FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS-CARD
PLAYING DAY
Exodus, Chapter 2,
Verse 13-14
13The next day he went
out again, and now two Hebrews were fighting! So he asked the culprit, “Why are
you striking your companion?” 14But
he replied, “Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of
killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses became afraid and thought, “The affair must certainly be known.”
Moses was a prince of Egypt and also a Hebrew. Moses
as a man sought justice for his Hebrew brothers and in a fit of anger killed an
Egyptian that was brutalizing a Hebrew slave and secretly buried him in the
sand. Secrecy is an important element in sinfulness. When we find ourselves
wanting to keep something secret, we should ask ourselves are we going down a
road that we want to go; is this secrecy that we desire really an attempt to
hide our sinfulness from God; who sees all things. Think twice the next time
you seek secrecy.
Today is the Feast
of the Holy Innocents who were killed by Herod in his search to kill the baby
King who was born in Bethlehem.
What persons
are like Herod? All
those who destroy children, in body or in soul; for example unmanly men who are
cruel to their wives while with child, who strike them, incite them to anger,
or terrify them; heedless parents who neglect their little ones, who do not
take pains to keep them clean and healthy; those corrupt and godless women who
destroy the fruit of their shame either before or after birth, and while yet
unbaptized. But more cruel than all these, and even than Herod himself,
are they who scandalize little children by impure conversations, by indecent
songs, by acts of impurity in their presence, or by inciting them to the like;
for thereby they plunge the souls of the children into destruction.
In
many religious communities, Innocents' Day was the traditional feast for the
youngest members. In keeping with the upside-down spirit of Twelfth-night, the
youngest novice had the privilege of sitting at the first place or even of
being abbot for a day. Feast of the Holy Innocents is a day for the younger
members of the family or religious community. Some kind of "baby food" -- such as a hot cereal
with sugar and cinnamon -- is generally served to them. In the family, the
youngest member is also the "celebrity" of the day, especially if he
is a baby. Customs like decorating the crib or
blessing the baby
are
appropriate ways of observing the feast. Today, on the day in which little ones
shed their blood for Christ, was the festival for choirboys and students.
Today
is also an excellent day for Father’s and Mother’s to bless their children.
Blessing
O
Lord, Jesus Christ, Who didst embrace and lay thy hands upon the little
children when they came to thee, and didst say to them: "Suffer little
children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for the kingdom of heaven is
theirs, and their angels always see the face of my Father," — look with a
Father's eye upon the innocence of these children and their parents' devotion,
and bless them this day through our ministry. By thy grace and goodness let
them make progress in desiring thee, loving thee, fearing thee, obeying thy
commandments — thus coming to their destined home, through thee, Savior of the
world, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, God,
forever and ever. Amen.
Today I will ask the Lord to bless all my
seven children! (Claire, Christopher, Candace, Dara, Rachel, Nicole and Vincent)
Also my step children! (Kelly, Ryan and Nathan)
The
holiday season has come and gone, and the end of the year is in sight. You know
what you need to do now? That’s right, you need to sit back and play out a few
rounds of solitaire, or maybe get the family together for a night of Texas
Hold’em, Slap Jack, or War. Whatever your pleasure, Card Playing Day is a
chance to wind down from all the kerfluffle of the season by engaging in a card
game or three. Playing cards are thought to have first been introduced to the
world in China before spreading across the globe to India, Persia, and
ultimately every corner of this… sphere. Ok, so that corner thing never has
made sense, unless you’re talking about a rectangular playing card, which
thankfully we are! A whole pack of them in fact. Playing cards have always been
the last bastion of entertainment in inclement weather, and thus were a
favorite of the winter holidays. After all, before the invention of television
and electricity, what was one to do when you’d heard all of Uncle Joe’s story,
and couldn’t possibly bring yourself to lay your eyes on another dog-eared
novel? That’s right, you play cards! There are numerous games that exist in the
world, hundreds from every culture imaginable. Some games are unique to a
particular region, or at least distinct to it (Like Baccarat) or can be found
in variations all over the world while clearly being recognizable (like poker).
