Deuteronomy, Chapter 5, Verse 29
Would
that they might always be of such a mind, to fear me and to keep all my commandments! Then they and their
descendants would prosper forever.
"Hail"
"Full of Grace" "The Lord is with you"[1]
Let us this day emulate Christ’s mother and ours: Mary
and never weary of union with Christ through the most Holy Eucharist. This day
try to spend some time in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.
As you prepare for the season of lent; let His light
radiate through you.
As human beings, we long for connection with others, a
sense that we belong to each other. The greatest obstacle to this, many times,
is that we have difficulty trusting others. Embracing trust comes when we trust
in God. Not only are we called to trust in God, but as stewards of God’s
mysteries, we are called to be found trustworthy (1 Cor. 4:2). How do we
navigate this course? How do we protect our hearts from the fears and anxieties
that threaten to close them? St. Francis de Sales would say, “We shall steer
safely through every storm, so long as our heart is right, our intention
fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God.”
God
created man in his image in the divine image he created him; male and female he
created them. (Gn 1:27) The two creation stories in the book of Genesis
communicate two important truths about the identity of man and woman and the
relationship between them. In the first account, God creates both male and
female at the same time and in the divine image. This act completes creation,
and God judges it to be ―very good (Gn 1:31). In this way, Sacred Scripture
affirms the fundamental equality and dignity of man and woman as persons
created in God ‘s image. The second creation account emphasizes that both sexes
are necessary for God ‘s plan. Having created Adam, God says, ―It is not good
for the man to be alone (Gn 2:18). So, God creates a helpmate who is suitable
for him and matches him. ―Helpmate (ezer) is a word reserved in the Bible not
for inferiors but most often for God himself, who is Israel ‘s ―helper. Indeed,
after God creates all of the animals and brings them to Adam to name, it
becomes clear that none of them is―the suitable partner for the man (Gn 2:20).
Then God puts Adam under a deep sleep and, using one of his ribs, builds up a
woman for him as a suitable partner or helpmate. When he sees the woman, Adam
cries out in wondrous joy: This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of
my flesh; this one shall be called―woman, for out of ―her man this one has been
taken. (Gn 2:23) Adam and Eve were literally made for each other. Man and woman
have been made to come together in the union of marriage. The text of Genesis
continues: That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his
wife, and the two of them become one body [flesh] (Gn 2:24). Marriage, this
clinging together of husband and wife as one flesh, is based on the fact that
man and woman are both different and the same. They are different as male and
female, but the same as human persons who are uniquely suited to be partners or
helpmates for each other. The difference between man and woman, however, cannot
be restricted to their bodies, as if the body could be separated from the rest
of the human person. The human person is a union of body and soul as a single
being. Man and woman are two different ways of being a human person. While man
and woman are different, their differences serve to relate them to each other.
They are not different in a parallel way, as two lines that never meet. Man and
woman do not have separate destinies. They are related to each other precisely
in their differences. The differences between male and female are
complementary. Male and female are distinct bodily ways of being human, of
being open to God and to one another—two distinct yet harmonizing ways of
responding to the vocation to love. While human persons are more than
biological organisms, the roots of marriage can be seen in the biological fact
that a man and a woman can come together as male and female in a union that has
the potential for bringing forth another human person. This kind of union fills
the need for the continuation of the human race. Since human beings exist at
more than a biological level, however, this union has further personal and
spiritual dimensions. Marriage does not exist solely for the reproduction of
another member of the species, but for the creation of a communion of persons.
To form a communion of persons is the vocation of everyone. As Pope John Paul
II teaches, all human persons are created in the image of God, who is a
communion of love of three persons, and thus all are called to live in a
communion of self-giving love: ―to say that man is created in the image and
likeness of God means that man is called to exist ̳for ‘others, to become a gift.
Marriage, however, is a unique communion of persons. In their intimate union as
male and female, the spouses are called to exist for each other. Just as
Genesis describes Eve as a helper for Adam, we can see that in marriage, a
husband and wife are meant to help each other through self-giving.―In the
̳unity of the two, ‘man and woman are called from the beginning not only to
exist side by side ‘or together, ‘but they are also called to exist mutually
one for the other. ‟This communion of persons has the potential to bring forth
human life and thus to produce the family, which is itself another kind of
communion of persons and which is the origin and foundation of all human
society. It is precisely the difference between man and woman that makes
possible this unique communion of persons, the unique part8nership of life and
love that is marriage. A man and woman united in marriage as husband and wife
serve as a symbol of both life and love in a way that no other relationship of
human persons can.
