Monday, May 1, 2017

2 Samuel, Chapter 3, Verse 11
Ishbaal was no longer able to say a word to Abner, he feared him so.

This is a twisted tale of the leaders of Israel that are being divided in loyalties to either David or the son of Saul “Ishbaal”. Money, Power, Sex and Violence are involved. Hmmm sounds like this could be America splitting between Hillary and the Donald. Do not trust in these things but in He that is.

Aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your [own] hands, as we instructed you, that you may conduct yourselves properly toward outsiders and not depend on anyone.
1 Thessaonians 4:11-12

Ishbaal[1] was one of the four sons of King Saul, born c. 1047 BC. He was chosen as the second king over the Kingdom of Israel, which then consisted of all the twelve tribes of the Israelites, after the death of his father and three brothers at the Battle of Mount Gilboa. He was proclaimed king over Israel by Abner, the captain of Saul's army after his father and brothers were slain in the battle of Gilboa. He was 40 years old at this time and reigned for two years. Upon the death of King Saul, the tribe of Judah seceded from the rule of the House of Saul by proclaiming David as its king, and war ensued. David's faction eventually prevailed, but the war did not come to a close until Abner joined David.

Ishbaal and Abner Quarrel[2]

During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was gaining power in the house of Saul. Now Saul had had a concubine, Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbaal, son of Saul, said to Abner, “Why have you slept with my father’s concubine?” Enraged at the words of Ishbaal, Abner said, “Am I a dog’s head from Judah? As of today, I have been loyal to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and his friends, and I have kept you out of David’s clutches; and today you charge me with a crime involving a woman! May God do thus to Abner, and more, if I do not carry out for David what the Lord swore to him—that is, take away the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel as well as Judah, from Dan to Beer-sheba.” Ishbaal was no longer able to say a word to Abner, he feared him so.

May Day[3]

The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the Floralia, festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, held on April 27 during the Roman Republic era, and with the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. The day was a traditional summer holiday in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures. As Europe became Christianized, the pagan holidays lost their religious character and May Day changed into a popular secular celebration. A significant celebration of May Day occurs in Germany where it is one of several days on which St. Walburga, credited with bringing Christianity to Germany. The secular versions of May Day, observed in Europe and America, may be best known for their traditions of dancing around the maypole and crowning the Queen of May. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbors’ doorsteps. Since the 18th century, many Roman Catholics have observed May – and May Day – with various May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary's head will often be adorned with flowers in a May crowning. May 1 is also one of two feast days of the Catholic patron saint of workers St Joseph the Worker, a carpenter, husband to Mother Mary, and surrogate father of Jesus. Replacing another feast to St. Joseph, this date was chosen by Pope Pius XII in 1955 as a counterpoint to the Communist International Workers Day celebrations on May Day.[4]

May Day Facts & Quotes[5]

·         Roman Catholics celebrate May as Mary's month, and May Day is celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
·         May Day is also recognized as International Worker's Day, or Labor Day.  This day commemorates workers rights and the labor movement.  One popular cause that this day commemorates is the eight-hour workday.
·         During the Haymarket Affair of 1886, more than a dozen people were killed after a 3-day strike and rally. US Labor Unions had agreed upon a general nationwide strike on May 1, 1886 in support of an eight-hour work day. One such rally, held outside the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, Chicago, Illinois, became violent when police fired into the crowd of striking workers. Outraged, the worker's organized another rally the next day at Haymarket Square.  The rally became violent when a bomb was thrown into a crowd of police.  Seven officers were killed.  A very public trial ensued which ended in the public hanging of four anarchists.
·         In France, it is customary to give a sweet smelling flower called the spring of lily of the valley (a symbol of springtime) on May 1st. The tradition started in 1561 when King Charles IX of France received a lily of the valley as a lucky charm.
·         All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. – Martin Luther King Jr.

May Day Top Events and Things to Do

·         Dance around a Maypole. Decorate a tall pole with garlands of flowers and ribbons. Have a group of friends each take a ribbon and dance around the pole, interweaving the ribbons to form a braided affect. The braid can be undone by retracing one's steps.
·         Have a picnic outdoors in the sunshine.
·         Attend a May Day Festival.
·         Visit a local fresh air market.
·         Watch a film relating to worker’s rights. Our favorite films on the topic:
1) The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
2) Office Space (1999)
3) Caesar Chavez (2014)

Daily Devotions/Prayers


·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

http://paradisusdei.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=29fa0f2c7e20c8af85d66eaaa&id=3d484fc119&e=9d66e5e313


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