Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 5-8
5 Through him we have received the
grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, 6 among whom are you also, who are
called to belong to Jesus Christ; 7 to all the beloved of God in Rome,
called to be holy. Grace to you and peace
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ for
all of you, because your faith is
heralded throughout the world.
Christ has called all of us as
Paul states to holiness and apostleship.
"The apostolate of the
laity derives from their Christian vocation and the Church can never be without
it." These words come from the opening lines of the “Decree on the
Apostolate of the Laity” (Apostolicam
Actuositatem). This particular document on the laity shows that the
Church is dependent on the apostolate of all people. But the term “apostolate”
seems so daunting; clearly the word is rooted in the idea of being an apostle.
I tend to think back to the Twelve Apostles, which creates a certain amount of
anxiety. How can I even think about living up to the great examples of these
twelve? Yet they are our example, and our apostleship is essential to the
life of the Church. In the Church we tend to use the word apostle quite a bit
and in many different ways. It appears in terms such as: apostolic, apostolate,
and apostleship. To find a secular answer, I looked up the word “apostle” in a
Merriam-Webster dictionary. In using a dictionary, my hope was that I might
come to a better understanding of what it means to be an apostle. The
first definition that I came across for apostle was "one sent on a mission." This first meaning really helps expand
the idea of the New Evangelization in simple terms. The discovery of this
definition led me to formulate the following question: "What is our
mission as baptized Catholics?" This is a very important question that has been the subject of major debate. A
simple answer is that we are called to go out into the world around us and
proclaim the Good News of our Lord, Jesus Christ. How this is accomplished is a
decision that must be made by each
one of us. We must find our own niche
in the greater mission of Christ. We have been given a divine mission that we must go out and complete.
World Philosophy Day seeks to promote human thought,
new ideas and critical thinking to confront today's challenges.
Philosophy refers to the study of knowledge, experience, existence and
reality. According to the United Nations, philosophy provides the conceptual
bases of principles and values on which world peace
depends: democracy,
human rights,
justice and equality. World Philosophy Day was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2005.
Since then, every third Thursday of November has served as a celebration of
philosophical knowledge.
World
Philosophy Day Facts & Quotes
·
Rene
Descartes is considered to be the father of modern Western philosophy. He is
widely credited with being the first to use the concept of reason to develop
the natural sciences.
He lived from 1596 to 1650.
·
Thales
of Miletus is widely considered to be the father of philosophy. He was a Greek
philosopher, mathematician and astronomer that lived around 624-546BC.
·
Truth
in philosophy means that concept and external reality correspond. – George
Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher of the late enlightenment period.
World
Philosophy Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Spread
awareness on social media by using the hashtags #WorldPhilosophyDay,
#PhilosophyDay and #PhilosophyandCooperation.
·
Tune
in to the live webcast of the philosophical debates on UNESCO’s website. It can
be streamed in French or English at the UNESCO
site.
·
Watch
a movie that touches on philosophy. Some suggestions are: The Matrix
(1999), Blade Runner (1982) and Being There (1979).
·
Donate
to the Philosophy Foundation. Any money raised is put towards providing
specialist teachers to schools that need it most but can’t afford it. The
organization aims to support young people in higher education studying
philosophy.
·
Read
a book on philosophy. Some suggestions are: Plato’s Republic, Critique
of Pure Reason and A History of Western Philosophy.
Today is “The great
American Smokeout” day which encourages smokers to quit or cut down on the
habit. When I was a soldier, I often cautioned my troops on the dangers, to
which one young lieutenant retorted one day, “You know it is better to smoke in
this life then the next”.
Since
the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special
devotions. As a reminder of our duty to pray for the suffering faithful in
Purgatory, the Church has dedicated the month of November to the Holy Souls.
The Holy Souls are those who have died in the state of grace but who are not
yet free from all punishment due to their unforgiven venial sins and all other
sins already forgiven for which satisfaction is still to be made. They are
certain of entering Heaven, but first they must suffer in Purgatory. The Holy
Souls cannot help themselves because for them the night has come, when no man
can work (John 9:4). It is our great privilege of brotherhood that we can
shorten their time of separation from God by our prayers, good works, and, especially,
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Prayer
INVOCATION
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace. Amen.