Almighty and
eternal God, You blessed the
union of married couples so
that they might reflect the union of Christ with
his Church: look with kindness
on them. Renew their marriage
covenant, increase your love
in them, and strengthen their
bond of peace so that, with
their children, they may
always rejoice in the gift of your
blessing. We ask this through
Christ our Lord. Amen
National Pizza Day is dedicated to appreciating pizza,
a baked flatbread that is topped with tomato sauce and cheese. Many
toppings and sauces can be added to pizzas, including vegetables, meats and
seafood. Pizza was invented in Naples, Italy around the 10th century, and
has since grown to become one of the most popular foods in America. In 1905,
America’s first pizzeria, Lombardi’s, opened in New York. Since then,
pizza consumption in America has increased greatly and many pizza chains, such
as Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Papa John’s have emerged. The origin of National
Pizza Day is not well understood although accounts of National Pizza Day began
to emerge around the 2000s.
National
Pizza Day Facts & Quotes
·
The
world's largest pizza, named Ottavia, was made on December 13, 2012 in Rome,
Italy. With a surface are of 1,261.65 m², the pizza was made by Dovilio
Nardi, Andrea Mannocchi, Marco Nardi, Matteo Nardi and Matteo Giannotte.
To spread a message of good health, the pizza was made
entirely gluten-free.
·
According
to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2014 Food Survey report on the
Consumption of Pizza, 13% of Americans consume pizza on any given day!
·
According
to a study done in 2013 by food delivery provider Foodler, 37% of North
American consumers order plain cheese pizza, 52% order meat toppings and the
three most ordered pizza toppings are: pepperoni, mushrooms and onions.
·
According
to gross sales earned by pizza chains, the top 5 American pizzerias are:
1) Pizza Hut, gross sales of $13.4 Billion
2) Domino’s, gross sales of $8.9 Billion
3) Little Caesars, gross sales of $3.4 Billion
4) Papa John’s, gross sales of $3.3 Billion
5) Papa Murphy's, gross sales of $7.85 Million
1) Pizza Hut, gross sales of $13.4 Billion
2) Domino’s, gross sales of $8.9 Billion
3) Little Caesars, gross sales of $3.4 Billion
4) Papa John’s, gross sales of $3.3 Billion
5) Papa Murphy's, gross sales of $7.85 Million
·
If
I could eat whatever I wanted every day, I would have Domino's pizza with pasta
carbonara inside every slice. And at night, I would have Neapolitan ice cream
until I felt absolutely toxic. And then I would drift off telling myself, 'It's
going to be O.K... It's going to be O.K. you're going to train in the morning'.
- Robert Downey, Jr., Actor
National
Pizza Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Visit
your favorite pizzeria. Most pizzerias will offer discounts and specials
to celebrate National Pizza Day.
·
Attend
a pizza festival! Here are some of our favorites to consider:
1) Cleveland Pizza Fest
3) Pizza Festival - Los Angeles
4) Chicago Pizza Fest
5) Pizza Fest Seattle: Annual Punk Festival+Pizza-Eating Contest
1) Cleveland Pizza Fest
3) Pizza Festival - Los Angeles
4) Chicago Pizza Fest
5) Pizza Fest Seattle: Annual Punk Festival+Pizza-Eating Contest
·
Make
your own pizza at home from scratch. Make the dough, perhaps gluten-free or
whole wheat, make the sauce using tomatoes and spices, grate the cheese and
finally cover it up with all of your favorite toppings.
·
Try
a pizza with unique toppings. Here are some of our favorites:
1) Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza
2) Beer Battered Fried Calamari Pizza
3) Butternut Squash and Sage Pizza
4) Fried Chicken Pizza
5) Brown Butter Lobster and Spinach Pizza with Bacon and Fontina
1) Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza
2) Beer Battered Fried Calamari Pizza
3) Butternut Squash and Sage Pizza
4) Fried Chicken Pizza
5) Brown Butter Lobster and Spinach Pizza with Bacon and Fontina
·
Make
it a pizza and a movie kind of night. Watch the Academy Award nominees for
‘Best Picture’ (2016):
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
"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."
'God give you
health.' — Doesn't this wish for mere physical well-being, with which some
beggars demand or acknowledge alms, leave a bad taste in your mouth?
Daily Devotions
[1]
http://www.catholicbible101.com/thehailmary.htm
[4]http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/upload/Prayer-for-Married-Couples.pdf
[6]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
Comments
Post a Comment