FEAST OF THE DIVINE MATERNITY
John, Chapter 15,
Verse 9-13
9 As the Father loves
me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
10 If you keep my
commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my
Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and your joy may be complete. 12 This is my
commandment: love one another as I love you. 13 No one has
greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Your prayers are answered in
accordance with your love. This is the natural law of God. For love begins with
the Fathers love of Christ and moves on to Jesus’ love for his friends which is
reciprocated in the disciples’ loving obedience to Christ and radiates out
through their love for one another. It is this love that will be the source of
their joy and the essential condition of their intimate friendship with the
Lord. The model of love for all true discipleship is extreme, and limitless.
Yet, it is precisely for love like this that Jesus has chosen them. They will
bring forth enduring fruit; their prayers will be answered, to the extent that
they love one another.[1] We
see this natural law of love in the world today. If our church has love and
even sacrificial love it will be safe no matter how poor of a church it is but
if it has no love than no matter how rich a church it is; it bears no fruit.
Such is the law of love. We can see the same in our own families where there is
love the family is rich even if it has no money and where there is no love
there is not a family. We also see this truth in our country which is now being
ran by Godless unloving people. (i.e. the recent political specticals of our political
parties) We do not need climate change but a change of heart and start loving
as Christ does beginning in our homes and going out from there.
Love does not despair of the
future. Love speaks of the hope of one who knows that others can change, mature
and radiate unexpected beauty and untold potential. This does not mean that
everything will change in this life. It does involve realizing that, though
things may not always turn out as we wish, God may well make crooked lines
straight and draw some good from the evil we endure in this world. Here hope comes most fully into its own, for
it embraces the certainty of life after death. Each person, with all his or her
failings, is called to the fullness of life in heaven. There, fully transformed
by Christ’s resurrection, every weakness, darkness and infirmity will pass
away. There the person’s true being will shine forth in all its goodness and
beauty. This realization helps us, amid the aggravations of this present life,
to see each person from a supernatural perspective, in the light of hope, and
await the fullness that he or she will receive in the heavenly kingdom, even if
it is not yet visible.
“On this occasion the heavenly Lady was
full of the Holy Ghost and moreover bore within Her, as His Mother, the Divine Word,
who proceeds from the Father and the Holy Ghost. Saint Joseph received special
enlightenment and the plenitude of divine graces, and altogether renewed in
fervor of spirit he said:
“Blessed art Thou,
Lady, among all women, fortunate and preferred before all nations and
generations. May the Creator of heaven and earth be extolled with eternal
praise, since from his exalted kingly throne He has looked upon Thee and chosen
Thee for his dwelling place and in Thee alone has fulfilled the ancient
promises made to the Patriarchs and Prophets. Let all generations bless Him:
for in no one has He magnified his name as He has done in thy humility; and me,
the most insignificant of the living, He has in his divine condescension
selected for thy servant.” In these words of praise and benediction Saint
Joseph was enlightened by the Holy Ghost, in the same manner as Saint
Elizabeth, when she responded to the salutation of Our Queen and Mistress. The
light and inspiration received by the most holy spouse was wonderfully adapted
to his dignity and office. The heavenly Lady, upon hearing the words of the
holy man, answered in the words of the Magnificat, as She had done on her visit
to Saint Elizabeth, and She added other canticles. She was all aflame in
ecstasy and was raised from the earth in a globe of light, which surrounded Her
and transfigured Her with the gifts of glory. At this heavenly vision Saint
Joseph was filled with admiration and unspeakable delight; for never had he
seen his most blessed Spouse in such eminence of glory and perfection. Now he
beheld Her with a full and clear understanding, since all the integrity and
purity of the Princess of heaven and mystery of her dignity manifested
themselves to him. He saw and recognized in her virginal womb the humanity of
the infant God and the union of the two natures of the Word. With profound
humility and reverence, he adored Him and recognized Him as his Redeemer,
offering himself to his majesty. The Lord looked upon him in benevolence and
kindness as upon no other man, for He accepted him as his foster-father and
conferred upon him that title. In accordance with this dignity, He gifted him
with that plenitude of science and heavenly gifts which Christian piety can and
must acknowledge.
International Day of the Girl aims to recognize girls' rights and the unique challenges that they face around the world. Every day, young girls everywhere face challenges involving their rights, access to education, inequality, discrimination, domestic violence and child marriage. Gender inequality is so prevalent in the world that the United Nations introduced a Gender Inequality Index (GII) to measure gender disparity in countries. International Day of the Girl is promoted by the United Nations and was initially declared in December 2011. Every year on December 19th, the world celebrates and empowers young girls to rise up and fight for equality, safety and their rights.
Day of the Girl Facts & Quotes
·
It
is estimated that over 100 million women from the world are missing. Female
infanticide and selective abortion are still commonly practiced in Asia and
have led to uneven ratios of men and women all over Asia.
·
In
India, there are laws that prevent expecting mothers from finding out the sex
of the baby due to selective abortions and discrimination against baby girls.
·
One-third
of girls in the developing world are married before the age of 18, increasing
the risk of HIV, unwanted pregnancy and discontinued education.
·
To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man's injustice to woman. If by strength is meant brute strength, then, indeed, is woman less brute than man. If by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man's superior. Has she not greater intuition, is she not more self-sacrificing, has she not greater powers of endurance, has she not greater courage? Without her, man could not be. If nonviolence is the law of our being, the future is with woman. Who can make a more effective appeal to the heart than woman?- Mahatma Ghandi
Day of the Girl Top Events and
Things to Do
·
Get
active for girls on social media. Use one of UNICEF's recommended social
networking hashtags: #dayofthe girl, #mylifeat15, #girl4president and
#girlhero!.
·
Take
out a girl in your life (your daughter, niece, granddaughter, family friend).
Take her out to do her favorite activity on her special day.
·
Watch
movies that empower young girls and portray strong female characters.
1) Brave (2012)
2) Bend it like Beckham (2002)
3) Anne of Green Gables (1985)
4) Mulan (1998)
1) Brave (2012)
2) Bend it like Beckham (2002)
3) Anne of Green Gables (1985)
4) Mulan (1998)
·
Attend
one of many events held nationally and internationally. Look for an event
organized in your local community by schools and girl clubs, if not attend the
online event. The online event involves sharing baby photos of yourself (if
you're a girl), or daughters, sisters and other girl family members and discuss
your/their dreams while growing up.
Although he never planned it that way, Christopher Reeve[5] became a hero for our time. His legacy of determination, commitment, compassion and courage continues to inspire men and women across the globe. Playing the role of Superman in the movies he became, to many of us, “The Man of Steel.” When a riding accident changed his life forever, we cried, and we worried… but somehow knew the super man within would prevail. And he did. The way he lived, and the amazing way he spoke about living, became a powerful source of motivation and inspiration for people living with paralysis and disabilities. His words have touched all our hearts. We share some of our favorite Christopher Reeve quotes.
·
What is a Hero? "I think a hero is an
ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of
overwhelming obstacles."
·
Once
you choose hope anything is possible.
·
"Either
you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the
ocean."
·
"If
I can laugh, I can live."
·
"You've
got to give more than you take."
"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."
99. If you don't keep in
touch with Christ in prayer and in the Bread, how can you make him known to
others?
Daily Devotions
·
Total
Consecration
Day 31
[1] The Collegeville Bible Commentary
[2] Pope Francis, Encyclical on Love.
[5]Actor
died on this date 2004
[6]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
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