10th century, and has since grown to become one of the most popular foods in America. In 1905, America’s first pizzeria, Lombardi’s, opened in New York.  Since then, pizza consumption in America has increased greatly and many pizza chains, such as Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Papa John’s have emerged. The origin of National Pizza Day is not well understood although accounts of National Pizza Day began to emerge around the 2000s.

·         National Pizza Day Facts & Quotes

·         The world's largest pizza, named Ottavia, was made on December 13, 2012 in Rome, Italy.  With a surface are of 1,261.65 m², the pizza was made by Dovilio Nardi, Andrea Mannocchi, Marco Nardi, Matteo Nardi and Matteo Giannotte.  To spread a message of good health, the pizza was made entirely gluten-free.

·         According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2014 Food Survey report on the Consumption of Pizza, 13% of Americans consume pizza on any given day!

·         According to a study done in 2013 by food delivery provider Foodler, 37% of North American consumers order plain cheese pizza, 52% order meat toppings and the three most ordered pizza toppings are: pepperoni, mushrooms and onions.

·         According to gross sales earned by pizza chains, the top 5 American pizzerias are:
1) Pizza Hut, gross sales of $13.4 Billion
2) Domino’s, gross sales of $8.9 Billion
3) Little Caesars, gross sales of $3.4 Billion
4) Papa John’s, gross sales of $3.3 Billion
5) Papa Murphy's, gross sales of $7.85 Million

·         If I could eat whatever I wanted every day, I would have Domino's pizza with pasta carbonara inside every slice. And at night, I would have Neapolitan ice cream until I felt absolutely toxic. And then I would drift off telling myself, 'It's going to be O.K... It's going to be O.K. you're going to train in the morning'. - Robert Downey, Jr., Actor

National Pizza Day Top Events and Things to Do

·         Visit your favorite pizzeria.  Most pizzerias will offer discounts and specials to celebrate National Pizza Day.

·         Attend a pizza festival!  Here are some of our favorites to consider:
1) Cleveland Pizza Fest
2) Phoenix Pizza Festival
3) Pizza Festival - Los Angeles
4) Chicago Pizza Fest
5) Pizza Fest Seattle: Annual Punk Festival+Pizza-Eating Contest

·         Make your own pizza at home from scratch. Make the dough, perhaps gluten-free or whole wheat, make the sauce using tomatoes and spices, grate the cheese and finally cover it up with all of your favorite toppings.

·         Try a pizza with unique toppings.  Here are some of our favorites:
1) Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza
2) Beer Battered Fried Calamari Pizza
3) Butternut Squash and Sage Pizza
4) Fried Chicken Pizza
5) Brown Butter Lobster and Spinach Pizza with Bacon and Fontina

·         Make it a pizza and a movie kind of night.  Watch the Academy Award nominees for ‘Best Picture’ (2016):
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight

COURAGE FOR THE MODERN WORLD 2017

Authored by Mr. Richard H. Havermale Jr.This book is the continuation of my first book based on more than 365 references in the Bible to fear, dread, and that in fact our God encourages us to "BE NOT AFRAID". To do this we must be in the presence of our Lord and talk to Him. I recommend you develop the habit of spending 10-15 minutes a day with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel or if that is not available some other quiet place where you can be in the presence of our Lord. Read the daily entry and reflect on it asking our Lord and His mother to talk to your heart and reveal to you the will of the Father and then Do it. The layout of this book is to list and reflect on the books of the bible Sirach through Revelations. In the early part of September my search of the verses dealing with fear and being afraid was completed; so I asked the Lord what do I, do now. After some reflection I realize that the fruit of fear in the Lord is the Theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Love  which ultimately results in Peace of the Lord. As a consequence the month of September will deal with Peace, October with Love and the month of November will be reflections on Faith and Hope. After Thanksgiving for the season of Advent and Christmas this work uses a multitude of references that reflect the Christmas season. There are many theologians who state that the eighth deadly sin is fear itself. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. Saint John Paul II in his writings and talks also tells us to BE NOT AFRAID. In fear or anger we walk away from God. Our Lord, Jesus Christ taught us how to walk back toward God in His sermon on the mount through the Beatitudes. Each of the beatitudes is the antidote for the opposite deadly sins.

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[1]John Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible.

[2]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2016-11-12

[3]http://www.wincalendar.com/Pizza-Day