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.
"He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has
filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty."
Ester, Chapter 5, Verse 9
That day Haman left happy and in good
spirits. But when he saw that Mordecai at the royal gate did not rise, and
showed no fear of him, he was filled
with anger toward him.
Change one letter in the
name of Haman and it becomes human. How many times have you been in good
spirits and happy when bam all of the sudden something upsets you and now you
are in the pit of despair. Haman was happy because his pride was enriched and
he saw himself a god and then upon exiting the gate of the palace that Jew
Mordecai was sitting at the gate and refused to stand and showed no fear of the
great and powerful Haman and reminded him he is mortal. Bam-get even time. Haman
goes home and brews telling his perfectly evil mate Zeresh.
Together with her husband, Haman, she plotted to annihilate the entire
Jewish nation and to hang Mordecai
upon a towering gallows. Thankfully, we know how well her plans worked out in
the end… Every Purim,
in the Shoshanat Yaakov
poem, we memorialize her wickedness by gleefully singing, “Cursed be Zeresh,
wife of [Haman], who terrorized me.”
Who Was Zeresh?
Zeresh’s name appears twice in the Book of Esther, both times as an advisor to her
husband. She is the one who suggests that Haman rid himself of Mordechai by hanging
him on a gallows 50 cubits tall. In her second appearance, she advises him that
he will never be able to vanquish Mordechai, but will instead fall ignobly. Combing
through the classic sources, we can piece together some parts of her
personality. Her father was Tattenai, “the ruler of across the river, who makes
an appearance in the Book of Ezra when he tries (unsuccessfully) to halt
the rebuilding of the Temple
in Jerusalem. In
the first chapter of the Book of Esther, Queen Vashti refuses her drunken husband’s order to
appear before him at the feast. The king consults with his wise men, and one
Memuchan advises him to dispose of his rebellious wife and find a better one.
Some say that Memuchan is a pseudonym for Haman, who wished to take revenge
against Vashti for not inviting his wife, Zeresh, to her party for women.
Her
Advice
The sources describe Zeresh as a very wise woman who even knew the secrets
of sorcery. According to the Midrash, Haman had 365 advisors, but Zeresh’s
advice was the best he received. She found an original way to kill Mordechai,
one that had never been tried, telling her husband: You must remember that
Mordechai is a Jew. If you try to kill him with a sword, know that Pharaoh
attempted to decapitate Moses
and failed. If you wish to stone him, remember how David slew Goliath with stones. If you try to drown him,
remember how G‑d
tore the sea before Israel.
If you want to exile him to the desert, remember how Israel wandered in the
desert for forty years and thrived. Joseph was released from jail and became the
viceroy. Chananya,
Mishael and Azarya went out from
a fiery furnace, and Daniel
left the lion’s den. Don’t try to blind him; remember how many people Samson killed whilst
sightless. There is one remaining way for you: hang Mordechai on a tree. (We see this done to Christ and see how
that worked for the evil forces.) Not satisfied with simply advising,
Zeresh went with her husband to find the tallest tree in Shushan, which turned
out to be quite a thorny specimen. With the tree chosen, the Book of Esther
tells us, Haman ran to the king’s palace to discuss his plans to hang Mordechai
upon it. Yet, in a divinely orchestrated twist of events, he soon found himself
leading Mordechai through the streets of Shushan shouting, “Thus shall be done
to the man whom the king wishes to honor!” Returning home, he meets his wife,
who tells him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of
Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely fall before
him!"
Zeresh’s
Legacy
Scripture is silent regarding the end of her life. Tradition tells us that
after Haman was hanged on the tree that he had prepared for Mordecai, Zeresh
fled in disgrace with his remaining 70 sons. They were reduced to begging from
door to door in order to stay alive. We remember Zeresh every year when we sing
the poem Shoshanat Yaakov after reading the Megillah. Interestingly, some medieval
communities would stamp their feet and make noise when Zeresh’s name was
mentioned during the Megillah reading, just as we do today when we hear the
name of her wicked husband, Haman. In the book Mechir Yayin, Rabbi Moshe Isserles
(known as the Ramah, 1530-1572) describes Zeresh as the embodiment of delusion,
whose fantasies of honor and wealth distract a person from the worthwhile
pursuits of intellectual enlightenment and divine wisdom.
