This blog is based on references in the Bible to fear. God wills that we “BE NOT AFRAID”. Many theologians state that the eighth deadly sin is fear. 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. By “the power of the Holy Spirit” we can be witnesses and “communicators” of a new and redeemed humanity “even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7 8). This blog is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God.
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NINE-MONTH NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
Start March 12 to December 12
Monday, February 13, 2017
Numbers, chapter 22, Verse 2-3
2Now Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that
Israel did to the Amorites,3and Moab feared the Israelites greatly because they were numerous. Moab was
in dread of the Israelites.
Fear is listed by many
theologians as the 8th deadly sin. God in making us a Holy people
wants us to be free of fear. Is it any wonder that people without faith are
plagued by fear? Fear Dominates Politics, Media and Human Existence in
America—And It’s Getting Worse according to Don Hazen.
“Fear is the mind-killer” – Frank Herbert, Dune
People cannot think clearly when they are afraid. As
numerous studies have shown, fear is the enemy of reason. It distorts
emotions and perceptions, and often leads to poor decisions. For people who
have suffered trauma, fear messages can sometimes trigger uncontrollable
flight-or-fight responses with dangerous ramifications.
Yet over time, many interlocking aspects of our society
have become increasingly sophisticated at communicating messages and
information that produce fear responses. Advertising, political ads, news
coverage and social media all send the constant message that people should be
afraid—very afraid.
In addition, television and film are filled with extreme
violence and millions of fictional deaths, far out of proportion to what
happens in real life, as researchers have pointed out…All this, despite statistics
indicating that in most parts of the country, the crime rate is actually
on the decline.
Fear is so pervasive that experts have made the case we
live in a generalized “culture of fear,” also the name of a book by Barry
Glassner which underscores the fact that we often fear the wrong things, and
incredibly out of proportion to reality. Statistics show you have a much higher
chance of being killed by lightning than by a terrorist.[1]
St. Catherine experienced the stigmata and every Thursday-Friday
accompanied Jesus in His Passion. Despite Catherine's extraordinary interior
life, she continued to serve the monastery in many capacities including
prioress for 36 years. The Canticle of the Passion was revealed to Catherine
immediately after her first great ecstasy of the Passion. Our Lady desired
Catherine to spread it as a form of prayer and contemplation pleasing to Our
Lord. The Canticle is chanted in some Dominican monasteries on the Fridays of
Lent.
Prayer
My friends and My neighbors * have drawn near and stood against Me. I was
delivered up and came not forth; * My eyes languished through poverty. And my
sweat became as drops of blood, * trickling down and upon the ground. For many
dogs have encompassed Me * the council of the malignant hath besieged Me. I
have given My body to the strikers * and My cheeks to them that plucked them. I
have not turned away My face from them that rebuked Me * and spit upon Me. For
I am ready for scourges, * and My sorrow is continually before Me. The
soldiers, plaiting a crown of thorns, placed it upon My head. They have dug My
hands and feet; * they have numbered all My bones. And they gave Me gall for My
food; * and in My thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink. All they that saw Me
laughed Me to scorn; * they have spoken with lips and wagged their heads. They
have looked and stared upon Me; * they parted My garments among them and upon
My vesture they cast lots. Into Thy hands I commend My spirit; * Thou has
redeemed me, O God of truth. Be mindful, O Lord, of Thy servants, * when Thou
shalt come into Thy kingdom. And Jesus having cried out with a loud voice *
gave up the ghost. The mercies of the Lord * I will sing for all eternity. Surely
He hath borne our infirmities * and carried our sorrows. He was bruised for our
sins. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; * every one hath turned aside into
his own way. For the Lord hath placed upon him * the iniquities of us all. Arise,
why sleepest Thou, O Lord? * Arise and cast us not off to the end. Behold, God
is my Saviour, * I will deal confidently, and will not fear. We beseech Thee, O Lord, help Thy servants * whom Thou hast
redeemed with Thy Precious Blood.
V. Have mercy on us, O benign Jesus. R. Who in Thy clemency didst suffer for
us.