FOR
THE SOULS IN PURGATORY My Jesus, by the sorrows Thou didst suffer in Thine
agony in the Garden, in Thy scourging and crowning with thorns, in the way to
Calvary, in Thy crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls in purgatory,
and especially on those that are most forsaken; do Thou deliver them from the
dire torments they endure; call them and admit them to Thy most sweet embrace in
paradise. Our Father, Hail Mary, Eternal rest, etc.
FOR
ALL THE DECEASED By Thy resurrection from the dead, O Christ, death no longer
hath dominion over those who die in holiness. So, we beseech Thee, give rest to
Thy servants in Thy sanctuary and in Abraham's bosom. Grant it to those, who
from Adam until now have adored Thee with purity, to our fathers and brothers,
to our kinsmen and friends, to all men who have lived by faith and passed on
their road to Thee, by a thousand ways, and in all conditions, and make them
worthy of the heavenly kingdom. Byzantine Liturgy
DE
PROFUNDIS The psalmist is crying out here from the depression that grips him
because of his sense of sin. He tells God that no man could be forgiven should
strict justice be demanded; but, since God is forgiving and merciful, the
psalmist (Israel) will hope for redemption from iniquities. We, who know the
mercy of God far better than the g Israelites, may pray this psalm with even
greater trust in God. The Church uses this psalm in the liturgy as her official
prayer for the souls in Purgatory. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;
Lord, hear my, voice! Let Your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication:
If You, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand? But with You is
forgiveness, that You may be revered. I trust in the Lord; my soul trusts in
His word. My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the Lord, For with
the Lord is kindness and with Him is plenteous redemption; And He will redeem
Israel from all their iniquities. Psalm 130
THE
MISERERE This psalm is a marvelous act of contrition, confession, and
supplication by a repentant sinner. It was composed by David after his sin with
Bethsabee. In reparation David promises to lead others back to God by telling
them of the ways of divine justice. Instead of offering God an external
sacrifice which he knows He will not accept, he offers instead the sacrifice of
a contrite and humble heart, a sacrifice that will always be most pleasing in
the eyes of God. Have mercy on me, 0 God, in Your goodness; in the
greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my
guilt and of my sin cleanse me. For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before
me always: "Against You only have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your
sight"-- That You may be justified in Your sentence, vindicated when You
condemn. Indeed, in guilt was I born, and in sin my mother conceived me;
Behold, you are pleased with sincerity of heart, and in my inmost being You
teach me wisdom. Cleanse me of sin with hyssop, that I may be purified; wash
me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear the sounds of joy and
gladness; the bones You have crushed shall rejoice. Turn away Your face from my
sins and blot out all my guilt. A clean heart create for me, 0 God, and a
steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from Your presence, and Your
holy spirit take not from me. Give me back the joy of Your salvation, and a
willing spirit sustain in me. I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners
shall return to You. Free me from blood guilt, 0 God, my saving God; then my
tongue shall revel in Your justice. O Lord open my lips, and my mouth shall
proclaim Your praise. For You are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a
holocaust, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, 0 God, You will not spurn. Be bountiful, O Lord, to
Sion in Your kindness by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem; Then shall You be
pleased with due sacrifices, burnt offerings and holocausts; then shall they
offer up bullocks on Your altar. Psalm 50
FOR
THE SOULS IN PURGATORY O Lord, who art ever merciful and bounteous with Thy
gifts, look down upon the suffering souls in purgatory. Remember not their
offenses and negligences, but be mindful of Thy loving mercy, which is from all
eternity. Cleanse them of their sins and fulfill their ardent desires that they
may be made worthy to behold Thee face to face in Thy glory. May they soon be
united with Thee and hear those blessed words which will call them to their
heavenly home: "Come, blessed of My Father, take possession of the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
"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.
Whatever happens, there is no need to worry as long as you don't
consent. For only the will can open the door of the heart and let that corruption
in.
Daily Devotions
[2]https://www.wincalendar.com/World-Philosophy-Day
[4]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
Comments
Post a Comment