The elements of this devotion, therefore, consist in the following four
points, all of which must be offered in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of
Mary.
1.Confession: This confession can be made before the
First Saturday or afterward, provided that Holy Communion be received in the
state of grace. In 1926, Christ in a vision explained to Lucia (Fatima) that
this confession could be made a week before or even more, and that it should be
offered in reparation.
2.Holy Communion: Before receiving Holy Communion,
it is likewise necessary to offer it in reparation to Our Lady. Our Lord told
Lucia in 1930, “This Communion will be accepted on the following Sunday for just
reasons, if my priests allow it so.”So if work or school, sickness, or another just reason prevents
the Communion on a First Saturday, with this permission it may be received the
following Sunday. If Communion is transferred, any or all of the other acts of
the devotion may also be performed on Sunday if the person so desires.
3.Rosary: The Rosary is a vocal prayer said while
meditating upon the mysteries of Our Lord’s life and Passion and Our Lady’s life. To comply with
the request of our Blessed Mother, it must be offered in reparation and said
properly while meditating.
4.15-minute
meditation:
Also offered in reparation, the meditation may embrace one or more mysteries;
it may include all, taken together or separately. This meditation should be the
richest of any meditation, because Our Lady promised to be present when she
said “...those who keep me company....”
Feast of the
Precious Blood[3] July first is the Feast of the Precious Blood. This
is a feast that does not exist in the new Roman Calendar of Pope Paul VI. It is
still, however, in the traditional Roman calendar of the 1962 usage. Both
halves of the year, in January and July, begin with the commemoration of the
Precious Blood of Jesus. January 1 is the feast of the Circumcision, when the
Precious Blood of Jesus was first shed. July 1 is the commemoration of the Most
Precious Blood of Jesus as it is preserved in all Catholic churches at the hour
of Mass. The Precious Blood of Jesus was given to Him to divinize by Mary, the
Mother of God. Between Jesus and Mary there was a perpetual interflow of blood
for nine months when He was a Child in her womb. Anyone can see how divinized
Mary became by this interchange of blood for nearly a year. Everyone who wishes
to become a son of God the Father, as he becomes by Sanctifying Grace, must
also become a child of Mary the Virgin, by receiving in his mouth the Blessed
Eucharist which is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord and Saviour,
Jesus Christ. All the saints of the Old Testament, when their bodies rise from
the grave on the Last Day, will receive the Precious Blood of Jesus. Our Lord
said of the chalice which contained His Precious Blood at the Last Supper, “I
will not drink of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it
with you new in the Kingdom of My Father.” The Kingdom of God the Father, Whose
sons we divinely by adoption, is also the Queendom of Mary the Virgin, whose
children we must incarnately become in order to enjoy the happiness of Heaven
forever.
She replied: “I saw you, my lord, as an
angel of God, and my heart was shaken by fear
of your majesty.
We fear the rich and the
powerful yet we often have no fear of God and continue in our inability to rise
above our weaknesses. It is when we like Ester rise above our fears that we can
live up to our potential.
This memorial is in
honor of the nameless followers of Christ brutally killed by the mad Emperor
Nero as scapegoats for the fire in Rome. The pagan historian Tacitus and St.
Clement of Rome tell of a night of horror (August 15, 64 A.D.) when in the
imperial parks Christians were put into animal skins and hunted, were brutally
attacked, and were made into living torches to light the road for Nero's
chariot. From 64 to 314 "Christian" was synonymous with
"execution victim."
Fitness Friday
Recognizing that God the
Father created man on Friday the 6th day I propose in this blog to
have an entry that shares on how to recreate and renew yourself in strength;
mind, soul and heart.
She glowed with perfect beauty and her face
was as joyous as it was lovely, though her heart was pounding with fear.
Ester after making a total
and complete commitment to save the people and fasting for 3 days approached
her husband the King. She was at peace. This verse reflects the joy of the
woman in Mark’s chapter 5 whom Christ healed:
There was
a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. 26She had suffered greatly at the hands of
many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only
grew worse. 27She had
heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. 28 She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I
shall be cured.” 29Immediately
her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her
affliction. 30Jesus,
aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and
asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” 31But
his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet
you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32And
he looked around to see who had done it. 33The
woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved
you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction. An unclean person in
general had to avoid that which was holy and take steps to return to a state of
cleanliness. Uncleanliness placed a person in a "dangerous" condition
under threat of divine retribution, even death, if the person approached the
sanctuary. Uncleanness could lead to expulsion of the land's inhabitants and
its peril lingered upon those who did not undergo purification. Bodily discharges
(blood for women, semen for men) represented a temporary loss of strength and
life and movement toward death. Because decaying corpses discharged, so natural
bodily discharges were reminders of sin and death. Physical imperfections
representing a movement from "life" toward "death" moved a
person ritually away from God who was associated with life. Purification
rituals symbolized movement from death toward life and accordingly involved
blood, the color red, and spring (lit. "living") water, all symbols
of life.[1]
Christ also being clean took this woman’s uncleanliness and gave her his
Holiness. Indeed she was filled with wonder and awe.
For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he
was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become
rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Christ did the same for the two
princes of His church and He will do the same for you. Be clean!
Today is the grand rejoicing of the
two Princes of the Apostles and founders of the Church in Rome.
PETER,
formerly called Simon, was a son of Jonas, of Bethsaida, in Galilee, and a
brother of Andrew, by whom he was brought to Christ, Who at once changed his
name and called him Peter. When, soon after, Jesus said to both of them on the
Sea of Tiberias, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” they both left
their nets and followed Him. From this time forward Jesus was constantly giving
him particular proofs of His love. From the ship of Peter He taught the
thronging multitude, and to him He promised that on him, as upon a rock, He
would build His Church, against which the gates of hell should not prevail. Our
Lord took Peter with Him at the raising of Jairus daughter from the dead; at
His own transfiguration on Mount Tabor; at the beginning of His passion in the
Garden of Gethsemani. To him He promised the keys of the kingdom of heaven; for
him He specially prayed that his faith might not fail; and him He commanded to
strengthen his brethren. After His resurrection He appeared particularly to
Peter, and three times commanded him to feed His flock. But Peter had, above
all the other apostles, made himself worthy of this preeminence by his living
faith, his humility, his love, and his zeal for the honor of Jesus; for he it
was who, before the other apostles, made the confession, “Thou art Christ, the
Son of the living God.” He showed his humility when, at the miraculous draught
of fishes, he said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Out of
love he desired to remain always with Christ on Mount Tabor to prevent Him from
suffering; and out of love he declared himself ready with Christ to live or die;
nay, he even declared most confidently that, though all should be scandalized
in Christ, yet he would not be. When Jesus was taken prisoner, Peter showed
himself to be most courageous by cutting off the ear of one of his Master’s
enemies, and by following Him to the house of Caiphas. Three times, indeed, did
he, as no one else did, deny his Lord out of fear; but the look of forgiving love which Jesus cast upon him
forced from him tears of the deepest contrition, and three times afterwards,
accordingly, he made that confession, “Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee.” After
he had received the Holy Ghost, full of courage, he confessed Christ crucified,
and preached Him in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Ionia, and Bithynia. At
Jerusalem he was once already condemned to death, but was set free by an angel.
