Sunday, September 30, 2018

Nineteenth Sunday aft. Pentecost (26^th S. Ord. Time)

HOT MULLED CIDER DAY

John, Chapter 8, Verse 42

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me.

God is loving, a love so great that to make right the sin of man God took the punishment due upon Himself. In the creed we allude to this he “descended into hell and on the third day he arose from the dead” in those three days he suffered the punishment due to us; such is his love. Those who love Christ are the seed of Abraham and those who do not are the seed of Satan. We are either the servant of the world or the covenant of love formed through Abraham.

Servanthood[1]

Secular Leadership vs. Spiritual Leadership
Issue	Secular Leadership	Spiritual Leadership
How to gain influence	Leverage power	Love people
How to possess confidence	Compete and win	Depend on God
How to acquire authority	Claim your rights and position	Servanthood
How to grow an organization	Demand of people	Develop people
What vision drives you	Temporal gain	Eternal gain
What is success	Overcoming the competition	Obeying the Lord
The heart of Leadership	The boss	A Father

Chapter 8 of John’s Gospel depicts the face-off between two conflicting worldviews. The flawed worldview of the Jewish leaders caused their inability to see Jesus as a person. Nor were they able to understand that He was the second person of the Trinity: God the Son; the messiah. They unlike Abraham could only believe what they could see, such as power and feared being displaced by the Romans. They did not understand the love of God was the willingness to serve which compels one to be, know and do the work of their Creator; God.

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost[2]

Traditionally this Sunday focuses on the necessity of charity (caritas) for the eternal wedding feast.

The king said to him, "My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?" But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, "Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." Many are invited, but few are chosen (Mt 22:12-14).

The Gospel is Matthew 22:1-14. How foolish the Pharisees were in not listening to our Lord's warnings. He gave them every opportunity to turn away from the false path which their pride had chosen for them. His divine heart was ever ready to embrace them if only they would say "mea culpa." "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets, and stone them that are sent to you, how often would I have gathered together your children, as the hen does her chickens under her wings, and you would not" (Mt. 23:37)? "God created us without our cooperation," says St. Augustine. "but he cannot save us unless we cooperate." We too could make the Pharisees' mistake. We have the invitation to the wedding feast; in fact, we are already in the banquet hall, since our baptism; but are we wearing the wedding garment of virtue and grace? If not, we are no better off than those who rejected the invitation. The king may come in at any moment and cast out those who are not properly dressed. Being a member of the Church on earth is a wonderful privilege, and a sure guarantee that we will reach heaven, if we do what is expected of us. But the same obstacles which prevented the Pharisees from entering the kingdom—love of this world, its wealth and its pleasures—can impede us too, unless we are on our guard. The world with its allurements is very close to us; heaven seems very far away. Thus, we must be prepared to do violence to our ordinary inclinations, to go against them whenever and wherever "the things that are Caesar's" tend to blot out or make us forget "the things that are God's." This implies a daily carrying of the cross, a daily struggle against our evil inclinations, a daily endeavor to acquire true love of God and neighbor. This may sound superhuman, but Christ did not ask anyone to do the impossible. He led the way, and millions have followed him to eternal glory. He has called us too and has placed within our easy reach in his Church all the grace we need. If we fail to use these divine helps, if we are found without the wedding garment, we will have no one to blame but ourselves. We have been called with the many. We can be among the "chosen."

Lessons of Consolation from the Joys of Heaven[3]

In what these joys consist, St. Paul himself, though more than once caught up to heaven and allowed to see and taste them, could not describe. He only says that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love Him. In heaven all beauties, all delights, all joys, are found in the highest and most perfect degree free from all evil, free from all anxiety and disgust, and free from all fear of ever losing them. In a word, in heaven man shall possess God Himself, the source of all joy and happiness, and shall, with Him, enjoy God s own happiness for all eternity. We shall be like to Him (i. John iii. 2). Is there need of anything more to give us the highest conception of heaven? How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord, my heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God (Ps. Ixxxiii). How weary of the world am I when I contemplate heaven!

Hot Mulled Cider Day[4]

The winter will be short, the summer long, the autumn amber-hued, sunny and hot, Tasting of cider and of scuppernong; All seasons sweet, but autumn best of all. The squirrels in their silver fur will fall Like falling leaves, like fruit, before your shot. Elinor Wylie

The chilly seasons welcome a delicious drink called hot mulled cider, a traditional drink made from heated apple cider with various spices added, including citrus orange, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. It’s a perfect drink on chilly days whether you are home alone by your fireplace reading a book, or having a party serving this drink with your friends. The history of hot mulled cider is bears remarkable similarities to the old pagan tradition called Wassailing. The word ‘wassail’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘waes hael’, which means ‘good health’. The wassail was a drink made of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and sugar. It was served from huge, 10-gallon bowls, often made of silver or pewter. This originally came from a story about a young beautiful maiden presenting the drink to Prince Vortigen, saying the words “waes hael” in a toast. The term wassailing refers to the act of the bowl being carried into the room with great splendor, a traditional carol about wassailing and then the beverage was served. Nowadays, hot mulled cider is generally referred to non-alcoholic, fermented apple juice. Hard cider would be the alcoholic version of apple cider. This drink can be served during the fall and winter seasons, and it is similar to Mulled wine, which is essentially hot, sweetened red wine made aromatic with the addition of citrus fruits and warming spices such as cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. However, people these days have been gravitating towards mulled apple cider as a drink that anyone can have.

How to celebrate Hot Mulled Cider Day

One of the best ways to celebrate this holiday is to find a recipe and make mulled cider yourself! It’s a very easy and simple drink with a lot of flavor. In a large pot, add brown sugar to apple cider over medium heat. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Then add other ingredients such as nutmeg, allspice, orange juice, and lemon juice, and bring to a boil. When serving, strain out the spices, pour into a mug, and enjoy! Add a cinnamon stick to your mug if you’d like or make it fancy and add rum into your mixture.

A Visit from King Solomon[5](Last day of the 7-day feast of Sukkot)

First Kings 10:4-5 “And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her.”

When the Queen of Sheba beheld the wisdom of Solomon and his material blessings, she prioritized what was most important and that was wisdom. Possessions can become a huge stumbling block for the believer since money can be like a god to them; it provides for all their needs, it gives them creature comforts when they desire them; and it lets them rest in the fact that they’re set for a life of ease…however, someone else once thought that way. Jesus told His audience about a man who had great wealth and said, “I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry” but “God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God”.

If we sin, we are Thine, knowing Thy power: but—we will not sin, knowing that we are counted Thine. For to know Thee is perfect righteousness: yea, to know Thy power is the root of immortality. —WISDOM OF SOLOMON xv. 2, 3.

The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just.

35 Promises of God[6] cont.

10.  “Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.”-Deut 31:6

The Way[7]

"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."

89.  He has become so small — you see: a Child-so that you can approach him with confidence.

Daily Devotions

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Pray our Democratic leaders confirm the new Supreme Court Judge.

·         Pray the 54 Day Rosary

·         Total Consecration Day 19

·         Consider helping others-if everyone gave a small donation imagine the power of it.

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[1] John Maxwell, The Leadership Bible.

[2]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2017-10-15

[3]Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.

[4]https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/hot-mulled-cider-day/

[5]http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2016/05/24/7-good-bible-verses-from-the-book-of-1-kings/

[6]http://www.aggiecatholicblog.org/2014/12/35-promises-of-god/

[7]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm