Rogation Monday
MEMORIAL DAY
2 Kings, Chapter 6, Verse 16
Elisha
answered, “Do not be afraid. Our side
outnumbers theirs.”
Many people are afraid to speak out against the
injustices of our modern age because we are so few in number. Likewise, here
Elisha states to the Israelites to not to be afraid for although our physical
army is outnumbered in this contest, we far outweigh them with the armies of
the Lord.
·
The
Arameans are at war with Israel. The King of Aram decides to set his camp at a
certain place where he can ambush the Israelites.
·
Elisha
prophetically warns the King of Israel not to pass by that place, successfully
saving them. Then, he pulls the same prophetic miracle again.
·
The
King of Aram asks his soldiers if one of them is a traitor, but they tell him
that it must be the prophet Elisha.
·
So,
the King of Aram sends a huge army to track down Elisha. It surrounds the city
where Elisha is staying.
·
When
Elisha's servant gets up in the morning, he's terrified by the sight of the
Aramean army. But Elisha tells him that they (Elisha and the servant) have more
allies on their side.
·
Elisha
asks God to open the servant's eyes and the servant suddenly sees that, on the
mountain surrounding them, the fiery chariots and horses of the divine army are
arrayed in massive numbers.
·
As
the Arameans attempt to attack him, Elisha asks God to strike them blind. He
does.
·
Elisha
pretends to help them and leads the blind army to Samaria and to the King of
Israel. When he restores their vision, they realize where they are.
·
The
King of Israel asks Elisha if he should kill them, but Elisha says no, that
wouldn't be fair.
·
So,
they treat the Arameans to a great feast and then… let them go.
THE Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before the
Ascension are observed as days of solemn supplication, and are called Rogation
Days. These three Rogation days serve also as a preparation for the feast of
the ascension, which reminds us that we have the most powerful intercessor in
our savior, who is now enthroned at the right hand of the father. Since 1929 many churches in the United
States have observed
Rogation Sunday as Rural Life Sunday,
or Soil Stewardship Sunday. Services on this
day examine the
religious aspects of rural life. In 1969
the Roman Catholic
Church cancelled the
Rogation Days. In their place Church
authorities instituted days of prayer for
human needs, human
works, and the
fruits of the earth.
Local bishops may
now set appropriate
dates for these
observances in their dioceses.
Rogation Days are a Roman Catholic "baptism"
of the Robigalia, a pagan procession to gain favor from the Robigo, the
Roman god of grain. Since the Church had no objection to praying for the
harvest, it threw out Robigo while keeping the procession and prayers. Today
would be a good day to reflect on what we want to harvest this fall; so like
farmers we must till the soil of our soul reflecting this day on our use of our
TIME and look at in what ways we may offer our time to Christ to help build a
harvest for His Kingdom
Catholic
Time[4]
Holy Days
Sunday: The Holy
Trinity –
Sunday is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. This is entirely fitting as Sunday is
the first day of the week and the day when we offer God, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit our praise, adoration, and thanksgiving.
Monday: The Angels – Monday is the day in which
we remember the angels. Angels are powerful guardians, and each of us is
protected by one. Many of the saints had a great devotion to the angels in
general and to their guardian angel in particular.
Tuesday: The Apostles – The Catholic Church is
apostolic. That is, it is founded on the authority and teaching of the
apostles, most especially that of St. Peter to whom Jesus gave the keys of his kingdom.
Each bishop is a direct successor of the apostles.
Wednesday: Saint
Joseph – Saint
Joseph is known as the prince and chief patron of the Church. As the earthly
father of Jesus, he had a special role in protecting, providing
for, and instructing Jesus during his earthly life. Now that Christ
is ascended into heaven, St. Joseph continues his fatherly guardianship of
Christ’s body, the Church.
Thursday: The Holy
Eucharist – Our Lord instituted the most holy
Eucharist on a Thursday, so it is fitting that we remember this greatest of
sacraments on this day. The Eucharist is the greatest gift of God to mankind,
as it is nothing less than Jesus himself. What gift could be greater?
Friday: The Passion
– Jesus was
scourged, mocked, and crucified on a Friday. Because of this, the Church has
always set aside Fridays of days of penance and sacrifice. While the U.S. sadly
does not require abstinence from meat on Fridays, penance is still required in
one form or another. This day should always be a day of repentance and a day in
which we recall Christ’s complete self-sacrifice to save us from our sins.
Saturday: Our Lady
– There are a
number of theological reasons Saturdays are dedicated to Our Lady, perhaps the
most significant is that on Holy Saturday, when everyone else had
abandoned Christ in the tomb, she was faithful to him, confidently waiting for
his resurrection on the first day of the week.
Holy Months
January: The Holy
Name of Jesus –
There is no name more powerful than the name of Jesus. The Catechism sums up
the power of this name beautifully: “The name ‘Jesus’ contains all: God and man
and the whole economy of creation and salvation. To pray ‘Jesus’ is to invoke
him and to call him within us. His name is the only one that contains the
presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of
Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for him”
(CCC #2666)
February: The Holy
Family – The
Holy Family is an earthly reflection of the Holy Trinity. By meditating on the
Holy Family, we can learn the meaning of love, obedience, and true
fatherhood and motherhood. We are also reminded that the family is the
foundational unit of both society and the Church.
