Wednesday, July 17, 2019
NATIONAL HOT DOG DAY
The
earlier governors, my predecessors, had laid a heavy
burden on the people, taking from them each day forty silver shekels for their
food; then, too, their attendants oppressed the people. But I, because I feared God, did not do this.
A person that fears
God does not oppress or take advantage of those dependent on them. Evil or
power-hungry people love to get cash cows. In our country the best cash cows
are the addicted and many of these users and abusers do so through legal means.
Alcohol, Cigarettes, high fructose corn syrup, mortgages, taxes are legal. Then
there is the illegal even more deadly, prescription drugs, marijuana, heroin;
you name it. Then if that wasn’t enough there is porn and the internet.
Whew…then there is congress and the education system!
Scanning the headlines of the latest scandals in America’s schools, it’s quite clear that the problem is not that there’s too much God in students’ lives. The problem is that there isn’t nearly enough of Him. With the malfunction of moral seatbelts and the erosion of moral guardrails, too many kids have turned to a pantheon of false gods, crutches and palliatives. They’re obsessed with “Slender Man” and “Vampire Diaries.” Alex from Target’s hair and Rihanna’s tattoos. Overpriced basketball sneakers and underdressed reality stars. Choking games and YouTube games. Gossip and hookups. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat. It’s all about selfies over self-control, blurred lines over bright lines. In a metastatic youth culture of soullessness and rootlessness, the idea of high school teens voluntarily using their free time to pray and sing hymns is not just a breath of fresh air. It’s salvation. But leave it to secularists run amok to punish faithful young followers of Christ. Last week, the Alliance Defending Freedom filed a religious freedom lawsuit against Pine Creek High School here in my adopted hometown of Colorado Springs. Chase Windebank, a senior at the District 20 school, had been convening an informal prayer group for the past three years “in a quiet area to sing Christian religious songs, pray, and to discuss issues of the day from a religious perspective.”
Windebank and his friends weren’t disrupting classroom time. They shared their Christian faith during an open period earned by high-achieving students. Other kids used the time to play on their phones, eat snacks, get fresh air outside, or schedule meetings for a wide variety of both official and unofficial school clubs. A Pine Creek choir teacher had given permission to Windebank and his fellow worshipers to meet in an empty music practice room. No complaints ever ensued from other students or faculty. For three years, the group encountered no problems, according to ADF’s complaint. But in late September, Windebank was summoned to the assistant principal’s office and ordered to stop praying because of “the separation of church and state.” The school singled out the young man of faith’s harmless activities and banned members of his group from discussing current issues of the day from a religious perspective during an open period in an unobtrusive meeting place. It defies common sense that in conservative-leaning Colorado Springs, home to a vibrant faith community and leading evangelical organizations, students would be reprimanded and deprived of basic constitutional rights. As a letter from local parents to the school district decried: “To what benefit does it serve a school to limit the ability for a student to pray with their friends, fellowship with their friends, or discuss daily events from a Christian perspective? It is obvious that School District 20 is taking a freedom FROM religion perspective, not a freedom OF religion perspective.” Think about it: If the high-schoolers gathered in the cafeteria to listen to Billboard magazine’s No. 1 pop hit “Habits (Stay High)” — “You’re gone and I gotta stay high/ all the time/ to keep you off my mind” — school officials would have no issue. If they lounged in a courtyard to joke about the latest girl-fight videos or off-color joke memes posted on Vine, no problem. If they discussed the latest “Walking Dead” episode or napped in the library? All good. But singing “Amazing Grace” and studying scripture? This subversion must be stopped!
How did we get here? And in Colorado Springs, of all places — not Berkeley or Boulder or Boston? Blame cowardice, ignorance and politically correct bureaucrats pledging allegiance to one nation, under godlessness, without religious liberty, and the occult of extreme secularism for all.
Pray for our Nation.
Love endures
Today
is my 15th wedding anniversary. On the marriage of my oldest son his
little brother was asked to say something at the reception. Vincent got up (he
is 6’6”) and while all eyes were on him stated, “First Chris called Kate and
there was the telephone ring: then there was a bond establish and the trust
ring began: then after some time came the engagement ring: and naturally
followed the wedding ring: but Chris I have to warn you that after today there
is one more ring; for now, begins the suffer ring. Pope Francis tells us about
“Love” in marriage.
