FEAST OF SAINT ANDREW
Psalm, Chapter 19, Verse 10-11
10The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The statutes of the LORD
are true, all of them just; 11More desirable than gold, than a
hoard of purest gold, Sweeter also than honey or drippings from the comb.
Fear of the Lord is pure; so one can deduce that a person that fears the
Lord is pure. So what is purity?
Freedom from anything that weakness or impairs or changes the nature of a
being or its activity. Purity of faith means the absence of error what
is contrary to the revealed truth; purity of intention is the exclusion
of self-will in the desire to perform the will of god; purity of morals commonly
refers to the virtue of chastity and therefore freedom from wrongdoing in
sexual activity, but on a broader level it means the absence of misbehavior,
especially in one's external or publicly recognizable conduct. (etym. Latin
puritas, clearness, cleanness, uprightness.)
Christ gave us his faith and his intent was to do the fathers will which
was to bring us back to Him and lastly he gave us his body to take our
impurities and change them with the bread and the wine into his own virtues.
Strive therefore to be pure in body; will; and the faith. If you have sinned go
to confession and then receive his body (virtue) even if you feel undeserving.
It was the cost of His love.
Sex and Holy Purity[1]
What is the single greatest gift a young man and woman can
give each other in marriage? It is their holy purity or chastity. Without holy
purity, human love - popularly known as 'sex' - becomes corrupt. There is no
true human love without holy purity.
What is the single
greatest virtue a young man and woman find most difficult to practice in this
21st century? It is the virtue of holy purity or chastity. The sixth and
ninth Commandment of God teaches specifically against sins of the flesh. When we practice holy
chastity as taught by God's Commands, we also will obtain purity of mind and
heart. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, "purity of
heart is the precondition of the vision of God." Without a knowledge and
great love for God, holy purity will be very hard to maintain. St. Paul teaches
us that chastity is a 'fruit of the Holy Spirit.' A strong Sacramental life,
especially frequent reception of the Sacrament of Confession and the Eucharist,
is most important. Nevertheless, what
about the countless temptations that seemingly are everywhere? The best defense
is a good offense - maintain a holy attack against impurity. Here is a list of
weapons to use to maintain holy purity:
·
Begin each day with Holy Mass, if possible, and
fruitful prayer. Moreover, remember Sister Christine Joseph's morning
prayer and offer every thought, word, and deed of the day to Jesus.
·
Dress modestly. Forget the current partially
nude fashions. Instead, women should dress their body in modest clothing.
Remember, a women's husband is the only person who should see and receive the
joy of her body. Follow the dress code for permission to enter Saint Peter's
Basilica in Rome: women must cover their shoulders and upper arms, must wear
skirts below the knee, the collar of their blouse is to be at the collar bone,
and no tight revealing clothing. The Basilica's custodians standing on the outside porte-cochere
will shake their finger at badly dressed persons and ask: "Quo
vadis?" (Where are you going?)
They will tell them to go back to their hotel, put some clothes on and then
come back to enter the House of God
·
Avoid inappropriate conversations. When a
discussion becomes off color or the language is impure, change the subject or
walk away from the group. Remember, the tongue and lips that receive Holy
Communion should not be accused of uttering neither indecent words nor risqué
stories.
·
Arm oneself with holy sacramentals. Wear a blessed
crucifix on your chest; wear a properly invested Brown Scapular around your
neck; keep a blessed rosary in your pocket or purse. A blessed 'Angus Dei'
medal could be attached to your rosary.
·
Reject bad forms of entertainment. Imagine
sitting next to the guest of honor, Pope John Paul II. Would he be offended at
the television program or the movie we were watching? If it is not appropriate
for the Pope, it is not appropriate for persons desiring holy purity.
·
Avoid useless activities. Ask the question: 'By
performing this activity, would it be giving honor and glory to God?' If it
would not, best to leave the activity alone.
·
Remain cheerful. The crowd will follow a
cheerful, courageous leader. Care not for human respect and give your heart to
God. Observers will want to possess and imitate this same courage and dignity.
·
Avoid occasions of sin. Very often people feel
compunction for their faults and yet they go back to the very sins they
previously condemned and commit them again...and again. Do not return to the
scene of the crime, for it will tempt the heart once more.
Often times, when resisting the sins of the flesh, people
will develop a divided heart. Having become lukewarm from serving two masters -
the desires of the flesh and the service of the Lord - people run the risk of
seeking approval from their peers rather than from God. The Virtue of purity requires
an undivided heart.
Saint (Mother) Theresa of Calcutta had this advice for
unmarried people:
·
You are
the future of family life.
·
You are
the future of the joy of loving.
·
You are
the future of making your life something beautiful for God...a pure love.
·
That
you love a girl or that you love a boy is beautiful, but do not spoil it, do
not destroy it.
·
Keep
your heart pure...Keep your heart virgin.
·
Keep
your love virgin, so that on the day of your marriage you can give something
beautiful to each other...the joy of a pure love.
