Ember Friday
FLAG DAY
2
Corinthians, Chapter 4, Verse 12-14
12 So
death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith*, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore
I spoke,” we too believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that the
one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with
you in his presence.
[1]
Friday after Pentecost-Ember Day[2]
EPISTLE.
Joel ii. 23-27.
THUS,
saith the Lord God: O children of Sion, rejoice, and be joyful, in the Lord
your God: because He hath given you a teacher of justice, and He will make the
early and the latter rain to come down for you as in the beginning. And the
floors shall be filled with wheat, and the presses shall overflow with wine and
oil. And I will restore to you the years which the locust, and the bruchus
(beetle), and the mildew, and the palmerworm have eaten: My great host which I
sent upon you. And you shall eat in plenty, and shall be filled: and you shall
praise the name of the Lord your God, Who hath done wonders with you, and My
people shall not be confounded forever. And you shall know that I am in the
midst of Israel: and I am the Lord your God, and there is none besides: and My
people shall not be confounded forever, saith the Lord Almighty.
GOSPEL.
Luke v. 17-26.
And when Jesus knew their thoughts, answering He said to them: What is it you think in your hearts? Which is easier to say, thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk?
But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins (He saith to the sick of the palsy): I say to thee, Arise, take up thy bed and go into thy house. And immediately rising up before them, he took up the bed on which he lay; and he went away to his own house, glorifying God. And all were astonished; and they glorified God. And they were filled with fear, saying: We have seen wonderful things to-day.
Ember Friday-Meditation on the Crucifixion[3]
Anotber Form
of Prayers for Tbe Stations
(For Private Use.)
PREPARATORY PRAYER.
RECEIVE, O holy Trinity, this my dutiful service, which I offer unto Thee
in union with the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Virgin, and
all the saints, to the glory of Thy divine majesty, in satisfaction for my
sins, in remembrance of our redemption, and to obtain for the departed rest,
for the living grace, and for all everlasting glory. To Thee be praise, and
honor, and glory, O blessed Trinity, forever and ever. Amen.
FIRST STATION.
CHRIST IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH. He willingly submitted to that unjust
judgment, that He might deliver thee from the sentence of everlasting
damnation.
·
The wicked have said, reasoning with themselves, but
not right: Let us lie in wait for the just, for He is contrary to our doing: He
boasteth that He hath the knowledge of God, and calleth God His Father. Let us
see if His words be true. If He be indeed the Son of God, He will deliver Him
out of our hands. Let us condemn Him to a most shameful death.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
God spared not His own Son. But delivered Him up for us all. He was
offered up, because He Himself desired it. And He opened not His mouth.
O Lord, hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who out
of the bosom of the Father didst descend from heaven to earth, and didst shed
Thy most precious blood for the remission of our sins, we humbly beseech Thee
that in the day of judgment we may be found worthy to stand at Thy right hand,
and to hear Thee say unto us, “Come, ye blessed” Amen.
SECOND STATION.
THE CROSS IS LAID UPON CHRIST. “The wicked have wrought upon my back”
(Ps. cxxviii.). Hail, our King! Thou only hadst pity on our sins, and wast led,
in obedience to Thy Father, to be crucified, and as a gentle lamb to the
slaughter. To Thee be glory, hosanna; to Thee be triumph and victory; to Thee
the crown of highest praise and honor.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. And by His bruises we are
healed. The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. For the wickedness of
His people hath He struck Him.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer. O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
THIRD STATION.
CHRIST FALLS THE FIRST TIME UNDER THE CROSS. How great must be the weight
of our sins, under which He fell, Who bears all things by the word of His power!
·
Our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself unto death,
even the death of the cross; for which cause God also hath exalted Him, and
hath given Him a name which is above all names.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
Surely, He hath borne our infirmities. And carried our sorrows. He was
branded for our iniquities. He was bruised for our sins.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer. O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
FOURTH STATION.
CHRIST IS MET ON HIS WAY BY HIS BLESSED MOTHER AND ST. JOHN. Oh, how
sharp a sword of grief must have pierced the heart of His Mother and of His
loving disciple when they met Jesus thus! Dost thou, too, share with them their
sorrow and grief?
