PASSION OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
Revelation, Chapter 18, Verse 11-18
The world is mourning Babylon’s fall in these verses.
After watching this year’s MTV awards show I am convinced that we morally are
much closer to a Babylonian culture than we are to the original vision of the
founders of this great nation of “A city on the hill” and a shining light to
the world. Is America the new Babylon or that shining city on the hill? Yet for
those who are united in Christ there is hope. Don’t worry the victory is for
those who are in the risen one.
Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I
delight; I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the
Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the
streets. A bruised reed he will not break a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.
(Matthew 12:18-21)
You
cannot receive if you do not ask. Let us ask for God’s mercy and count on it,
to deliver our soul from death and keep us alive through this earthly famine
for ourselves and others. In fact, one pious work we could do this week is a
Novena to the Divine Mercy. In the novena Christ asks us to pray each day for a
certain group of people.
1.
All
Sinners
2.
Priests
and Religious
3.
Devout
Souls
4.
Unbelievers
5.
Departed
brethren
6.
Children
7.
Saints
8.
Those
in purgatory
9.
And
the Lukewarm
A good
time to pray the novena is the hour of Christ’s death. “At three o’clock,
implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment,
immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of
agony. This is the hour of great mercy…”
Blessed are you
who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways!
The
drunken oath of a king with a shallow sense of honor, a seductive dance and the
hateful heart of a queen combined to bring about the martyrdom of John the
Baptist. The greatest of prophets suffered the fate of so many Old Testament
prophets before him: rejection and martyrdom. The “voice crying in the desert”
did not hesitate to accuse the guilty, did not hesitate to speak the truth. But
why? What possesses a man that he would give up his very life? This great
religious reformer was sent by God to prepare the people for the Messiah. His
vocation was one of selfless giving. The only power that he claimed was the
Spirit of Yahweh. “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one
who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his
sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew
3:11). Scripture tells us that many people followed John looking to him for
hope, perhaps in anticipation of some great messianic power. John never allowed
himself the false honor of receiving these people for his own glory. He knew
his calling was one of preparation. When the time came, he led his disciples to
Jesus: “The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he
watched Jesus walk by, he said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God.’ The two disciples
heard what he said and followed Jesus” (John 1:35-37). It is John the
Baptist who has pointed the way to Christ. John’s life and death were a giving
over of self for God and other people. His simple style of life was one of
complete detachment from earthly possessions. His heart was centered on God and
the call that he heard from the Spirit of God speaking to his heart. Confident
of God’s grace, he had the courage to speak words of condemnation, repentance,
and salvation.
Reflection
Each
of us has a calling to which we must
listen. No one will ever repeat the mission of John, and yet all of us are
called to that very mission. It is the role of the Christian to witness to
Jesus. Whatever our position in this world, we are called to be disciples of
Christ. By our words and deeds, others should realize that we live in the joy
of knowing that Jesus is Lord. We do not have to depend upon our own limited
resources but can draw strength from the vastness of Christ’s saving grace.
The
International Day against Nuclear Tests seeks to raise awareness about the
negative effects of nuclear weapons and the need to achieve a
nuclear-weapon-free world. The day also serves to educate people everywhere
about the need to ban nuclear weapon tests in order to ensure world safety.
Since the first nuclear test in 1945, over 2,000 nuclear tests have been
carried out and led to accidents, such as the Chernobyl, Ukraine accident of
1986, ending in tragedy, long-term radiation poisoning and atmospheric damage.
International Day against Nuclear Tests was declared by the United Nations General
Assembly in December 2009. It is observed every year on the 29th of August, a
day that commemorates the 1991 closure of the Soviet Semipalatinsk site, the
world's largest nuclear testing facility, in the former Soviet Republic of
Kazakhstan.
International Day
against Nuclear Tests Facts & Quotes
·
The
US, the Soviet Union and France have carried out the most nuclear tests over
the past 6 decades, with 1,032, 715 and 210 respectively.
·
The
cost of the Manhattan Project, where the first nuclear bomb was ever built, is
estimated to have cost $20 Billion.
·
The
total number of nuclear missiles built from the year 1951 to the present is
67,500.
·
There
is an estimated total of 16,400 nuclear weapons on Earth today.
·
So
long as nuclear weapons continue to exist, so will the temptation to threaten
others with overwhelming military force. – Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhist philosopher,
educator, author and anti-nuclear activist.
Top Events and
Things to Do
·
Watch
a movie or documentary about nuclear disasters. Some suggestions are: The
Day After (1983), Threads (1984), Trinity and Beyond (1995), Fukushima
Nuclear Disaster and Seconds from Disaster: Meltdown at Chernobyl.
·
Attend
the meeting held by the president of the UN General Assembly by either going to
the event in person or watching the recorded webcast.
·
Read
a book about nuclear issues in the world today. Some suggestions are:
Contesting the Future of Nuclear Power (2011), In Mortal Hands
(2009), and Nuclear or Not? Does Nuclear Power Have a Place in a Sustainable
Energy Future? (2007).
·
Spread
awareness about the day by using the hashtag
#InternationalDayAgainstNuclearWeapons, #notonuclear #againstnucleartests.
"Read
these counsels slowly. Pause to meditate on these thoughts. They are things
that I whisper in your ear-confiding them-as a friend, as a brother, as a
father. And they are being heard by God. I won't tell you anything new. I will
only stir your memory, so that some thought will arise and strike you; and so
you will better your life and set out along ways of prayer and of Love. And in
the end you will be a more worthy soul."
55. A Priest — whoever he may be — is always another Christ.
·
Please
Pray for soul of Senator
McCain and his family and for the unity of our country; asking Our Lady of Beauraing to
intercede.
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