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.
Chaplet of the Holy Face
Tuesday Devotion
Monday, August 21, 2017
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ECLIPSE TODAY
Job, Chapter 41, Verse 25
Upon
the earth there is none like him, he was made fearless.
Was Job born fearless or did his
trial and faith make him fearless? I think we all can be fearless if we trust.
·2 Timothy 4:17 – Live as a fearless
witness. “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so
that the message might be preached fully through me…”
·Psalm 125:1-2 – Live fearless
because you are surrounded by God. “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which
cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so
the Lord surrounds His people, from this time forth and forever.”
·1 Timothy 6:11-12 – Fight the good fight
of faith fearlessly. “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good
fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were called and have
confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
·John 16:13-14 – Live fearlessly guided by the
Spirit. “However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He
will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but
whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will
glorify me, for He will take of what is mine and declare it to you.”
·Isaiah 45:3 – Live fearlessly called by
God. “I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden
wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God
of Israel, who calls you by your name.”
·Philippians 1:6 – Live fearlessly finishing
the work of Christ. “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who
began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
·Psalm 40:2 – Fearlessly walk along the path
God has established. “He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of
the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.”
·Isaiah 44:8 – Live fearlessly trusting God as
your Rock. “Do not fear nor be afraid. Have I not told you from
that time, and declared it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me?
Indeed, there is not other Rock; I know not one.”
·Psalm 91:4-5 – Live fearlessly under the
provision of God. “He shall cover you with His feathers and under His
wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler, you
shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by
day.”
·1 Corinthians 16:13-14 – Be strong –
fearlessly. “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
Let all that you do be done with love.” When you believe in truth and remember
the promises of God, fear takes a back seat. Sure, it’s a
process. And sure, you’re still human so fear may not totally be gone until the
glory days in the kingdom. But work on believing. Work on trusting. Work on
hiding these words in your heart so that the impact of Christ is greater
than your fear.
HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. (CNS) -- A total solar eclipse is a rare event, something
to appreciate and enjoy in the mind of Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, director
of the Vatican Observatory. So as the first eclipse crossed the country from
coast to coast in 99 years Aug. 21, Brother Consolmagno wasn't going to do
anything but take it in and think about the beauty and mystery of God's
creation. The astronomer urged an audience in a packed Sts. Peter and Paul
Church during a pre-eclipse program in this southwestern Kentucky town near the
point of maximum eclipse to take the time to reflect on what the two minutes
and 40 seconds of totality means to them. "Pray for good weather," he
said to laughs. "But also pray for what God wants you to learn from the
experience." Tens of thousands of people had descended on Hopkinsville, a
city of 33,000 an hour northwest of Nashville, Tennessee, by late Aug. 20.
Thousands more were expected the morning of the eclipse. Brother Consolmagno
said he was as excited as anyone to view the blackening of the sun. He also
said that as a scientist and a person of faith, he is guided by inquisitiveness
to explore the heavens and the desire to better understand how God put the
universe together. There is no conflict between science and the faith, he said.
"Being a scientist can be a way of worshipping God," he said. He
repeated a similar message to reporters during a news conference before his
presentation. "We're here not just to remind my fellow scientists who are
used to me by now, but also to show religious people how important is it to be able to praise the Creator by studying
creation, studying it honestly, finding out how God really created this place.
There's never going to be a shortage of marvels for us to discover or surprises
for us to experience," he said. "We can come to know the Creator by
seeing the things of his creation." He said the by understanding the cycle
of solar eclipses -- occurring about every 18 months and 11 days -- people can
see the rhythms of the universe and the continuing nature of creation and have
an experience "that fills the soul with joy." Brother Consolmagno
made the trip to Hopkinsville at the invitation of Father Richard Meredith,
pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Church. Father Meredith told Catholic News
Service he contacted the Vatican Observatory soon after he learned a few years
ago that the eclipse path would pass over the town. Parishioners prepared for
more than a year, having established a committee to welcome visitors and host
Brother Consolmagno. "Being a
parish with a parochial school, we stress the unity of truth," Father
Meredith said. "This (eclipse) is a major opportunity to reflect that, as
science and faith work together serving to manifest the Lord. The eclipse is a
wonder and these wonders praise the creator. This could very well be the only
planet around the only star whose moon is at the right distance and size to
give a total solar eclipse," the priest said. He introduced Brother
Consolmagno with by reading from Psalm 19: "The heavens proclaim the glory
of God; the sky proclaims its builder's craft." "This isn't only
Catholic," he told CNS. "This is a tradition inherited from God's
revelation in the Old Testament."
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 slaughte...
Claire’s Corner · Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet. · Bucket List Trip: Around the World “Perfect Weather” o Darjeeling , India. · Spirit Hour: St Lawrence cocktail · Foodie: Thukpa On Sundays Pray: Glorious Queen of Heaven and Earth, Virgin Most Powerful, thou who hast the power to crush the head of the ancient serpent with thy heel, come and exercise this power flowing from the grace of thine Immaculate Conception. Shield us under the mantle of thy purity and love, draw us into the sweet abode of thy heart and annihilate and render impotent the forces bent on destroying us....
feast of saint Anthony, abbot Sirach, Chapter 22, Verse 16 A wooden beam firmly bonded into a building is not loosened by an earthquake; So the mind firmly resolved after careful deliberation will not be afraid at any time. A prudent mind firmly resolved is undisturbed by violent and conflicting thoughts. Sometimes we all have senseless thoughts and feelings which shake us but faith is a firm anchor for our thoughts. We indeed do have the power within ourselves to choose not to react to impulsive thoughts. Sacredness [1] · Holiness consists in friendship with God. If we would be in any sense the friends of God, we must have at least that desire for holiness without which such friendship would be impossible; growth in the knowledge of God is the deepening of this friendship. · To know God is to know self and if we know ourselves well, we know have one or two prominent...
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...
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 h...
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 ...
📖 Introduction to Acts: A Catholic Perspective The Acts of the Apostles , written by St. Luke, is a continuation of his Gospel and serves as a bridge between the life of Christ and the life of the Church. It chronicles the birth and expansion of the early Christian community, empowered by the Holy Spirit and led by apostles like Peter and Paul. From a Catholic viewpoint, Acts is not merely historical—it’s theological and pastoral. It reveals how the Church, under divine guidance, confronts fear, persecution, and uncertainty with faith, courage, and communal strength. 😨 Lessons of Fear in Acts: Catholic Reflections Fear in Acts is not condemned—it’s transformed. Here are key episodes and their spiritual lessons: 1. Pentecost and the Fear of Speaking Truth (Acts 2) Context : The apostles, once timid and hiding, are emboldened by the Holy Spirit. Lesson : Fear is overcome through divine empowerment. Catholics see Pentecost as the birth of the Ch...
Wednesday after laetare Sunday: end of mid-lent [1] 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 [2] · 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 t...
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