FEAST OF SAINT MARTIN/VETERANS DAY
Acts,
Chapter 26, Verse 5-7
5 They have known about
me from the start, if they are willing to testify, that I have lived my life as
a Pharisee, the strictest party of our religion. 6 But now I am standing
trial because of my hope in the
promise made by God to our ancestors. 7 Our twelve tribes hope to attain to that promise as they
fervently worship God day and night; and on account of this hope I am accused by Jews, O king.
Paul clearly explains that his entire life was in
preparation for the hope of Israel, Christ Jesus, who Israel did not recognize
as the son of God. Paul states that the prophets and Moses had foretold that
the Christ would suffer, and as first to be raised from the dead, he would
proclaim light to both God’s people and the Gentiles. The resurrection is God’s
promise to Israel. Paul like Christ ultimately was a victim of intolerance.[1]
GOSPEL Matthew 13: 24 – 30
At that time
Jesus spoke this parable to the multitudes: The kingdom of heaven is likened to
a man that sowed good seed in his field. But while men were asleep, his enemy
came and oversowed cockle among the wheat, and went his way. And when the blade
was sprung up and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle. And
the servants of the goodman of the house coming, said to him: Sir, didst thou
not sow good seed in thy field? Whence then hath it cockle? And he said to
them: An enemy hath done this. And the servants said to him: Wilt thou that we
go and gather it up? and he said: No, lest perhaps, gathering up the cockle, you
root up the wheat also together with it. Suffer both to grow until the harvest,
and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up first the
cockle and bind it into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather ye into my barn.
MARTIN was born in the year 316 in
Pannonia, or Hungary, of pagan parents, but he received secret instructions in
the Christian religion, and in his tenth year was received into the number of
the catechumens, that is, of those who are preparing themselves to receive holy
Baptism. At the age of fifteen he became a soldier, being, as is probable,
forced to do so by his father, to whom the religion of the boy had become
known. Out of love of God he not only kept himself aloof from the excesses so
common in this state of life, but he took advantage of it to practice love for
man, by dividing his pay among the poor. Being one day solicited for alms by a
beggar, and having nothing but his arms and his cloak, he gave him half his
cloak. The following night Christ appeared to him, wearing that half of the
cloak, and said to him: Martin, who is yet a catechumen, has clothed Me with
this garment. Moved by this comforting apparition, he received holy Baptism,
gave up the life of a soldier, and betook himself to St. Hilary, Bishop of
Poitiers, in France. As he was careful for his own salvation, so also was he
careful of the salvation of others, particularly of his parents and relatives,
for the sake of whose conversion he undertook a journey to his native land. On
his return he built, not far from Poitiers, the first convent in France, into
which he received twenty-four monks, with whom he led a strict and virtuous
life. His great faith made him like the apostles in regard to miracles, and the
fame thereof spread abroad to that degree that, in spite of his refusals, he
was chosen Bishop of Tours. This high dignity made no change in his manner of
living; rather it increased his humility, his patience under the greatest
persecutions, his zeal for the glory of God, his love for his neighbor, and
particularly for his enemies. After he had in such manner ruled over his
diocese for twenty-six years, being then over eighty years old, the strength of
life left him. He thereupon collected his disciples about him, and said:
Children, I am dying. They wept and mourned. Moved by their tears, he in his
prayers professed himself willing to labor longer if it were God's will.
But he had labored for heaven enough, and God desired to place upon him the
long-merited crown. With his eyes raised to heaven, he prayed incessantly,
allowing himself no relief. At his last moments the enemy sought to confound
him by a horrible apparition, but, full of confidence in God, the saint cried
out: What do you seek, cruel monster? In me you will find nothing that is
yours; and soon after his spirit gently sank to rest. Would that we might learn
from this saint truly to love God, and to care not only for our own salvation,
but for the welfare of our fellow-men in body and soul! Then we, too, might
have nothing to fear in death.
