Haggai
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Haggai’s words concern conditions in the Persian
province of Judah at the beginning of the reign of the Persian king Darius I
(522–486 B.C.). The community in Judah is struggling with its identity in light
of the loss of its statehood through the demise of the monarchy and the
destruction of the Temple. Haggai’s oracles address both these problems. First,
the provincial government, despite its subordination to Persian domination, is
seen as the legitimate heir to the Davidic monarchy; the governor Zerubbabel,
himself a descendant of the Davidic line, and the high priest Joshua together
provide political, economic, and religious leadership for the survivors of the
Babylonian destruction and the returnees from the Babylonian exile who live
together in Judah. Still, the possibility for restoration of Davidic rule is
not relinquished but rather is shifted to the future. Second, the Temple’s
ruined state is addressed by a rebuilding program. The prophet links the
well-being of the community to the work of Temple restoration, and his
exhortations to the leaders and the people to begin work on this project are
apparently heeded. The brief period of Haggai’s ministry (August to December
520 B.C.) marks the resumption of work on the Temple, the symbol of divine
presence among the people.
MAY
Flowers
in Mary's month tie us closely to the reawakening earth. The time of
Resurrection and expectant Pentecost is one of buds, blossoms, wildflowers, and
greening of meadows and lawns. Days lengthen and we welcome the warmth of the
sun after the long winter. Jesus is risen and is present in our midst, and so
we rise and ascend with him.
The month
of May is dedicated to The
Blessed Virgin Mary. The first 20 days fall within the liturgical
season of Easter, which is
represented by the liturgical color white — the color of light, a symbol of
joy, purity and innocence (absolute or restored). The remainder of the month
(beginning the Monday after Pentecost) is in Ordinary Time which is represented by the liturgical color
green. This symbol of hope is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in
the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the
hope of a glorious resurrection.
The world is resplendent with Spring's
increased light and new growth. It is Mary’s month in the Easter season and all
of nature rejoices with the Queen of heaven at the Resurrection of the Son she
was worthy to bear. During the remainder of Easter time, let us endeavor
through the prayers of the Holy Liturgy and the Holy Rosary to deepen our
gratitude for the mystery of our Baptismal rebirth in Christ.
"The month of May, with its
profusion of blooms was adopted by the Church in the eighteenth century as a
celebration of the flowering of Mary's maidenly spirituality. With its origins
in Isaiah's prophecy of the Virgin birth of the Messiah under the figure of the
Blossoming Rod or Root of Jesse, the flower symbolism of Mary was extended by
the Church Fathers, and in the liturgy, by applying to her the flower figures
of the Sapiential Books-Canticles, Wisdom, Proverbs and Sirach. "In the
medieval period, the rose was adopted as the flower symbol of the Virgin Birth,
as expressed in Dante's phrase, 'The Rose wherein the Divine Word was made
flesh,' and depicted in the central rose windows of the great gothic
cathedrals-from which came the Christmas carol, 'Lo, How a Rose 'ere Blooming.'
Also, in the medieval period, when monasteries were the centers of
horticultural and agricultural knowledge, and with the spread of the Fransiscan
love of nature, the actual flowers themselves, of the fields, waysides and
gardens, came to be seen as symbols of Mary…" – John S. Stokes
Pentecost, the birth of the Church, is
also among the celebrations of May. Though sprung from the side of Christ on
the Cross, the Church marks as her birthday the descent of the Holy Spirit on
Mary and the Apostles. At the 'birth' of the world, the Holy Spirit — the
Breath of God — was the "mighty wind [that] swept over the waters"
(Gen 1:2); at the birth of the Church He is present again "like the rush
of a mighty wind" to recreate the world in the image of Christ through His
Church (Acts 2:2). We, the members of Christ’s Mystical Body, are the
present-day disciples sent by the Holy Spirit to bring Christ to the world. May
we go forth as did Mary, who set out in haste to assist St. Elizabeth (feast of
the Visitation, May 31). Come upon us, O Holy Spirit, so that, with Mary, we
may proclaim the greatness of the Lord who has done great things for us — for
his mercy endures forever!