Love grows from the
path of fidelity and mutual self-giving and thus encourages the growth,
strengthening and deepening of conjugal and family love. Indeed, the grace of
the sacrament of marriage is intended before all else “to perfect the couple’s
love.” Love is experienced and nurtured in the daily life of couples and their
children. Daily love strives to accomplish what Paul describes in his letter to
the Corinthians. “Love is patient, love is kind; love is not jealous or
boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it
is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the
right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures
all things” (1 Cor 13:4-7). Love is patient which is expressed in the quality
of one who does not act on impulse and avoids giving offense. We find this
quality in the God of the Covenant, who calls us to imitate him also within the
life of the family. God’s “patience”, shown in his mercy towards sinners, is a
sign of his real power. Being patient does not mean letting ourselves be
constantly mistreated, tolerating physical aggression or allowing other people
to use us. Unless we cultivate an understanding and patience of others; we will
always find excuses for responding angrily. We will end up incapable of living
together, antisocial, unable to control our impulses, and our families will
become battlegrounds. Patience takes root when I recognize that other people
also have a right to live in this world, just as they are. Love is always at
the service of others. Paul wants to make it clear that “patience” is not a
completely passive attitude, but one accompanied by activity, by a dynamic and
creative interaction with others. The word indicates that love benefits and
helps others. For this reason, it is translated as “kind”; love is ever ready
to be of assistance. Love is more than a mere feeling. Rather, it should be
understood along the lines of the Hebrew verb “to love”; it is “to do good” for
the other.
Although Saint Anne is
not mentioned in the Bible, she is the holy mother of Mary and grandmother of
Jesus. When we pray the St. Anne Novena, we are asking help from our Blessed
Mother’s mother! Saint Anne’s feast day is on July 26th, so the St. Anne Novena
is traditionally started on July 17th — but you can pray it anytime. Devotion
to St. Anne began early in the history of the Catholic Church. As she was
favored by God to become the mother of the holy Virgin Mary, she is often invoked
as the Patron of mothers as well as for relationships, among other things.
Daily Prayer to Saint Ann
O glorious St. Ann, you are filled with compassion for those
who invoke you and with love for those who suffer! Heavily burdened with the
weight of my troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take
the present intention which I recommend to you in your special care.
Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen.
Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen.
Our Father, . . . Hail Mary . . .
O Jesus, Holy Mary, St. Ann, help me now and at the hour of
my death. Good St. Ann, intercede for me.
Dear St. Ann, though I
am but a prodigal child, I appeal to you and place myself under your great
motherly care. Please listen to my prayers and grant my requests. See my
contrite heart and show me your unfailing goodness.
Deign to be my advocate
and recommend me to God’s infinite mercy. Obtain for me forgiveness of my sins
and the strength to begin a new life that will last forever.
Blessed St. Ann, I also
beg of you the grace to love, to serve, and to honor your daughter, the most
holy Virgin Mary. Please recommend me to her and pray to her for me. She
refuses none your requests but welcomes with loving kindness all those for whom
you intercede.
Good Jesus be merciful
to the faithful servants of Your grandmother St. Ann.
National
Hot Dog Day Facts & Quotes
·
The
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has stated that hotdogs contain
carcinogenic (cancer causing)
compounds, are high in fat, cholesterol and salt. In fact, a recent study
by the Harvard School of Public Health has found that a single daily serving of processed
meat can increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 21%. These will kill
you quicker than a gun!
·
According
to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, the proper etiquette required to
eat a hotdog is finish the hot dog in five bites. In the case of a
foot-long wiener, only seven bites are appropriate.
·
Across
the United States, consumers spent more than $2.5 billion on hot dogs in 2014.
Los Angeles residents consume more hotdogs than any other city. In 2014,
Los Angeles consumed more than 39 million hotdogs.
·
Every
year on July 4th, Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs hosts a hot dog eating contest in
which contestants must consume as many hot dogs as possible in 10 minutes. The
current male record holder ate 69 hot dogs while the female record holder
inhaled 45 hot dogs in only 10 minutes.
·
A
hot dog at the ball game beats a roast beef at the Ritz. - Humphrey Bogart,
Famous 1940s actor.
Daily Devotions
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