March: St. Joseph – St. Joseph is the icon of
God the Father: silent but active and perfectly providing for the needs of all.
The Church constantly invokes the protection of St. Joseph, admonishing us
to ite ad Joseph, go to Joseph.
April: The Blessed
Sacrament –
Holy Church is the guardian of
the Holy Eucharist. For two thousand years, she has
guarded this treasure, administering it to the faithful and proclaiming that it
is nothing less than Jesus himself. We can never be too devoted to the Blessed
Sacrament or show it too much honor.
May: The Blessed Virgin
Mary – Our
Lady has long been associated with the beauty of flowers and the coming of
spring. This is fitting because she is both beautiful and the Mother of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who is the life of the world. In May, the Church
remembers our glorious lady with crownings and processions in her honor.
June: The Sacred
Heart of Jesus –
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the revelation of God’s immense love for us. It is
often depicted as a fiery furnace, pierced and broken, but beating with love.
The Sacred Heart is also a profound reminder of the humanity of our Lord, for
his heart is not a mere symbol, but a true physical reality.
July: The Precious
Blood – The
blood of Christ saves us from sin. It is the blood of Christ that gives us the
hope of heaven. St. Paul tells us that Jesus reconciled “to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col.
1:20). Without the blood of Christ shed for us, all would be lost.
August: The
Immaculate Heart of Mary –
The heart of Mary is a motherly heart, a heart full of love and mercy for her
children. The heart of Mary is also the channel through which all the graces of
God flow down to us. She is “our life, our sweetness, and our hope.”
September: The Seven
Sorrows of Mary –
Aside from Jesus, no human being has suffered more than our Blessed Mother. In
perfect obedience to the will of God, she consented to her son’s torture,
humiliation, and brutal executed for our salvation. As any parent knows,
watching one’s child suffer is the greatest suffering of all. She still bears
the sufferings of her divine Son in her heart.
October: The Holy
Rosary – The
rosary is one of the most powerful weapons the Church possesses. We are
constantly exhorted by saints, popes, and Our Lord and Our Lady themselves to
pray this simple yet profound prayer. Accordingly, Mother Church has set aside
a whole month to the promotion of this prayer.
November: The Souls
in Purgatory – The souls in purgatory are
suffering a great deal, and they cannot pray for themselves. They are our
brothers and sisters, and as members of the body of Christ, we must pray and
offer sacrifices for those who have gone before us, asking that they may rest
in the light of God’s presence.
December: The Immaculate Conception – The
Immaculate Conception of Mary is a profound mystery. In the Immaculate
Conception, Mary was without sin from the first moment of her conception. She
is perfectly united forever to her spouse, the Holy Spirit. Their fruitful
union produced a wedding of heaven and earth in the Godman, Jesus Christ. We
will meditate on these truths for all eternity.
Time is a Gift
The Church takes seriously the call to sanctify all
things, even time. The Catholic significance of days and months is a
profound reminder that our lives are finite, and that time should not be
squandered. As the Psalmist said, “teach us to number our days that we may
get a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). But more than anything, it reminds us
that time is a gift from God, and with him and through him, all things are
holy, and nothing is without meaning.
Today is Memorial Day and we honor those who have paid
the supreme sacrifice of devotion watching our nation. Pray today for the souls
of those taken in battle. In the communion of saints, it is our duty; no, our
honor to pray for the souls of those in our company who have died; especially
those who have passed through the valley of fear in the heat of battle.
Memorial Day, first established in 1866 to honor Union
soldiers of the Civil War, is now a day set aside to remember all of
the American soldiers who have died in war in the subsequent 15 decades -- about
1.2 million in all. This number, while representing a tremendous loss, pales in
comparison to the number of war-related deaths globally for the same time
period. Estimates run from 60 to 85 million for the number of lives lost during
World War II alone.
While
stationed in Mons, Belgium I learned there is the legend of the Angels of Mons, where it was
reported the British soldiers were saved by heavenly forces.
One
thing is certain: There are no atheists in foxholes.
To honor our fallen let us stop what we
are doing at 1500 hrs. (3 pm) and offer the Divine Mercy Prayer for those who
have fallen in service of our nation.
God
of power and mercy,
you destroy war and put down earthly pride.
Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears,
that we may all deserve to be called your sons
and daughters.
Keep in your mercy those men and women
who have died in the cause of freedom
and bring them safely
into your kingdom of justice and peace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen[6]
you destroy war and put down earthly pride.
Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears,
that we may all deserve to be called your sons
and daughters.
Keep in your mercy those men and women
who have died in the cause of freedom
and bring them safely
into your kingdom of justice and peace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen[6]
·
There have been over 2.7 million US
military deaths since 1775.
·
The deadliest US War was the Civil War
with about 600,000 US deaths.
·
It is customary to fly a US flag at
half-staff till noon on Memorial Day.
·
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men
who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived. - George S.