In the year 54 he went to Rome, whence, after a nine years residence, he was
banished, with many other Christians. Upon returning thither again he was
confined in the Mamertine prison, and finally, on June 29, in the year A.D. 67,
under the Emperor Nero, he was crucified; his head, by his own desire, hung
downwards, because he thought himself unworthy to die like Christ.
Paul,
before his conversion called Saul, was of the tribe of Benjamin, a native of
Tarsus, in Cilicia, and a pupil of Gamaliel. Full of zeal for the law, he
bitterly opposed the Christians. As he was travelling to Damascus to persecute
them he was, on the way, converted by Christ. How indefatigably he
thenceforward worked in the vineyard of the Lord, and what dangers and persecutions
he underwent, no pen can describe. It is almost incredible with what zeal and
perseverance he preached Christ, in chains and fetters, under blows and
scourges, in hunger and thirst, and untold times at the peril of his life. And
yet he was so humble that he counted himself the least of the apostles, and
always praised God that He had thought him worthy to suffer for His name. After
he had at last fought a good fight, and finished his course having everywhere
zealously preached the Gospel, and still more zealously practiced it he
received the crown of justice (n. Tim. iv. 6). The Emperor Nero caused him to
be beheaded on the same day that Peter was crucified.
Of The Pope
What is the Pope to the Catholic? The representative of Jesus Christ, and the visible head, appointed
by Him, for the government of His Church.
Did Christ actually appoint such a supreme head? Yes, and that in the person of St. Peter. He gave him the significant
name Peter the rock, distinguished him always above the other apostles, and
laid upon him the charge to feed His lambs, that is, the faithful, and His
sheep, that is, the bishops themselves; and this power Peter uniformly
exercised.
Why did Christ appoint a visible head for the Church? Because the Church is an outward, visible society, united together
not only by inward faith in Christ, but also by outward, visible signs. Such a
visible head is as necessary for the Church as for a body, a family, a society,
a state, to prevent disunion, confusion, and the consequent destruction of the
whole; this supreme head is the center of the whole, the final judge, the
authoritative teacher.
Who is now this supreme head? The Bishop of Rome, or the Pope. It is undeniable that
Peter occupied the bishop’s see at Rome, and that he died there. Equally
indisputable is it that the successor of St. Peter entered upon possession of
his rights, and, together with the episcopal see of Rome, inherited also the
office possessed by him. From the first centuries this has ever been
acknowledged by the faithful, who have accordingly called the Bishop of Rome
Pope that is, the father of the faithful. And how clearly does history show
that Peter and his successors are the rock upon which the Lord has immovably
founded His Church! What storms have not broken upon the Church!
Persecutions from without and within, heresies and schisms
without number, and infidelity in its most hideous form, have raged against the
Church, and what has been the consequence?
Nations have often fallen away from the Church, single bishops have proved betrayers
of their flocks, the sees of the apostles themselves have been subject to the
vicissitudes of time. And amid all these storms Rome alone has, for over
eighteen hundred years, stood firm. She has come out of every contest
victorious, has remained the center of faith and discipline, and has preserved the
unbroken succession of bishops from Peter. Who does not see herein the
assistance of Him Who forever fulfills that promise of His, “Upon this rock I
will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” The
Pope is, therefore, the visible supreme head of the Church, appointed by Christ
for all time; the invisible, all-governing head is Christ Himself.
O God, whose power is over all, hear the
voice of those in despair. Save us from the power of the wicked, and deliver me
from my fear.”
Ester has determined
here that she must overcome fear and risk death in order to save her people. To
enter the Kings Throne room without, being called by him, was a taboo of the
Persian court and to violate it carried an immediate sentence of death. Ester
determined that to save her people she must appear to the King and risk death
for her people.