·
Oh, all ye that pass by, attend and see if there be
any sorrow like to my sorrow: therefore, do I weep, and my eyes run down with
water, because the Comforter, the relief of my soul, is far from me. My eyes
have failed for weeping, my bowels are troubled, my heart is turned within me,
for the desolation of my Son, because the enemy hath prevailed.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
Great as the sea is thy grief. Who shall heal thee? A sword of grief hath
pierced thine own soul. That out of many hearts’ thoughts may be revealed.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer. O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
FIFTH STATION.
THE CROSS IS LAID UPON SIMON OF CYRENE. This man was compelled to carry
the cross after Jesus. How great an honor to have carried it willingly! Art
thou ready to bear the cross of Christ?
·
It behooveth us to glory in the cross of Our Lord
Jesus Christ, in Whom is our salvation, who is our life and resurrection, and
through Whom we are saved and delivered.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of Our Lord Jesus
Christ. By Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. O
faithful cross, thou peerless tree! No forest yields the like of thee, leaf,
flower, or bud.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer. O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
SIXTH STATION.
CHRIST IS MET BY VERONICA. How excellent a mirror did Veronica obtain in
the image of the face of Christ! Do thou ever contemplate thyself in that mirror?
·
Behold, we have seen Him without beauty or
comeliness, despised and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows and
acquainted with infirmity, and His look was as it were hidden and despised;
whereupon we esteemed Him not. His appearance is without honor among the
living, and His beauty among the sons of men; yet He is beautiful above all the
children of men, by Whose bruises we are healed.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
O Lord God of hosts correct us. Show us Thy face, and we shall be saved.
Turn not away Thy face from us. Neither leave Thy servants in displeasure.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer. O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
SEVENTH STATION.
CHRIST FALLS DOWN AT THE GATE OF JUDGMENT. How wilt thou be able to stand
before Him in the day of judgment?
·
They delivered Me into the hands of the ungodly, and
thrust Me among the wicked, and did not spare My soul. The strong men gathered
themselves against Me. and stood over Me like giants, gazing upon Me with
fierce looks; and, beating Me with cruel stripes, they mocked Me.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
But I am a worm, and no man. The scorn of men and the outcast of the
people. All they that see Me laugh at Me. They spoke against Me with their
lips, and wagged their heads.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer. O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
EIGHTH STATION.
WOMEN LAMENT OVER CHRIST. Where are the tears with which thou dost bewail
thy sins rather than the loss of any earthly good?
·
Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep
for yourselves and for your children. For, behold, the days shall come in which
they say, blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the
paps that have not given suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, fall
upon us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if in the green wood they do these
things, what shall be done in the dry?
Our Father. Hail Mary.
The breath of our nostrils, Christ the Lord. Is taken in our sins. The
crown of our head hath fallen. Woe unto us, for we have sinned.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer. O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
NINTH STATION.
CHRIST FALLS FOR THE LAST TIME AT MOUNT CALVARY. Oh, how often is Christ
pressed down by the weight of our sins!
·
My people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have
I molested thee? Answer thou Me. I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt,
and thou hast prepared for Me a cross; I led thee through the wilderness forty
years, and fed thee with manna, and thou hast beaten Me with buffets and
scourges; I gave thee a royal sceptre, and thou hast given My head a crown of
thorns. What could I have done more for thee that I have not done?
Our Father. Hail Mary.
He is led like a sheep to the slaughter. And, as a lamb before His
shearers, He is dumb. He delivered His soul unto death. That He might give life
unto His people.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer. O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
TENTH STATION.
CHRIST IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS, AND IS GIVEN VINEGAR AND GALL TO
DRINK. Art thou unkind and inconsiderate to the poor? What thou dost to them
thou dost to Christ.
·
My people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have
I molested thee? Answer thou Me. I brought thee out from the house of bondage
to the promised land; and when I came to thee from the bosom of My Father, thou
didst lead Me to the death of the cross. I planted thee My choicest vine, and
thou wast made unto Me exceeding bitter; I gave thee to drink out of the rock
the water of salvation, and thou madest Me to drink vinegar and gall. What
could I have done more for thee that I have not done?
Our Father. Hail Mary.
My strength hath dried up like a potsherd. And my tongue hath cleaved to
My jaws. They gave Me gall to eat. And when I was thirsty, they gave Me vinegar
to drink.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer. O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
ELEVENTH STATION.
CHRIST IS FASTENED TO THE CROSS WITH DREADFUL NAILS. How strong are the
bands of love with which Jesus hath bound Himself unto thee! How dost thou bind
thyself in return unto Him?
