Tuesday, March 21, 2017

So let our sacrifice be in your presence today as we follow you unreservedly; for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame. And now we follow you with our whole heart,
we fear you and we pray to you.

Joshua, Chapter 1, Verse 9

I command you: be strong and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever you go.

The Lord is patient and kind yet He is also just. He will right the evil of man. When man goes too far God intervenes. Is another intervention coming? Is there a breach in the lines of defense against the forces of darkness? Have we become fat and gross and gorged with secularism? Have we forsaken the God who made us and scorned Him? Have we sacrificed to demons, to “no-gods”?

Good men heed the message of St. Faustina, and seek the Divine Mercy of God while there is still time and then join the battle of God coming into the breach. Read the online message of the Bishop of Phoenix and be prepared to fight and defend our church.[1]

Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, a simple, uneducated, young Polish nun receives a special call. Jesus tells her, "I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My merciful Heart." These words of Jesus are found in the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, which chronicles Sr. Faustina's great experience of Divine Mercy in her soul and her mission to share that mercy with the world.

Though she died in obscurity in 1938, Sr. Faustina was hailed by Pope John Paul II as "the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time." On April 30, 2000, the Pope canonized her as St. Faustina, saying that the message of Divine Mercy she shared is urgently needed at the dawn of the new millennium.[2]

Aids in Battle[3] When in the battle

In the moments when you are tempted to be careless or halfhearted in the struggle, let these exhortations stir you to a renewed valor in battle and provide you with strategies to follow.

· The life of man upon the earth is a warfare. Tob 12: 13 DOUAY-RHEIMS

· God has not destined us to wrath, but to gain

· Fight the good fight, having faith and a good conscience. 1 Tim 1: 19

· lay hold of the life eternal, to which you have been called

· Conduct yourself in work as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

· Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Rom 12: 21 RSVCE

· The unceasing prayer of a just man has great effectiveness.

International Day of Forests[4]

International Day of Forests seeks to celebrate forests while providing a platform to raise awareness of the importance of trees. The day also raises awareness of rapid deforestation and educates about the vital role that forests and trees play in sustaining and protecting humans by supplying us with freshwater and oxygen. In fact, forested watersheds and wetlands provide the world with nearly 75% of its accessible freshwater. International Day of Forests was declared in December 2012 by the United Nations General Assembly in an effort to promote the importance of forests to humans and aid in conservation efforts. International Day of Forests is observed annually on March 21st. Since then, International Forest Day has become one of the most influential global events advocating for forest conservation in the world.

International Day of Forests Facts & Quotes

· According to the UN, forests cover one third of the Earth’s land mass

· Nearly one-third of the world's largest cities get their drinking water directly from protected forest areas. Forests act as natural filters for water by removing particles from it such as metals and nitrogen.

· According to the UN, approximately 1.6 billion people worldwide depend on forests for their livelihood.

· The development of civilization and industry in general has always shown itself so active in the destruction of forests that everything that has been done for their conservation and production is completely insignificant in comparison. – Karl Marx

International Day of Forests Top Events and Things to Do

· Join the celebration of the International Day of Forests and World Water Day in the Economic and Social Council Chamber of the UN. Every year they host a meet and greet style event in the chamber that the public can join in on.

· Watch a movie that advocates for the protection of forests or showcases their rich biological diversity. Some of our favorites are Planet Earth, FernGully: The Last Rainforest, and Wild.

· Spread awareness on social media by using the hashtags #InternationalDayofForests, #SavetheForests or #IntForestDay.

· Share your favorite photo of a forest or plant with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN by emailing it to idf@fao.org. The UN will add it to a combined gallery of everyone’s pictures around the world!

· Read a book that is advocating forest conservation. Some of our favorites are: The Sibley Guide to Trees, The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring, and Forest Ecology.

Daily Devotions/Prayers

· Drops of Christ’s Blood