In honor of St. Martin today would be a
good day to go through our closets and cut our cloaks in half to donate to the
poor. While serving in Germany myself I have a fond memory of St. Martin Day in
which my children participated in the nightime St. Martins Day Parade in the
small town of Gersbach, Germany. On St. Martin's Day, children in Flanders,
the southern and north-western parts of the Netherlands, and the Catholic
areas of Germany and Austria still participate in paper
lantern processions. Often, a man dressed as St. Martin rides on a horse
in front of the procession. The children sing songs about St. Martin and about
their lanterns. The food traditionally eaten on the day is goose, a rich
bird. According to legend, Martin was reluctant to become bishop, which is why
he hid in a stable filled with geese. The noise made by the geese betrayed his
location to the people who were looking for him.
Things to do[4]
- Recite the Iste
Confessor in honor of St. Martin.
- Cook a
special dinner of roast goose or duck in honor of St. Martin. Bake some
horseshoe cookies.
- In Europe this
day is traditionally known as Martinmas. Many foods and traditions are
connected with this day. See also Women
for Faith and Family for more Catholic traditions.
- St. Martin is
patron saint of wine growers, wine makers and vintners. In France, the
tasting of the new wine is done today. Have a Martinmas gathering, serving
this year's Noveau Beaujolais wine from France.
- Read Painting
Angels, Saints and Their Symbols for a discussion about St. Martin's
symbols in art.
- For more
biographies and other information on St. Martin, read Patron
Saints Index.
- See the Life
of St Martin as depicted in the stained glass of Chartres Cathedral
(c.1220) here.
- The children
will enjoy this dessert St.
Martin's Horseshoes and you can learn more about customs for this
feast.
Today is Veterans
Day let us remember to pray today for both our military and veterans. Also
ask today's Holy Saint Martin of Tours to intercede for our military and
veterans who have born the yoke of service to this nation.
Today is the 100th
Anniversary of the end of WWI[6]
Veterans Day seeks to honor and give thanks to all the
men and women who have served and are serving in the US Armed Forces.
Ceremonies are held across the country at Veterans Hospitals, cemeteries,
and National Monuments. At 11:00 a.m. EST, the Veterans Day National
Ceremony is held at Arlington National Cemetery. At this ceremony the President
of the United States, or his assigned ambassador, places a wreath on the Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier. Veterans Day is observed on November 11th each
year. Today is also the start of the fausching
season in Germany which begins on 11/11 at the 11th hour and at the
11th second.
Veterans Day Facts
& Quotes
·
In
1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued a proclamation urging the nation to
support the Veterans Day effort in any way possible.
·
During
World War II, over 16 million men and women served in the military. The war
resulted in over 400,000 deaths.
·
The
War of Global Terrorism, encompassing October 7, 2001 to May 29, 2012, has seen
54,820 casualties of which 6,456 resulted in death.
·
This
nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the
brave. - Elmer Davis
Veterans Day Top
Events and Things to Do
·
Volunteer
at a local VA facility.
·
Thank
everyone you know who has served in the armed forces.
·
Take
flowers to the grave sites of deceased military personnel.
·
Invite
local veterans to a special luncheon in their honor.
·
Make
a donation of time or money to a local Veterans organization.