·
My people, what have I done unto thee? I exalted
thee with great power, and thou didst hang Me on the gibbet of the cross; I
made thee higher than all nations, and thou hast loaded Me with reproaches and curses;
I opened before thee the Red Sea, and thou hast opened My side with a spear.
What could I have done more for thee that I have not done?
Our Father. Hail Mary.
What are these wounds in the middle of Thy hands? With them was I wounded
in the house of those that loved Me. They have pierced My hands and My feet.
And have numbered all My bones.
O Lord hear my prayer. And let
my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer. O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
TWELFTH STATION.
CHRIST DIES UPON THE CROSS. Consider what Jesus said and did when He was
dying. Oh, that thou too mayst die like Him!
·
Behold how the just man dieth, and no man layeth it to
heart; and the righteous are taken away, and no one considereth. The just man
is taken away from before the face of evil, and the memory of him shall be in
peace.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
Christ became obedient unto death for us. Even the death of the cross. We
adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast
redeemed the world.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer. O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
THIRTEENTH STATION.
THE BODY OF CHRIST IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS, AND LAID UPON THE KNEES
OF HIS MOTHER. Consider the vehement anguish of Mary’s soul when she received
in her arms the dead body of her Son taken down from the cross, and laid Him on
her knees. Love caused her so great grief, and made her truly a martyr. What
love and sympathy dost thou feel for thy Saviour?
·
To what shall I compare thee, or to whom shall I
liken thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? To what shall I equal thee, O virgin
daughter of Sion? Great as the sea is thy desolation. O mother of mercy make me
to share with thee the death of Christ; make me a partaker of His passion.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
Through thee, O Virgin Mary, may we obtain salvation. From the wounds of
Christ. O holy Jesus, grant me to obtain, through Thy Mother, The crown of
victory.
FOURTEENTH STATION.
THE BODY OF JESUS IS BURIED. Consider, O my soul, how the body of Jesus
was wrapped in spices, and laid in a new tomb. With what honor dost thou
receive Jesus thy Redeemer daily, either sacramentally or spiritually? Art thou
always endeavoring to be, as it were, a new tomb for the reception of Jesus,
bright with the beautiful ornaments of virtue?
·
I am counted among them that go down to the pit; I
am become as a man without help, free among the dead. O good Jesus, I come here
with the women to Thy tomb, sorrowing and lamenting that hitherto I have shown
myself so unworthy: confirm and establish the kingdom of Thy grace in my heart.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
My flesh shall rest in hope. Thou wilt not give Thy holy one to see
corruption. Arise, O Lord, and help me. And deliver me from my sins.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer. O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
COMMENDATION.
Look down, O Lord, we beseech Thee, upon this Thy family, for which Our
Lord Jesus Christ did not refuse to be delivered into the hands of wicked men,
and to endure the torment of the cross. Amen.
PRAYER ON THE HOLY WINDING-SHEET OF CHRIST’S BODY.
O Lord Jesus Christ, “Who
didst leave the marks of Thy passion on the holy winding-sheet in which Thy most
sacred body was wrapped by Joseph when taken down from the cross, mercifully
grant that through Thy death and burial we may be brought to the glory of the
resurrection. Amen.
Flag Day Facts & Quotes
·
Worn
out flags may be given to the American Legion or Boy/Girl Scouts of America
where they will burn the flags in a formal ceremony on June 14th.
·
The
Flag should never touch the ground when being taken down. It should be
folded neatly and stored ceremoniously.
·
You
should fly the American Flag only between sunrise and sunset. If left
hanging around the clock, it must be
illuminated during the dark hours.
·
The
First Flag Act was signed by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777...
Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen
stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a
blue field, representing a new Constellation.
Flag Day Top Events and Things to
Do
·
Fly
the American Flag.
·
Recite
the Pledge of Allegiance.
·
Visit
a National Monument or National celebration.
·
Attend
a Flag retirement ceremony.
Who’s Flag are you under?
We
are created in the image and likeness of God and we have a choice: To do good
or to do evil. Daily we must
decide if we are for ourselves and pursue the things of the world or are we
going to follow Christ by picking up our cross daily and freely live under the
flag of Christ.