Look
down, we beseech Thee, O Lord, on this Thy family for which Our Lord Jesus
Christ did not hesitate to be delivered into
Auxilium Christianorum - Praying for Persecuted Priests Monday, May 24 is the Feast of Mary Mother of the Church. It is also the Feast of Mary Help of Christians (Auxilium Christianorum). Please consider joining this Auxilium Christianorum family to pray daily for our holy and courageous persecuted priests. The Church teaches us that it is divided into the Church Triumphant (which includes the members of the Church in heaven), the Church Suffering (this includes the members of the Church in purgatory), and the Church Militant (this refers to those members of the Church who are alive in this world). Because we are part of the Church Militant, we are in a spiritual warfare and this spiritual warfare requires that we recognize, as Saint Paul teaches us "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places." ( Ephesians 6:12 ) The me
Switch of Manliness Legacy OUR LADY OF CZESTOCHOWA Acts, Chapter 10, verse 1-4 1 Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Cohort called the Italica, 2 devout and God-fearing along with his whole household, who used to give alms generously to the Jewish people and pray to God constantly. 3 One afternoon about three o’clock, he saw plainly in a vision an angel of God come into him and say to him, “Cornelius.” 4 He looked intently at him and seized with FEAR , said, “What is it, sir?” He said to him, “Your prayers and almsgiving have ascended as a memorial offering before God. Cornelius’ Cohort was an auxiliary unit of archers, men who are expert at hitting a mark or target. Sin is the act of violating God's will. Sin can also be viewed as anything that violates the ideal relationship between an individual and God, or as any diversion from the ideal order for human living. To sin has been defined as "to miss the mark" to have a harden
Monday Night at the Movies Luis Bunuel, Simon of the Desert, 1965 SAINT MOTHER THEODORE GUERIN Hebrews, Chapter 12, Verse 21 Indeed, so FEARFUL was the spectacle that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.” Moses was the heir apparent to the throne of Egypt in his youth. As a member of the Egyptian court, he would have seen many fearful spectacles yet imagine what it must have been like to have been a witness of God descending on Mount Sinai to give the law. He was terrified and trembling. Again, now imagine if Moses was somehow resurrected and was able to walk into an ordinary catholic church that has a very modest Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Do you think his reaction would be any different than the first time he encountered the living God? Be Still and Know that I am God [1] On the evening of October 1995, John Paul II was scheduled to greet the seminarians at Saint Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. It had been a very full day that began with a Mass at Oriole Park in Camden Y
30 Days of Women and Herbs – Frauendreissiger Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) 2 Maccabees, Chapter 15, Verse 8 He urged his men not to fear the attack of the Gentiles, but mindful of the help they had received in the past from Heaven, to expect now the victory that would be given them by the Almighty. As an old, retired military man it was common for us to say while we were loading our magazines with bullets, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." We knew that without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Optimists see steppingstones where pessimists see stumbling blocks. Heavenly Intercession [1] "Stretching out his right hand, Jeremiah presented a gold sword to Judas. As he gave it to him, he said 'Accept this holy sword as a gift from God; with it you shall crush your adversaries.' " —2 Maccabees 15:15-16 Nicanor planned to slaughter the Jews on th
Judith, Chapter 10, Verse 16 When you stand before him, have no fear in your heart; give him the report you have given us, and he will treat you well.” Judith prepares for war with prayer and by the enhancement of her beauty. She is so strikingly beautiful that in this verse one of the guards of the Assyrian camp advises her to be confident in the presence of Holofernes. Beauty and the Beast [1] After bathing (during a drought) she uses all the human arts available to her to make herself beautiful and captivating: perfumed ointment, hair, clothing and jewelry. She understands the goodness of her body. She knows physical beauty is good and comes from God. She also knows that the power of her beauty comes from within her, from her holiness, from her faithfulness to God. Since both her exterior and interior beauty come from God, her beauty must be devoted to the service of God. God intends to use her beauty as a weapon to liberate the people. She will wield the weapon t
iFrame is not supported! Self-mastery. Manliness requires virtue. Yet “virtue” can seem like a vague concept. How do you make it concrete? What does virtue look like for a man, a husband, a father? Most of you who took our survey awhile back asked us to talk about this. Today’s video covers the basics. In The Catholic Gentleman+, you’ll grow in virtue through a monthly challenge. By accepting each challenge, you will: Break down self-mastery into achievable goals. Practice essential virtues like chastity, patience, and charity. Perfect your God-given masculinity. WATCH THE VIDEO NOW We launch tomorrow! Look for the next email with your signup link. We’ll give you a special launch discount too. See you inside. In Jesus Through Mary, John PS: Through all of the excitement we continue to get asked what will be inside Catholic Gentleman+ so I thought it would be helpful to outline it here. Daily Saint Quotes for Meditation straight to your email or SMS 6 Pillar Vi
Jeremiah, Chapter 26, verse 19 Did Hezekiah, king of Judah, and all Judah condemn him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, so that the LORD had a change of heart regarding the evil he had spoken against them? We, however, are about to do great evil against ourselves.” Have you ever been around people who cannot handle the truth! Speaking the truth got Jeremiah in dire straits. Unmoving, the temple officials and elders trashed Jeremiah nonetheless they were too afraid to kill him. Dire Straits [1] · At the beginning of Jehoiakim's reign, God tells Jeremiah to stand in the court of the temple and speak to all the people and cities of Judah. They're getting another chance to repent. Maybe they'll actually listen this time. · If the people don't finally come to their senses, God's going to do the same thing to Jerusalem that he did to Shiloh up north: it'll be devastated, but the priests and prophets don't want
February 8 Thursday after Sexagesima- Carnival Saint Bakhita- Marriage Week Psalm 119, Verse 46 I will speak openly of your testimonies without FEAR even before kings. Professing Christians! Are we ready to bear our testimony for Jesus, against the sneer and ridicule of the ungodly? We are not likely to "be brought before kings and rulers for the Son of Man's sake." Yet no less do we need Divine help and strong faith in withstanding the enmity of a prejudiced relative or scornful neighbor. Young people! You are perhaps in especial danger of being ashamed of your Bible, your religion, your Savior. You may be brought under the snare of the "fear of man," and be tempted to compromise your religion, and to sacrifice your everlasting all from a dread of "the reproach of Christ." But remember him, who for your sake "before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession"; and shall the dread of a name restrain you from sharing h
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