First Saturday
MARIA GORETTI-FRIED CHICKEN
John,
Chapter 12,
Verse 25
Whoever loves his life--loses it, and
whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.
We are all seeds and a seed that is not buried will
not bear fruit. Jesus is mentioning his
own self-giving which He joins to that of His disciples. They are called to
identical servant roles.[1]
This is servant leadership.
The servant leader
is servant first…. Becoming a servant-leader begins with the natural feeling
that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to
aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first,
perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire
material possessions. For such people, it will be a later choice to serve—after
leadership is established. The leader-first and the servant-first are two
extreme types. Between them are the shadings and blends that are part of the
infinite variety of human nature (Greenleaf, 2002, pp. 24-25)
The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness is a
book written by Stephen R. Covey, published in 2004. It is an
upgrade of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989. As such,
it clarifies and reinforces Covey's earlier declaration that "Interdependence is a higher value than independence." The eighth
habit is "Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs." Voice
is Covey's code for "unique personal significance." Those who inspire
others to find theirs are the leaders needed now and for the future, according
to Covey. The central idea of the book is the need for steady recovery and application
of the whole person paradigm, which holds that persons have four intelligences
- physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual. Denial of any of them reduces
persons to things, inviting many problems. The industrial age is assumed to have been a period dependent on such
denial. Covey believed the information age and a foreseen "Age of Wisdom" requires
"whole" people (in whole jobs). The book talks of "5 Cancerous
Behaviors" that inhibit people's greatness:
·
Complaining
People can discover their voice because of the three
gifts everyone is born with:
·
The
freedom to choose
·
The
natural laws or principles – those that dictate the consequences of behavior.
Positive consequences come from fairness, kindness, respect, honesty,
integrity, service and contribution
·
The
four intelligences – mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. Covey talks
about great achievers expressing their voice through the use of their
intelligences.
Achievers for example
4.
develop
their spiritual energy into conscience – their inward moral sense
of what is right and wrong and their drive towards meaning and contribution.
1. Confession: This confession can be
made before the First Saturday or afterward, provided that Holy Communion be
received in the state of grace. In 1926, Christ in a vision explained to Lucia
(Fatima) that this confession could be made a week before or even more, and
that it should be offered in reparation.
2. Holy Communion: Before receiving
Holy Communion, it is likewise necessary to offer it in reparation to Our Lady.
Our Lord told Lucia in 1930, “This Communion will be accepted on the following
Sunday for just reasons, if my priests allow it so.” So, if work or school,
sickness, or another just reason prevents the Communion on a First Saturday,
with this permission it may be received the following Sunday. If Communion is
transferred, any or all of the other acts of the devotion may also be performed
on Sunday if the person so desires.
3. Rosary: The Rosary is a vocal
prayer said while meditating upon the mysteries of Our Lord’s life and Passion and Our Lady’s life. To comply
with the request of our Blessed Mother, it must be offered in reparation and
said properly while meditating.
4. 15-minute meditation: Also offered
in reparation, the meditation may embrace one or more mysteries; it may include
all, taken together or separately. This meditation should be the richest of any
meditation, because Our Lady promised to be present when she said “...those who
keep me company....”
This devotion is so necessary in our days
The
culture of vice and sin remains unabated even as one reads this. Abortion,
blasphemy, drug abuse, pornography, divorce and bad marriages, religious
indifference, the advances of the homosexual agenda and others are just some of
society’s many plagues that cut deeply into the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We
must console Our Lady amidst all these insults and injuries to her and her
Divine Son. She asks for reparation, she pleads for our prayers, she hopes for
our amendment of life. Let us listen to her maternal pleas and atone for the
ingratitude of men. The First Five Saturday’s devotion stimulates the spirit of
reparation; it instills a tender love for the Holy Sacraments of Confession and
the Blessed Eucharist. It nurtures a holy affection for the Immaculate Heart of
Mary and the Rosary. Above all, it is an excellent means to maintain one in the
state of grace while immersed in the daily spiritual battles and prosaic
existence in the neo-pagan world that we live in. Let us not delay in observing
this devotion for it too gives us hope for eternal salvation.