Queen Esther is in anguish because Haman, the wicked aide has convinced the
King to issue an order to kill all the Jews in his Empire. Haman did this
because Mordecai, Esther’s cousin who raised her as a daughter, would not bow
down and prostrate himself as Haman passed as the King had ordered. The date
set for destruction was the 13th of the month of Adar which corresponds to
either our month of February. It is also the very day that the Maccabees
liberated Israel after a four-year battle with the Seleucid Empire. Sister
Lucia to whom Our Lady of
Fatima appeared died on this date. Our Lady of Fatima’s first
appearance to the three shepherd children was May 13, 1917. Her last
appearance was October 13,1917. On May 13, 1981, Pope John Paul II survived an
assassination attempt. He credits Our Lady of Fatima with saving his life.
Queen Esther clothed herself in sackcloth and ashes. She fasted from
food and water for three days and asks the Jews to do the same. After the
three days, she approached the King without being summoned. She did this
even though she was aware that the King could have sentenced her to death for
doing so. When the Queen enters into the King’s presence he
extends his scepter thus sparing her life. He was so impressed by her courage
and beauty that he promised her up to half of his kingdom. Instead, she invites
him to two banquets and invites Haman – the man responsible for the order of
the genocide of her people. At the second banquet she pleads for her life and
the life of her people. The King is horrified by what Haman has done and
orders him to be hung on the same gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.
Persian law did not permit the King to reverse his decree, but he issued
another decree that the Jews could defend themselves. Instead of being
destroyed, the Jewish people were saved and defeated their enemies in battle.
The Jews celebrate this triumph each year as their Feast of Purim. It
doesn’t always fall on the same day.
Many see Queen Esther as a type of Mary and the Book of Esther as a type of
the Apocalypse. A figure type is a person, place, thing or event foreshadowing
a New Testament archetype (a perfect model or type). The New Testament
archetype is always greater than its Old Testament figure type. For example,
Jonah’s time in the belly of the great fish is a type of Jesus in the tomb.
Moses is a type of Jesus. The Jewish people were saved through the
intercession of Queen Esther, so Mary intercedes for her people today.
The Apocalypse foretells a great persecution of Christians at the end of time,
but the Book of Revelation speak about the Ark of the Covenant appearing in the
sky and the Woman crushing the head of the dragon. (Revelation 12)
When the Blessed Mother appeared at Fatima she wore the Star of Esther. In the
Old Testament of the Hebrew text, her name was Hádássah - meaning myrtle, a
white, five-pointed, star-shaped flower. In the Hebrew text, her name was
Hádássah - meaning myrtle, a white, five-pointed, star-shaped flower.
Like Esther, Mary came at Fatima to spare her children from destruction. She
asked people to repent of sin, pray the rosary, go to confession, and receive
the Eucharist worthily. On July 13, 1917, Our Lady said to the child Lucia: “…I
shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, and
the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded,
Russia will be converted and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her
errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The
good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various
nations will be annihilated. ... In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph.
The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and an
era of peace will be granted to the world.” Had her requests been
heeded the world would have been spared the horrors of World War II in which over
50 million people died and countless other wars and persecutions provoked by
Communists throughout the world. In 1920, Russia was also the first country to
legalize abortion. In 1913, Communist leader Vladimir Lenin demanded “the
unconditional annulment of all laws against abortions or against the
distribution of medical literature on contraceptive measures.” Great
evils threaten our world. Sin increases. So many hearts are hardened. We need
to call on Our Lady in prayer. Heed her requests at Fatima and Lourdes.
Do penance, do the Five First
Saturday devotion by going to confession, receiving the Eucharist,
praying the rosary and meditating 15 minutes on the mysteries for five first
Saturdays of the month in a row. Queen Esther asked her
people to do pray and do penance with her. We must listen to the Blessed Mother
today and ask her to intercede with her Son that he might spare us, our nation
and our world.
How do you deal with someone's insidious plot to murder you and everybody
like you?