What is the holy
remedy? The first step is to begin again...and again. Seek the
forgiveness of our merciful Lord in the confessional. The second step is
to go to our Holy Mother, Mary, Mater pulchrae dilectionis, Mother of Fair
Love. Mary Most Pure will help us overcome the many temptations of the flesh
and to live holy purity as she lived it so perfectly with Saint Joseph.
2339 Chastity includes an apprenticeship in self-mastery which is a training in human freedom. The alternative is clear:
either man governs his passions and finds peace, or he lets himself be
dominated by them and becomes unhappy. "Man's dignity therefore requires
him to act out of conscious and free choice, as moved and drawn in a personal
way from within, and not by blind impulses in himself or by mere external
constraint. Man gains such dignity when, ridding himself of all slavery to the
passions, he presses forward to his goal by freely choosing what is good and,
by his diligence and skill, effectively secures for himself the means suited to
this end."
2342 Self-mastery is a long and exacting work. One can never consider it acquired once and for all. It presupposes
renewed effort at all stages of life. The effort required can be more intense
in certain periods, such as when the personality is being formed during
childhood and adolescence.
Feast of Saint Andrew
ANDREW,
a brother of St. Peter, born at Betlisaida, was first a disciple of John the
Baptist. Afterwards both the brothers were called by Christ, on the Sea of
Galilee, before all the other apostles, with the words: Come after Me, and I
will make you to become fishers of men (Mark i. 17). Immediately they left all,
and became faithful disciples of Jesus, arid witnesses of His deeds and
sufferings, of His resurrection and ascension. After the descent of the Holy
Ghost, Andrew travelled through Scythia, Epirus, and Thrace, and by his
teachings and miracles converted vast numbers to Christ. As he was preaching at
Patras, a city of Acliaia, he was violently pressed by the proconsul, Aegeas,
to offer sacrifice to the idols; but he nobly answered him, I daily offer
sacrifice to God; not the flesh of oxen, nor the blood of rams, but an
unspotted Lamb; and although all the faithful may have partaken of His flesh,
yet the Lamb remains as before He was offered, alive and undivided. Aegeas,
enraged, committed him to prison, and on the following day caused him to be
scourged; and as he persevered in his declaration, condemned him to be put to
death by crucifixion. When he saw the cross, the instrument of his death, he
greeted it with joy, embraced it, and said, O good cross, that was adorned with
the limbs of Christ, thee have I long desired; thee have I fervently loved;
thee have I continually sought. Now thou art made ready for me, according to
the wish of my heart. Take me away from men, and restore me again to my Master,
that through thee I may come to Him Who through thee has redeemed me. After
this he was nailed to the cross. Two days he remained hanging thereon,
preaching faith in Jesus, until his soul was taken up to Him Whom he had so
ardently desired to resemble in the manner .of His death.
(Goffine’s
Divine Instructions)
·
Andrew
was fishing with Simon Peter, James the Greater, John, and their father,
Zebedee, when Jesus came and said he would make them fishers of men (John
1:35-42).
·
Andrew
was reportedly martyred on November 30 in the year 60 A.D by a Roman governor's
order in Achaia (Greece). He was crucified and bound to the cross to
increase his suffering. The cross was tilted to create an "x,"
which is known today as St. Andrew's cross and is the basis for the Scottish
flag.
·
The
Feast of St. Andrew is the last holiday of the Christian year. It is held
the day before Advent begins, November 30 in Roman Catholic and some Protestant
churches. St. Andrew's Day is a holiday in Scotland that honors the
disciple as the country's patron saint.
·
St.
Andrew is the brother of St. Peter (Simon Peter), who was the first leader of
the church.
·
St.
Andrew is the Patron saint of : Amalfi (Italy), Barbados, Esgueira
(Portugal), Luqa (Malta), Patras (Greece), Romania, Russia, Scotland and
Ukraine.
St
Andrew Top Events and Things to Do
·
Travel
to Scotland to celebrate St. Andrew's Day. The holiday commences many
parties and festivals in Scotland and it is also an official holiday in the
country.
·
St.
Andrew's remains, or relics, are thought to be buried in Italy at the cathedral
in Amalfi. Pilgrimage to Italy to visit.
·
Go
fishing or enjoy a seafood dinner. St. Andrew is the patron saint of
fishermen. He was a fisherman before he left his old life to follow Jesus
Christ.
·
Visit
St Andrew's Cathedral in Patras, Greece. It is the largest church in the
Balkans region and one of the largest in Europe. According to history, St.
Andrew was crucified just outside of the church.
·
Take
pictures of yourself on St Andrew's Day and use the Instagram tag #myinstagram
to win prizes.
49 Godly Character Traits[3]
As we near the Advent season let us take up the nature of God by
reflecting on these traits that make us a model for our children and our
sisters and brothers in Christ. Today reflect on:
Availability vs. Self-centeredness
Making my own schedule and priorities secondary to the
wishes of those I am serving (Philippians 2:20–21)
Daily
Devotions
·
Please
pray for me and this ministry
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