Remember we are
all in a battle with the forces of evil that seek the destruction of ourselves
and our prosperity
Abortion is the worldly cure to the
consequences of sexual sin. Yet know that, a shocking new video lays
out a diabolical, multi-decade scheme to exterminate the black population in
the United States, an agenda that has largely been embraced by the Democratic
Party and others on the “progressive” Left. Via abortion, blacks are
essentially being exterminated systematically, as statistics demonstrate: Not
only is abortion more dominant in black communities, but for every black baby
born, three are killed via the procedure. It is, as one
African-American pundit called it, “genocide.” Via the primary abortion
organization in America — the inaccurately named “Planned Parenthood, which was
started by eugenics fan Margaret Sanger in the 1920s specifically to
target the black community — minorities are being killed at such an alarming
rate that one expert said American blacks are the only demographic on
earth not replacing itself. “The goal: To rid the country of the
feeble-minded, defectives,” Sanger has been quoted as saying. Said one pundit:
“If they [the powers that be] can keep certain segments of the population from
reproducing, then all of the world’s problems would disappear.” In the video,
titled, “The Science Agenda to Exterminate Blacks,” Natural
News founder Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, documents the pattern of heavy
metals poisoning, medical experimentation, organ harvesting, covert fertility
task forces and other tactics that seek to eliminate blacks from our planet. He
notes that abortion centers are predominantly set up in areas of cities where
blacks are the majority demographic, and always under the guise of wanting to
‘serve the minority community’ with ‘reproductive rights’ and ‘health
care.’ “Abortion marketing is more aggressive toward black communities than it
is toward white communities,” Adams said. “The Planned Parenthood/abortion
industry needs a steady supply of black women getting pregnant and wanting to
terminate those pregnancies in order for them to be able to harvest [fetal]
tissue and organs via partial-birth abortions, which are almost all black
babies.” While Planned Parenthood and supporters of the organization say that
harvested organs and tissues are summarily used for “research” — and no doubt
some are — many baby body parts are sold for profit, as an undercover
media sting by the Center for Medical Progress proved a couple of years
ago, via a series of released videos. And many of those tissues, Adams
says, are sold to vaccine makers, which they use to grow “biomass for
vaccines.” He pointed out that Natural News has reported on the
ingredients lists of some of the most common vaccines — like the flu vaccine
and chicken pox vaccines, which clearly state they use “human diploid cell
cultures” and “human embryonic lung cell cultures” from aborted babies.
Remember we are all in a battle…and…the
fallen are not just veterans…as we see in the victims of porn and abortion…we
must give ourselves up entirely to Him so that He will recognize us on the Last
Day.
The most strenuous battles today are that
against the ravenous wolf that we call porn. We can safely say, with great
sorrow and pain, that one of the most powerful and a prevalent addictions today
is that of porn. Because of the easy and all too prevalent availability and
access to porn, more and more people—teens and even children—are viewing porn.
This being the case, we must have some concrete strategy or game-plan to fight
against this powerful enemy of the salvation of our immortal soul. The
following are ten positive steps to win the battle. Let us fight the battle,
not by ourselves, but with the help of Almighty God and His Blessed Mother!
1.
Love
of God. First and foremost, I must be convinced of the great love that God
has for me. His love for me is infinite, non-changing and eternal. Even when I
fall, God still loves me as portrayed in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, or
you might even call it “The Parable of the Merciful Father.”
2.
Battlefield. Our
life on earth is a constant battle between good and evil, the spirit and the
flesh, light and darkness, the good spirit and the bad spirit. Therefore, we
should always be vigilant, prayerful, alert and on guard. “The spirit is willing,
but the flesh is weak.” We have to know our weak point, or if you like, our
“Kryptonite.” For many, it is to view progressively more revealing
images—that is to say, porn.
3.
Desolation. When
we find ourselves in a state of desolation, that is when the enemy or the devil
will attack us. By desolation we mean that in our soul we are experiencing
sadness, depression, discouragement, lack of faith, hope, and love. We feel
like life has no real meaning and it would be best to simply throw in the towel
and give up the fight. Review your life now! Before falling into viewing porn,
you were probably in a state of desolation. That being the case, what measures
should you take? That is the next step!
4.
Prayer
and Wholesome Distraction. To exit desolation and the temptation
that goes with it—often the temptation to view porn—we must take certain steps
to conquer the temptation. First, quick and fervent prayer! We cannot conquer
temptation by our own human efforts; we need the grace of God that comes
through prayer. Then we should move into wholesome, absorbing, and healthy
distractions. Examples? Sports, good conversation with a friend, an absorbing
book, a hobby… All of these serve to distract our minds from being engrossed in
the desire for porn and giving in to it.