The Bookof
Esther provides one possible answer to that question, tough
cookie though it is. Today, that query may not loom quite as large in America,
but it definitely does in many other places throughout the world (the
Middle East, Burma, the Congo—and about a dozen or more other places). It
happened to loom really large in the ancient Middle East too. In Esther's case,
though, no one seems to know if there really was a wicked counselor named Haman
who attempted to manipulate the emperor (probably Xerxes I, though here he's
called "Ahasuerus") into having all the Jews in the Persian Empire
murdered during the fifth century BCE. Nevertheless, you don't have to look too
deeply into Jewish history to find highly similar attempts at genocide and
persecution against the Jews. The story (which was probably written during the
third or fourth Century BCE) may have helped people who were living under later
rulers and needed to reckon with threats from above (regardless of how
historically accurate the story is—or isn't).
Good
Girl, Mad World
Esther is one of the first in a long line of stories about how a good and
clever woman helps a powerful, evil, and monstrous (or maybe just confused)
villain switch towards making the right decisions (in this case, it's King
Ahasuerus). In a way, it's a little like Beauty and the Beast—except
the Beast never sat around tacitly supporting a genocide, Belle never sought
vengeance against the people who were trying to kill her, and Lumiere never
walked around weeping and wearing sack-cloth. But despite all that, Esther's a
good example of this type of story. To give a non-Disney version, you could
think of The Arabian Nights, where the heroine gets her husband to
stop murdering his wives every night by telling him a series of entertaining
tales (come to think of it, actually that is a Disney example, because
Aladdin's part of The Arabian Nights). It's also a bit of an
unusual fit. It isn't one of the major books of the Tanakh or the prophets or
anything. It's wedged in with the "Writings," next to a miscellany of
texts, like The Book of Daniel and The Song of Songs. It's also particularly
odd because it doesn't really mention God, doesn't really fit into that whole
spiritual narrative which occupies the Torah and the Prophets. It's a suspense
and adventure story on the one hand, but it's also a more serious tale about
how the Jewish people manage to preserve themselves and their culture when faced
with a threat from hostile authorities. Additionally, one of Esther's greatest
contributions to culture—the holiday of Purim—is a time for fun and merriment
(and also an opportunity to look for spiritual meanings hidden within the
tale).
Why
Should I Care?
The Book of Esther has a James Bond-ish, ticking-time-bomb plot. It's also
heavy on action, drama, and Game of Thrones-style intrigue, while
being notably lacking in legal codes, commandments, theology—all that kind of
thing. This is one book of the Bible you could easily read while marinating in
a bubble bath, without feeling particularly sacrilegious (not that, uh, any of
us have done that here at Shmoop). Our point is that the book is compact and
smooth—a straightforward, streamlined example of an ancient Hebrew short story.
We're not suggesting that whoever wrote the book of Esther was exactly the Alice Munro of his or her time, but the
author was indeed another master storyteller. A closer comparison would be a
story that's a classic, but more focused on action than on character. Maybe F.
Scott Fitzgerald's "The
Diamond as Big as the Ritz" would work as an example of the style (if
not of the substance).
Darker
Dimensions
But Esther is more than an entertaining yarn. To be sure, it is more
of a "tale" than an epic investigation into the relationship between
God and humanity. (In fact, considering that it doesn't really mention God, it
might be the Bible's most secular book.) Overall, though, it's a story about
how a pair of scrappy underdogs—Esther and Mordecai—face seemingly
insurmountable odds and end up putting it all together in the end. The author
suggests that, while living in exile the Jewish people can—with tough work and
intelligence—secure a decent place for themselves within the kingdoms ruled by
Gentile conquerors. (So, maybe it's more like The Little Giants or The
Mighty Ducks than all that high-art literary Munro and Fitzgerald stuff.) Yet,
there are darker dimensions to the story, going beyond the basic theme of
preventing a genocide. Esther, Mordecai, and their allies seek vengeance
against the supporters of the evil counselor Haman, racking up a considerable
death toll, for one thing. As well, the king Ahasuerus is a bit of a cipher.