It is a very old tradition to make pilgrimages during the
month of May to shrines dedicated to Mary. Although this author is writing
about the country of England, even in America there are shrines, basilicas,
cathedrals or churches that one can visit in a pilgrimage.
MAY 1 Tuesday
MAY DAY-ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER
Haggai, Chapter 1, verse 12
12 Then Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and the
high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak, and all the remnant of the people obeyed
the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, since the LORD their
God had sent him; thus the people feared the LORD.
Haggai was a prophet to the Lord
during the reign of the Persian King Darius who led the Jews who after the
exile feared the Lord; they were the remnant. In today’s world with all
its corruption we also are the remnant, let us this day rejoice and obey our
Lord in Holy fear, which is Love.
A joyful heart comes to those who
are at peace with themselves, their family and community and the world around
them. Those blessed with the peace of Christ let nothing disturb them, nothing frighten
them; knowing God never changes. They adhere to the principle of St. Teresa of
Avila: Patience obtains all things. Nothing is wanting to him who possesses
God. God alone suffices.
In fact patience and kindness are
the two primary pillars on which Holy love are built.[2]
I, then, a
prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have
received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love, striving to
preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and
one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one
God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
(Ephesians 4:1-6).
The
welfare of the family is decisive for the future of the world and that of the
Church. Families are faced with the growing danger represented by an extreme
individualism (which the world professes) which weakens family bonds and ends
up considering each member of the family as an isolated unit, leading in some
cases to the idea that one’s personality is shaped by his or her desires, which
are considered absolute”. The tensions created by an overly individualistic
culture, caught up with possessions and pleasures, leads to intolerance and
hostility in families. Freedom of choice makes it possible to plan our lives
and to make the most of ourselves. Yet if this freedom lacks noble goals or
personal discipline, it degenerates into an inability to give oneself
generously to others. It is easy nowadays to confuse genuine freedom with the
idea that each individual can act arbitrarily, as if there were no truths,
values and principles to provide guidance, and everything were possible and
permissible. The ideal of marriage, marked by a commitment to exclusivity and
stability, is swept aside whenever it proves inconvenient or tiresome. The fear
of loneliness and the desire for stability and fidelity exist side by side with
a growing fear of entrapment in a relationship that could hamper the
achievement of one’s personal goals.
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.
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)
1) The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
2) Office Space (1999)
3) Caesar Chavez (2014)
"May Day" has long been dedicated to labor and the working man. It falls on the first day of the month that is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Pius XII expressed the hope that this feast would accentuate the dignity of labor and would bring a spiritual dimension to labor unions. It is eminently fitting that St. Joseph, a working man who became the foster-father of Christ and patron of the universal Church, should be honored on this day. The feast of St. Joseph the Worker was established by Pope Pius XII in 1955 in order to Christianize the concept of labor and give to all workmen a model and a protector. By the daily labor in his shop, offered to God with patience and joy, St. Joseph provided for the necessities of his holy spouse and of the Incarnate Son of God, and thus became an example to all laborers. "Workmen and all those laboring in conditions of poverty will have reasons to rejoice rather than grieve, since they have in common with the Holy Family daily preoccupations and cares"(Leo XIII).
Things
to Do
·
May
1 is celebrated in Communist countries as the Day of the International
Solidarity of Workers. Today would be a good day to pray for athesistic
Communism's influence to cease and a proper application of the principles
explained by Leo XIII in Rerum
novarum and John Paul II in Centesimus
annus to be the guide used by nations.
Daily Devotions
·
Please
pray for me and this ministry
[2] Stephen & Alex Kendrick, The Love
Dare
[3] Pope Francis, Encyclical on Love.
[6]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2017-05-01
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