Father
John Parks [5]
states that the flag we choose to live under determines everything. He
asks, “Whose
flag are you under? Do we consciously choose to serve, or do we just let it
happen? We have a choice here and indecision is a decision itself. Whose flag will you follow Christ’s or Satan’s. True freedom comes not from
doing what you want but doing the things you were created to do. Father John
recommends we follow the flag of Christ (poverty, chastity, obedience) and not
that of Satan (greed, lust, pride) by having a battle plan.
1. Be in the state of grace at all
times-Go to Mass if you fall get up go to confession.
2. Pray-we know who we are by knowing
who’s we
are. Remember Saint Joseph is known as the terror of demons.
3. Do your daily duty; there is great
heroism in finishing the daily tasks.
4. Be Humble and obey. When you
break a commandment, you do not break it as much as it breaks you.
5. Seek a community there is strength
in numbers “Iron
sharpens iron”.
Remember the Holy Spirit is what sets us free.
Having and retaining a grateful heart is the key to
making right judgments and being a person of character. John McCain highlights
in his book, “Character is Destiny” the life of the Native American war Chief
Tecumseh as an example of a man that never lost his gratitude in life.
Tecumseh
was a great Indian leader who lost a war but taught even his enemies how to
live. Everyone knew that the great Tecumseh, fearless warrior and visionary,
steadfast leader, did not tolerate torture or murder, or suffer intentional
harm to be done to innocents. He was a man of honor. Even his enemies knew
that, especially the man who had fought him the longest, William Henry
Harrison. However, as a youth Tecumseh was unnerved in his first encounter with
organized bloodletting and fled the battle. It was the only time in his life
his courage failed him. In a later raid near the end of the war, the Shawnees
attacked the crew of a flatboat on the Ohio River. All but one of the crew was
killed in the encounter. The lone survivor was dragged ashore and burned at the
stake. The atrocity left a deep mark on Tecumseh, who, though he was too young
to intervene in the victim’s behalf, denounced the murder after it occurred,
and swore he would never again remain silent in the face of such an injustice.
He would live and die determined to defend Indian land from the insatiable
appetites of American settlers. In the course of his crusade, he became the
greatest Indian leader of his time. Many would argue, including Americans who
fought him, that he was the greatest war chief of all time. Raised by his older
brother Chiksika, he took special care of his younger brother Tecumseh. He
taught him to hunt and fish, and to learn the fighting skills of a Shawnee
brave. He raised him to revere the memory of their courageous father, and the
virtues he had exemplified as a warrior who preferred death to dishonor. There was
something in his character that repelled despair, finding in life, with all its
many tragedies, a reason to be thankful for the very fact that he could remain
true to himself. He was the kind of person for whom life was a gift that could
not be diminished by suffering, and it gave him a unique strength, a confidence
that was superior to most people. Tall and sinewy, with an erect bearing, a
superior skill at arms, exuding a sense of command, and possessing a gift for
oratory that earned him admirers even among his enemies, he was renowned as a
capable provider and protector of his clan, whose leadership had an
ever-broadening appeal to neighboring tribes. Tecumseh delivered an address to
his people as he prepared them for the coming struggle that has become famous
not only as a measure of his own character, but as a code of honor that merits
respect and emulation. So live your life
that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their
religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to
make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a
noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a
word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger,
when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you
arise in the morning give thanks for the food and the joy of living. If you see
no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and
no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of vision.
When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with
the fear of death, so that when their time comes, they weep and pray for a
little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your
death song and die like a hero going home.
On
the day of his final battle never having despaired over the vicissitudes of
life, he would not do so now. He arose in the morning and gave thanks for the
joy of living. At the Battle of the Thames in Ontario on October 5, 1813,
British General Procter and his soldiers fled the field after the first volley
was fired. Tecumseh dispensed with his sword and British officer’s jacket, and
charged, as always, into the thick of the battle. When a musket ball shattered
his right leg, he told his braves to leave him. He kept fighting until a crowd
of American soldiers surrounded him. He sang his death song and died like a
hero going home.
Daily Devotions
* A person with fear of
the Lord is filled with peace, faith, hope and love.
[1]
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/2Corinthians/4:7
[2]
Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[3]
Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[5]
John Parks, Lecture at Catholic Men’s Conference, Phoenix, Arizona, 3/21/2015.
[6] McCain, John and Salter, Mark. (2005) Character is destiny. Random
House, New York.
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