You can't really figure out what the dude's psychology is, or what he's
"on about" (to borrow a U.K.-ism). So, that's all disquieting food
for thought. But despite these violent and confusing undertones and the
somewhat confusing, momentary disappearance of God from the Biblical storyline,
the reader will undoubtedly be moved to repeat an immortal line from The
Royal Tennenbaums: "Go, Mordecai!"
Ester, Chapter 1, Verse 8
The whole nation of the just was shaken
with fear at the evils to come upon
them, and they expected to perish.
See, the eyes of the LORD are
upon those who fear him, upon those
who hope for his kindness, to deliver them from death and preserve them in
spite of famine
Judith, Chapter 16, Verse 15-16
15For the mountains to their bases are tossed
with the waters; the rocks, like wax, melt before your glance. “But to those
who fear you, you will show mercy. 16 Though the sweet fragrance of every
sacrifice is a trifle, and the fat of all burnt offerings but little in your
sight, one who fears the Lord is
forever great.
With victory come the
spoils of war and Judith as Heroin of the people get the spoils from Holofernes
tent. She is rich indeed but because she is truly a servant of God; all of the
booty she receives she keeps none sending it all to the temple in Jerusalem.
“Only those that see the
invisible can do the impossible.” Tyrese
·Material gains from victory are turned back to
God.
·People’s joy and exultation are also returned to
God in celebration.
·The Lord is God; he crushes warfare.
·The Lord shatters the enemy by a women’s hand.
·Yahweh sends heroes to deliver the people when they
cry out for help. The victory of Judith confirms that premise.
·Judith’s victory is symbolic of God’s victory
over evil, preservation of the sanctuary, and the deliverance of the people.
·The beheading of Holofernes is the symbolic
defeat of the devil. Judith is a precursor
of Mary the Lord’s mother who will defeat the devil as he defeated Eve our
first mother.
·God’s message in Judith is when you face evil beyond
your strength; persevere in hope.
Judith gave all her
wealth to the temple of Jerusalem; Mary, Queen of heaven gave us her Son to
complete the work of God making our bodies and soul the true temple of the
Lord. Today’s Saint St. Josemaria founded Opus Dei whose goal is to aid us in
being a living temple for God.
Work, family life, and the ordinary events of each day are opportunities for
drawing close to Christ, and making Him known to others. As the Second Vatican
Council taught, every baptized person is called to follow Christ closely, by
living according to the Gospel and making its teachings known to others. The
aim of Opus Dei is to contribute to that evangelizing mission of the Church, by
fostering among Christians of all social classes a life fully consistent with
their faith, in the middle of the ordinary circumstances of their lives and
especially through the sanctification of their work. The following are some of
the main features of the spirit of Opus Dei:
·“Divine
filiation is the foundation of the spirit of Opus Dei,” said its founder,
Saint Josemaría Escrivá. A Christian is a child of God by virtue of baptism.
Thus the formation provided by the Prelature seeks to foster among the Christian
faithful a deep awareness of their being children of God, and helps them act
accordingly. It fosters confidence in divine providence, simplicity in their
dialogue with God, a deep awareness of the dignity of each human being and of
the need for fraternity among all people, a truly Christian love for the world
and for all human realities created by God, and a sense of calm and optimism.
·Ordinary life.
“It is in the midst of the most material things of the earth that we must sanctify ourselves, serving God and
all mankind,” said Saint Josemaría. The family, marriage, work – all of our
activities – are opportunities for drawing close to and imitating Jesus, trying
to practice charity, patience, humility, diligence, integrity, cheerfulness,
and all the other human and Christian virtues.
·Sanctifying
work means to work with the spirit of Christ, to work competently and
ethically, with the aim of loving God and serving others, and thus to sanctify
the world from within, making the Gospel present in all activities whether they
be outstanding or humble and hidden. In the eyes of God what matters is the
love that is put into work, not its human success.
·Prayer and sacrifice.