5.
Failure
(and recovering). If we have the misfortune of falling into the trap and
temptation of viewing porn, then we should never give into despair and losing
all hope. On the contrary, we should be humble, admit our sin, have recourse to
the Sacrament of Confession, and trust in the infinite mercy of God! Remember
the consoling words of the Apostle Saint Paul: “Where sin abounds, the mercy of
God abounds all the more.”
6.
Self-Knowledge.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola insists on our having self-knowledge so as to grow in
the spiritual life. The daily examen can be invaluable in
overcoming any sin or sinful pattern, especially related to lust and the sin or
vice of pornography. Addictions are not easy to conquer, but with the grace of
God all is possible. The following are the five steps in making a good daily
examen:
·
Place
yourself in the presence of God who truly loves you totally.
·
Give thanks to
God for all of the blessings He has given you.
·
Beg
for the grace to see yourself as God sees you in total honesty.
·
Reflect on
the events of your life, your failures, and why you fell.
·
Resolution,
Reconciliation. Resolve to amend your life. Change!
7.
Joy
and Self-Fulfillment. A very key element in conquering the sin and vice
of porn is by experiencing joy in our lives. Joy is one of the fruits of the
Holy Spirit. Saint Paul insists on joy: “Rejoice in the Lord; I say it again: rejoice
in the Lord.” (Phil. 4:4) Joy comes from the Lord, but it also comes from
cultivating a spirit of service and going out of ourselves. Here is a short but
helpful acronym for joy. J.O.Y. J= Jesus… O= Others… Y= Yourself. If indeed we
put Jesus first, others second, and ourselves last, then we will experience
joy, and the dark and bad spirit of porn’s grip will be weakened. Both Saint
Philip Neri and Saint John Bosco insisted on creating a joyful atmosphere for
the young people. As the flower flourishes in the sun, so the human soul
flourishes under the sun rays of joy!
8.
Hard
Work. It is so true the proverb or saying: “Idleness is the workshop of
the devil.” How true this is related to porn! Wherever there is an abundance of
free time, which promotes laziness and boredom, then the spirit of lust and the
devil of porn work strenuously. Physical labor or sports, mental efforts, and
spiritual activities all serve as dams to block the deluge of temptations to
seek out porn materials! The saints all agree on this: Let us work hard now and
we can rest forever in heaven!
9.
Confessor/Spiritual
Director. The battle to conquer porn cannot be won alone. Honestly, it has
to be fought with the help of a Confessor and Spiritual Director. Both are
important and necessary. The following is the reason. Grace and healing come
through the Sacrament of Confession which only a priest-confessor can
administer. At the same time, a person struggling to overcome and conquer a
serious problem with porn needs to be listened to, receive advice and counsel,
as well as be held accountable. Therefore, the person of the Spiritual Director
is indispensable. The priest-confessor and the spiritual director can be the
same person, or they can be two separate persons. Saint Ignatius of Loyola insists
that to conquer the enemy, the temptation must be exposed to the light! The
devil works in darkness and secrecy! If you cannot find a spiritual director,
please feel free to email the Iceman.
10. Call on the
Blessed Virgin Mary. Experience has proven in the history of the great
friends of God—the saints—that a strong, loving, filial devotion to the Blessed
Virgin Mary has helped immensely to conquer many of the demons, many of the
sins, many of the sinful patterns in our lives. Our Lady is especially strong
in helping those who entrust their lives to her with the grace to overcome the
sins against the virtue of purity. Those who have fallen into porn should
consecrate themselves to Mary, pray the Rosary every day, wear the Scapular,
and invoke Mary especially in moments of temptation.
“Remember, O gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it
known, that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought
your intercession, was left unaided!”
"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."
111. When you have sought the company of a sensual satisfaction, what
loneliness afterwards!
Daily Devotions
[1]The Collegeville Bible Commentary
[3]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896.
[9]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
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