Washingtons birthday-BIO Day
Fear not, for I am with you; from
the east I will bring back your offspring, from the west I will gather you.
This chapter of Isaiah is
about the redemption and restoration of Israel which appears to have been
fulfilled in the creation of the State of Israel. Yet in a deeper sense it
includes us Catholic and Christians. As we celebrate this day let us also
contemplate the deep love and sacrifice our God made to get us here and
remember He is with us.
I
fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
In
John McCain’s book Character is Destiny the 1st President of the United States
is McCain’s example of a man who demonstrates for us the characteristic of SELF
CONTROL. Self-control is the ability to control one's emotions, behavior,
and desires
in the face of external demands in order to function in society. (Matt DeLisi)
George
Washington was a warrior and a mensch.
Washington was a self-made man who learned to govern himself before he governed
our great country. Washington was a passionate man by nature yet he was famous
for his reserve and graciousness to others. Washington worked on himself very
hard to control his temper and to not be sensitive to criticism. It was a
lifelong struggle and at times he was given to fits of anger. So much so the
Indian name for Washington was “boiling water”. His passion was a two edged
sword that either cut for him or against him. His passion was also the source
of his great courage. History records his fury in battle where he wore out two
horses and stood in defiance of withering fire and having his coat tore by four
musket balls. Washington did not just tell his men to stand fast and face the
enemy but set the example; leaping headlong into battle and the men followed. Washington
disciplined his passionate nature with iron will and self-control. Washington
wrote, “Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect,
to those that are present” and, “Labor to keep alive in your breast
the little spark of celestial fire called conscience.”
He
strove to be a man of unquestionable dignity and manners. He was modest and
wore clothes that were fine and neat but never showy. He was consciously groomed
and was seldom discourteous to anyone, of higher or lower station in life. He
knew his strengths as well as his weaknesses; there was no hubris in him.
“He
understood the nature of his countrymen as well as he understood his own. He
knew we are all flawed, that we must always be alert to the danger of
ungoverned appetites, and must strive to control and improve our nature. He
understood his country at its birth needed a leader of towering honor, wisdom,
and selflessness, whose appearance must fit the role as well as his character,
did. And through the constant application of his self-control, he inhabited
that role as no one has again, and became, in fact, the father of our country.
He imprinted his character
on this nation, and in that sense we are all his descendants, a people famous
for our constant struggle to improve. We are never so removed from the failings
of our nature that we cannot stand more improvement, but neither are we so
removed from Washington’s magnificent example that we dare not dream we can
achieve it.”
In America, we have until now had no fear in
worshiping Him in holiness and righteousness. In fact the model in America
since its founding has been one of “Many religions, but one covenant”.
We are certainly a blessed people because we as a
whole have not abandoned the covenant, nor shall we if the vision of George
Washington at Valley Forge is true. In it he saw that American would remain
true to our creator.
"Son of the Republic…Three great perils will
come upon the Republic. The most fearful is the third, but in this greatest
conflict the whole world united shall not prevail against her. Let every child
of the Republic learn to live for his God, his land and the Union." With
these words the vision vanished, and I started from my seat and felt that I had
seen a vision wherein had been shown to me the birth, progress, and destiny of
the United States.
The Devil and Temptations[3]
Music
In our day, hard rock music played by "satanic" musical groups presents additional problems. This music often glorifies Satan and also, at times, awakens desires to commit suicide, to use drugs, and to misuse sex. The music is also known to encourage physical violence. Even hell is proposed as a desired end of life. The evil is found in the musical combination of words, rhythm and noise. Records or tapes of this kind should not be kept in the home but should be destroyed, even if they have cost a considerable amount of money. Choose the Kingdom of God!
Devil Worship
·
It goes without saying that praying to the
devil, worshipping Satan, reading the Satanic bible, or taking part in a Black
Mass which mocks the crucifixion of Jesus and the Eucharist are among the most
serious sins that one can commit.
·
In some Satanic worship, there is at times
sacrifice to Satan by a horrible killing of animals, and even the murder of
human infants. The secrecy surrounding this activity enables the "Church
of Satan" to obtain a certain respectability in our society. It has the
same legal standing as any other church.
·
Do not be deceived; being involved in this false
church is a very serious matter. Catholics who wish to repent must resign from
the false religion at whatever cost, renounce Satan and their sin in all their
heart, and confess this sin in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Billy Graham[4]
·
The devil certainly wants you to give in to
temptation and do what is wrong, because his main goal is to turn us away from
God. When we yield to temptation, you can be sure we make the devil happy.
·
But the devil isn’t directly responsible for
every temptation we face, nor can we blame him when we give in and do wrong.
Temptations come to us in many ways—but when we give in to them, we alone are
responsible for what we’ve done. The Bible says, “Each one is tempted when, by
his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed” (James 1:14).
·
Remember, it isn’t a sin to be tempted; even
Jesus was tempted by the devil to turn away from God’s plan (see Matthew
4:1-11). But it is sin to give in to temptation and go our own way instead of
God’s way. Every sin is an act of rebellion on our part, telling God we think
our way is better than His
way. But that is a lie, for God’s way is always best.
·
Don’t fight your temptations alone; if you do,
you will fail. Instead, ask
God to help you by giving you the courage and inner strength to turn
away. Begin by asking
Christ to come into your life, forgiving and cleansing your sins and
coming to live within you by His Spirit.
·
Then learn to walk with God every day, through
prayer and fellowship with other believers and reading the Bible. The Bible
says, “God is faithful. … When you are tempted, he will also provide a way out
so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
WASHINGTON[5]—His
Eminence, Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and
President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has issued the
following statement on receiving the news of the Rev. Billy Graham's death:
"Today,
we pray for the soul of the Rev. Billy Graham to the Lord he so dearly loved
and offer our condolences to his family. Billy Graham was a preacher of God's
Word not only in his sermons, but also in the very life he lived. His
faith and integrity invited countless thousands around the world into a closer
relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God for
the ministry of Billy Graham."
The International Day for Biological Diversity aims
to raise awareness and understanding of biological diversity and issues
surrounding it. The day also serves to highlight possible strategies to protect
biodiversity, which refers to the variety of life on the planet. Today,
habitats are degrading and leading to a reduction in biodiversity, a problem
that directly affects human well-being, poverty reduction and global
sustainable development. The International Day for Biological Diversity was
proclaimed in December of 2000 by the United
Nations General Assembly. It is celebrated annually on May 22, a day
that commemorates the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity in
1992.
International
Day for Biological Diversity Facts & Quotes
·
The 2016 theme for the day of International
Biodiversity Day was Mainstreaming Biodiversity; Sustaining People and their
Livelihoods.
·
According to the UN, more than 3 billion people
depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods and 1.6 billion
people rely on forests and non-timber forest products for their livelihoods.
·
Habitat degradation and the loss of biodiversity
are currently threatening the livelihood of over 1 billion people who live in dry
and subhumid climates.
·
Over 50% of the world’s plant species and 42% of
all terrestrial vertebrate species are native to a specific country and do not
naturally exist elsewhere.
·
We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity
as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to
humanity. – E. O. Wilson, American biologist, researcher, theorist and author.
Day
for Biological Diversity Top Events and Things to Do
·
Watch a movie or documentary on the importance
and irreplaceability of the world’s biodiversity. Some suggestions are: The
Cove, Oceans, Plastic Planet and the 11th hour.
·
Spread awareness on social media by using the
hashtags #InternationalDayForBiologicalDiversity, #IDBD and
#BiologicalDiversity.
·
Join the international Day for Biological
Diversity Google Hangout where you can video stream yourself and with other
people to discuss biological diversity with like-minded individuals.
·
Organize or participate in a local cleanup
effort. Biodiversity is very negatively impacted by human trash and pollution.
·
Donate to the center for biological diversity.
All funds are put towards securing a future for all species hovering on the
brink of extinction with a focus on protecting lands, waters
and climate that species need to survive. Consider funds like WWF, the Animal
Project and Defenders of Wildlife.
The Church’s social teaching calls on Catholics to
uphold the life and dignity of every human person, to be in solidarity with our
brothers and sisters worldwide, and to care for God’s creation. Since the
extraction of oil, gas, minerals, and timber affects the poor most acutely, the
Church has been addressing issues related to extractive industries around the
world. Catholic agencies and affected people have been engaged in advocacy with
their own governments, international financial institutions, and extractives
companies, urging them to become more transparent, to reduce the negative
impacts of resource extraction on people and the environment, and to increase
benefits for the poor most especially. In the U.S. bishops’ first statement on
environmental matters, renewing the Earth (1991), they draw attention to the
ethical dimensions of the ecological crisis, exploring the link between ecology
and poverty and the implications for human life and dignity. Bishops of every
part of the world have expressed concern regarding extractive industries.
Indeed, Pope Benedict XVI, expanding on the issue of the environment in Caritas
in Veritate, stated: Let us hope that the international community and
individual governments will succeed in countering harmful ways of treating the
environment. It is likewise incumbent upon the competent authorities to make
every effort to ensure that the economic and social costs of using up shared
environmental resources are recognized with transparency and fully borne by
those who incur them, not by other peoples or future generations: the
protection of the environment, of resources and of the climate obliges all
international leaders to act jointly and to show a readiness to work in good
faith, respecting the law and promoting solidarity with the weakest regions of
the planet (No. 50).
Daily
Devotions
·
Please pray for me and this ministry
[4]https://billygraham.org/answer/does-the-devil-cause-every-temptation-we-face/
[5]http://usccb.org/news/2018/18-040.cfm
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