The formation given by Opus Dei encourages prayer and sacrifice in order to sustain
the effort to sanctify one’s ordinary occupations. Thus members strive to
incorporate into their lives certain practices of Christian piety, such as
prayer, daily Mass, sacramental confession, and reading and meditating on the
Gospel. Devotion to our Lady occupies an important
place in their hearts. Also, in striving to imitate Christ, they try to acquire
a spirit of penance by offering up small sacrifices, particularly those that
help them fulfill their duties faithfully and make life more pleasant for
others, such as renouncing small pleasures, fasting, almsgiving, etc.
·Unity of life.
Saint Josemaría explained that Christians working in the world should not live
“a kind of double life. On the one hand, an interior life, a life of union with
God; and on the other, a separate and distinct professional, social and family
life.” On the contrary: “There is just one life, made of flesh and spirit. And
it is this life which has to become, in both soul and body, holy and filled
with God.”
·Freedom.
The members of Opus Dei are ordinary citizens who enjoy the same rights and are
subject to the same obligations as any other citizen. In their professional,
family, political, financial or cultural activities, they act with freedom and
personal responsibility, not involving the Church or Opus Dei in their
decisions, nor presenting those decisions as the only Catholic solutions. This
implies respecting the freedom and the opinions of others.
·Charity.
To meet Christ is to find a treasure that one cannot stop sharing. Christians
are witnesses to Jesus and spread his message of hope among their companions,
with their example and their words. “Side by side with our colleagues, friends
and relatives and sharing their interests, we can help them come closer to
Christ,” wrote Saint Josemaría. The wish to make others know Christ, which is a
direct consequence of charity (that is, love of God above all things and of
one’s neighbor as oneself), cannot be separated from the desire to contribute
to finding solutions to the material needs and social problems of one’s
surroundings.
International Day against Drug Abuse
and Illicit Trafficking[3]
Today serves to draw awareness to the need for action and cooperation in
order to achieve a drug-free world. Illicit drugs and their trafficking
pose a large health threat to humanity. Drug problems and dependencies put a
great deal of pressure on health care systems and constitute a threat to the
safety and well-being of humans all around the globe. Long-term drug abuse has
been linked to poor general health, contraction of diseases through needle
sharing, trouble with the law, poor self-hygiene and alienation from loved
ones, psychological illnesses and death from overdose. In December 1987, the
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was designated by
the United Nations. It is celebrated annually on June 26, a symbolic day that
commemorates the dismantling of the opium trade in Guangdong. The day also
serves as an opportunity for Member Nations to reaffirm their support for UN
Conventions that attempt to control the world's drug supply.
Facts
& Quotes
·The theme for 2015 International Day against
Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was Lets Develop - Our Lives - Our
Communities - Our Identities - Without Drugs.
·The UN estimates that in 2007, the value of the
illegal drug trade is 322 billion dollars per year.
·Approximately 51 billion dollars is spent on the
war on drugs in the US every year.
·40% of all violent crimes occur under the
influence of alcohol.
·No one is immune from addiction; it afflicts
people of all ages, races, classes, and professions. – Patrick J. Kennedy,
American democratic politician and former US representative for Rhode Island.
Top
Events and Things to Do
·Donate to one of the many addiction and
substance abuse recovery
charities.
http://nccatoday.org/
·Watch a movie on the perils of the war on drugs
on society, government and the citizens involved. Some suggestions are: Dallas
Buyers Club (2013), Sicario (2015), Requiem for a Dream (2000), Christiane F
(1981) and Blow (2001).
·Attend the World Drug Report 2016, which is
organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, by watching the
webcast online.
·Spread awareness by using the hashtags #InternationalDayAgainstDrugAbuseandIllicitTrafficking,
#saynotodrugs and #warondrugs on social media.
·Read a book on the dangers of drug use and the
problems with the war on drugs. Some suggestions are: Smoke and Mirrors, Chasing
the Scream, and Drug Wars.