Others still involve the use of playing boards as a utility in keeping track of
points, such as cribbage. Card Playing Day is an opportunity and excuse to
return to this age-old form of entertainment, and to spend a little time alone,
or connecting with your family.
How to celebrate
Card Playing Day
Well,
the simplest way to celebrate Card Playing Day is, of course, to participate in
the aforementioned past-time! However, if you’re really looking to make an
experience out of Card Playing Day, you may consider trying to learn a
variation of a game you already know, or even learning a completely new card
game altogether. There’re countless games out there you can learn, and if the
game you know has lost its appeal, it’s time to learn another one! We also
suggest getting out there and investing in a new deck of cards, there are
limitless variations on style and theme, and a new deck can make a new game
even more fun!
Four Calling Birds
sounds like a cnn interview
Today in the song
the 12 days of Christmas the 4th day we sing of the Four Calling
Birds which represent the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
During the upcoming year it would make a worthy project to read them all. These
gospels will help us to be persons of courage.
Cup of Courage
For Christmas my
wonderful wife brought me three coffee mugs on being 1) a man of courage 2) a
man of strength and 3) a man of wisdom. It takes courage to live out the
gospels. Here is what is on the courage mug: Blessed is the man who faces his
fears honestly, holds on to hope passionately, and seeks others readily for
help, reassurance, and love.
Be strong and courageous…the Lord your God is
with you wherever you go.-Joshua 1:9
Christmas Calendar[4]
Read: Read today about the Holy Innocents who were put to death by King Herod.
Reflect: The observances of the Christmas season
illuminate many key themes for the faithful. Meditate today on this
one:
"The sacredness of human life and the wonderful event that
is every birth, since the Word of life came amongst men and was made visible
through his birth of the Virgin Mary (see 1 Jn 1:2)."
—Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2001), no. 108 Pray
Pray the Rosary for life today.
Act: Add an intercession for life that has particular meaning
for your family to the mealtime blessing today.
During this Christmas season let us take up the nature of God by
reflecting on these traits that make us a model for our children and our
sisters and brothers in Christ. Today reflect on:
Meekness vs. Anger
Yielding my personal rights and
expectations to God (Psalm 62:5)
716 The People of the
"poor" - those who, humble and meek, rely solely on their God's
mysterious plans, who await the justice, not of men but of the Messiah - are in
the end the great achievement of the Holy Spirit's hidden mission during the time
of the promises that prepare for Christ's coming. It is this quality of heart,
purified and enlightened by the Spirit, which is expressed in the Psalms. In
these poor, the Spirit is making ready "a people prepared for the
Lord."
1716
The
Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus' preaching. They take up the promises made
to the chosen people since Abraham. The Beatitudes fulfill the promises by
ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the
Kingdom of heaven:
X Blessed are the poor
in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
X Blessed are those
who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
X Blessed are the
meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
X Blessed are those
who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
X Blessed are the
merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
X Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God.
X Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
X Blessed are those
who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
Blessed are you when men revile you and
persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice
and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
2302
By
recalling the commandment, "You shall not kill," our Lord asked for
peace of heart and denounced murderous anger and hatred as immoral.
Anger
is
a desire for revenge. "To desire vengeance in order to do evil to someone
who should be punished is illicit," but it is praiseworthy to impose
restitution "to correct vices and maintain justice." If anger reaches
the point of a deliberate desire to kill or seriously wound a neighbor, it is
gravely against charity; it is a mortal sin. The Lord says, "Everyone who
is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment."
"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."
Where there is no self-denial, there is no virtue.
Daily Devotions
[1]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896
[3]https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/card-playing-day/
[4]http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/christmas/christmas-december-28.cfm
[5]http://graceonlinelibrary.org/home-family/christian-parenting/49-godly-character-qualities/
[6]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
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