Saturday, February 11, 2017 Our Lady of Lourdes
The LORD God called to Adam and asked him, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself."
Numbers, Chapter
14, Verse 9
Only do not rebel against the LORD! You need not be afraid of the people of the land, for they are but food for us!
Their protection has left them, but the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.”
There’s a happy thought.
The Israelites were a hard people but little did they know that God would turn
that around to Him being food for us. Yes, we are all hard people. Yes, we eat
our young. Look at the comments coming out of Planned Parenthood about making
so much money from tissue sales they will be driving Lamborghinis.
Look at the world we can
see that more and more there is a battle between the light and the dark. Look
at advertising, marketing, media, politics; all are fighting either for Him who
is or him who thinks he is. Choose but choose wisely-do not fear them.
Our Lady tells us the
battle is already won-their protection has left them!
Our Lady of Lourdes[1]
Today marks the first
apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1858 to fourteen-year-old Marie
Bernade (St. Bernadette) Soubirous. Between February 11 and July 16, 1858, the
Blessed Virgin appeared eighteen times, and showed herself to St. Bernadette in
the hollow of the rock at Lourdes. On March 25 she said to the little
shepherdess who was only fourteen years of age: "I am the Immaculate
Conception." Since then Lourdes has become a place of pilgrimage and many
cures and conversions have taken place. The message of Lourdes is a call to
personal conversion, prayer, and charity.
Things to Do
·
Watch The Song of Bernadette,
a masterpiece filmed in 1943.
·
Bring flowers (roses would be
appropriate) to your statue of Our Lady at your home altar, especially if you
have a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes.
·
Obtain some Lourdes holy water and
give the parental blessing to your children (see link).
·
Give extra care to the sick in your
community — cook dinner for a sick mother's family, bring your children to the
local nursing home (the elderly love to see children), send flowers to a member
of your parish community who is ill.
Today is World Day of the Sick and also the Hebrew New Year
for trees-One wonders if our Lady celebrated this with Christ in happier times.
Tu Bishvat (Hebrew: ט״ו
בשבט, literally: the 15th of the Lunar Month of Shevat) is the New
Year for trees (similar to Arbor Day). It falls in January or February
each year, typically when almond blossom is seen in Israel. It is one of
the four New Years in the Jewish Calendar. According to the Jewish Law
(Halachah), the 'New Year for trees' defines the beginning of the year for
separating tithes for the poor and Levite. Tithes are 10% portions of a
product, which are allocated as charity to
either the Levites or the poor. Torah Law requires, that when the Holy
Temple was standing, these tithes would be removed from the produce, before it
was 'fit for consumption'. There was a seven year cycle, culminating in
the Shmittah year, when fields lay fallow. After every seven seven year
cycles, a Jubilee, 50th year was celebrated.
Tu
Bishvat Facts & Quotes
·
It
is customary on Tu Bishvat to eat fruits of the Land of Israel, particularly
those of the Biblical verse A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig
trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey (Deuteronomy
8:8). The honey in this verse refers to date honey, according to
tradition. Another custom is to plant trees in Israel.
·
On
Tu Bishvat, we remember that Man is a Tree of the Field (Deuteronomy 20:19).
It explains that we may not cut down trees during the siege of a city.
The tree of the field is man's life to be used in and after the siege.
·
The
Code of Jewish Law states that on Tu B'Shevat fasting and eulogies are
forbidden, and all penitential prayers are omitted. One of the most important
authorities, the Magen Avraham, adds (131:16): It is the custom to eat many
different kinds of fruit. The Arizal suggested the eating of fifteen kinds
of fruit (on the fifteenth of the month).
·
It
should be noted that all Jewish holidays begin at sundown one the eve before
the Gregorian date specified for the holiday.
Tu
Bishvat Top Events and Things to Do
·
Make a Tu Bishvat Fruit Plate.
Magen Avraham, a leading Jewish authority suggested the eating of fifteen
kinds of fruit (on the fifteenth of the month).
·
Say Blessings for new Fruit. Two
blessings are said for new fruits (which have not yet been eaten that year),
namely the standard blessing for fruits ..Who created the fruits of the tree
and ..Who kept us alive, and sustained us and allowed us to reach this day.
·
Attend a Tu Bishvat tisch which is
popular in Hasidic communities. A Tisch is the Yiddish word for table.
It refers to a festive meal with Holy Land fruits, wine, bread, fish and
other foods.
·
Sing a Tu Bishvat Song. There are
many songs on YouTube
about Tu Bishvat in both Hebrew and English.
Daily Devotions/Prayers
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