St. Maria Goretti[4]
St. Maria Goretti was born of a poor family in
Corinaldi, Italy, in 1890. Near Nettuno she spent a difficult childhood
assisting her mother in domestic duties. She was of a pious nature and often at
prayer. In 1902 she was stabbed to death, preferring to die rather than be
raped. (Office of Readings)
"It is well known how this young girl had to face
a bitter struggle with no way to defend herself. Without warning a vicious
stranger (actually Alessandro Serenelli who lived with his father in the same
house as the Goretti's.) burst upon her, bent on raping her and destroying her
childlike purity. In that moment of crisis, she could have spoken to her
Redeemer in the words of that classic, The Imitation of Christ:
"Though tested and plagued by a host of misfortunes, I have no fear so
long as your grace is with me. It is my strength, stronger than any adversary;
it helps me and gives me guidance." With splendid courage she surrendered
herself to God and his grace and so gave her life to protect her virginity.
"The life of this simple girl—I shall concern
myself only with highlights—we can see as worthy of heaven. Even today people
can look upon it with admiration and respect. Parents can learn from her story
how to raise their God-given children in virtue, courage and holiness; they can
learn to train them in the Catholic faith so that, when put to the test, God's
grace will support them and they will come through undefeated, unscathed and
untarnished.
"From Maria's story carefree children and young
people with their zest for life can learn not to be led astray by attractive
pleasures which are not only ephemeral and empty but also sinful. Instead they
can fix their sights on achieving Christian moral perfection, however difficult
and hazardous that course may prove. With determination and God's help all of
us can attain that goal by persistent effort and prayer.
"Not all of us are expected to die a martyr's
death, but we are all called to the pursuit of Christian virtue. This demands
strength of character though it may not match that of this innocent girl.
Still, a constant, persistent and relentless effort is asked of us right up to
the moment of our death. This may be conceived as a slow steady martyrdom which
Christ urged upon us when he said: The kingdom of heaven is set upon and laid
waste by violent forces.
"So, let us all, with God's grace, strive to
reach the goal that the example of the virgin martyr, Saint Maria Goretti, sets
before us. Through her prayers to the Redeemer may all of us, each in his own
way, joyfully try to follow the inspiring example of Maria Goretti who now
enjoys eternal happiness in heaven."
Excerpted
from a homily at the canonization of Saint Maria Goretti by Pope Pius XII
Imprisoned for murder she appeared to him in his cell
and forgave him and he was subsequently converted. Most importantly, he sat
next to her mother at the beatification, who also forgave him.
Patron: Against impoverishment; against poverty;
children; children of Mary; girls; loss of parents; martyrs; rape victims;
young people in general.
Things to Do:
- Please visit
this The
Pilgrimage of Mercy: Tour of St. Maria Goretti's Major Relics for more
information on St. Maria, in particular this article for a more
detailed account of St. Maria Goretti's life and Alessandro Serenelli's
conversion.
- This saint's
feast day is a wonderful launching point to teach our children about
purity, chastity and modesty. Sex education should be taught by the
parents with a Catholic approach. Young girls can use St. Maria as a
model.
- A highly
recommended book is St.
Maria Goretti: In Garments All Red by Rev. Godfrey Poage. Young
teens to adult will enjoy this account of her life.
·
The
bird gets the spotlight on Fried
Chicken Day, and stomachs are rumbling already. Move over
vegetarians, there’s a deep-fried chicken leg and breast coming this way!
·
To
add more pizzazz to the day, coat the legendary southern food in spices and
yell “Yeehaw!” Cover the chicken with a mixture of cayenne pepper, garlic
powder and paprika to put the spring back in the step. A little hot sauce?
Sure, let’s go all out! Serve the mouth-watering fried food with chicken gravy
to up the yum-factor even more.
·
Pair
the succulent bird with waffles for a classic combo. Or, why not make chicken
the star of the show and add a tasty side dish? Lip-smacking sides include
buttermilk biscuits, cold potato salad or coleslaw. With fried chicken on the
plate, the taste is sure to taste clucking good!
Daily Devotions
[1] The Collegeville Bible Commentary
[4]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-07-06
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