Patton
Memorial
Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Attend a Memorial Day parade. One popular
parade is the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington DC.
·
All Americans are encouraged to pause for
one minute at 3:00 pm (local time). Think of the sacrifices made by U.S.
soldiers to provide freedom for all.
·
Visit the grave of a fallen soldier.
·
Have a picnic or go boating.
·
Donate to a
charity that serves veterans.
Chimay Blue
Today in honor of Memorial Day I enjoyed a bottle of Chimay Blue and remembered my friend Paul Wolff.
The Wolff of the
Ardennes
Men are
frequently blinded by fear and as a result often harmed themselves. The grace
of God gives confidence to see the right and to stand when called. Father Paul
was called to stand and became General Patton’s guide during the “Battle of the
Bulge” while he was still a teen. Father Paul Wolff was 15 years old when he
first joined the Belgium resistance during the years of the Nazi occupation of
World War II. He was the youngest member of the Belgium resistance.
Unfortunately, he and other members of his group were captured and at 17 he was
tortured, condemned to death and imprison in the Nazi Prison in Liege, Belgium.
There he languished yet his faith would not allow him to lose all hope and the
resistance still worked to get him and the others (256) out. Part of the plan
was to get a radio to the prisoners. To do this the resistance secreted small
parts of a crystal radio inside bars of soap. Interestingly these were “Lever”
brother bars of soap and were large about the size of a brick. Father Paul
related that during the Nazi occupation not all Jews were in German prisons if
they were of use to the Nazi’s. In this case the soap bars were made by the
Lever Jews and the radio parts were easily hidden inside the soap bars. Father
Paul stated that when they received the soap, they then washed their hands raw
in wearing away the soap to get to the radio part. Then after several bars they
constructed the radio which was the Morse code type. Father Paul typed in code
in English which he spoke along with German and French the words over and over
“SOS SOS 256 prisoners in Liege prison condemned to death SOS SOS.” They hoped
someone would get the message and somehow, they would be rescued. All they had
was hope.
Father also
related that it drove the Nazi’s crazy because they intercepted the message but
never suspected it was coming from the prison. Father Paul said that in the
cell they were in there was only one barred window, but it was so high that to
look out it required a person to stand on the shoulders of a fellow prisoner. He
further relayed that they when they would see women that were friendly with the
guards coming and going, they would call them the nastiest things they could
think of calling them. Yet one day during an air raid while the guards were
hiding as deep as they could go; one of these young women (secret agent) came
and taking the heel of her shoe wrote on the pavement that during the air raid
they are going to be rescued by commandoes and they were. Father Paul stated
neither he nor the others ever lost hope.
After
his escape he went underground. He was a friend of King Leopold III. He served
as General Patton's Belgian guide during the battle of the bulge.
December 24, 1944
Father
Paul communicated to me the tale about the battle of the bulge that has not
been recorded in history. During WWII the US Army was segregated and black men
were not mixed with white men. Black men mostly served in support roles such as
transportation and as cooks, etc. During the course of the Battle of the Bulge’
Hitler sent in a special operations team to confuse and destroy the American
Army. It was composed of American NAZI’s and German’s, who spoke perfect
American slang, knew the culture, baseball stuff, etc. These Spec Ops were
equipped with American Uniforms and equipment that was captured by Gen. Rommel
from North Africa. Father Wolff was at a meeting with Gen. Patton, Bradley,
Eisenhower and the English Gen. Montgomery in Luxembourg City on the evening of
Dec. 24th, 1944. The Generals were very excited and afraid because of the effect
these NAZI spec ops were having in the warzone and due to the fact that they
had murdered many men. They did not know what to do. Patton who was a
visionary, suddenly stood up and said, I know exactly what to do. From this
time forward, nothing in the American Army will move without a black American
in the group. Patton knew there were no black NAZI’s. As a result, black units
were moved forward and integrated and as far as I know this was the first time
in American History since the Civil War. As a result, the NAZI spec ops team
was neutralized.
My daughter Candace Faith in light of Memorial Day
invited me to participate in the annual Murph. The Murph Challenge is the
Official annual fundraiser of the LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship
Foundation, presented by Forged®. It is also one of the primary means of
funding for the Foundation on an annual basis. YOUR support is what drives our
success!
Since 2014, Forged®
has raised over $1,000,000+ for the LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship
Foundation through The Murph Challenge campaign. In 2018, The Murph Challenge
Fundraiser provided a vehicle to raise nearly $250,000 in order to begin
construction on the LT Michael P.
Murphy Navy SEAL Museum/Sea Cadet Training Facility in Long Island,
NY! In addition to that, and ONLY with such overwhelming support and success,
the Foundation was also able to add four additional scholarships in 2018, now
providing the opportunity to award 27 or more scholarships each and every year!
Please
pray for the intentions of my wife Mary
Katherine (name meaning: Star of the Sea-Pure) for today is her birthday.
Daily Devotions
·
I
will have no sweets or junk food (Exception Sundays, Holidays and Feast Days
that you fast the day before).
·
at 1500 hrs. (3 pm) and offer the
Divine Mercy Prayer for those who have fallen in service of our nation.
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