Ember Friday
103
KOREAN MARTYRS
Psalm 49, Verse 17
Do not fear when a man becomes rich, when the wealth of his house grows
great.
The next verse drives the point: for his
glory shall not descend with him!
Fix your eyes on that which endures. In
the movie Centennial it portrays a young Arapahoe child in the year 1756, who
learns his father has just been killed in battle and is taught the lesson that
'only rocks live forever'. God encourages us to fix our eyes on the eternal.
Leaders become consumed with the momentary but forget the lasting. Christ tells
us that leaders must not pursue wealth or power for true greatness comes from
inside out. Even our own bodies make a testimony to this by accomplishing the
healing from the inside out. True leaders pursue a legacy rather than wealth.
What does any man take with him to the grave? Only a vision came outlive a man.
Think of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln. A huge difference exists between a
legacy and an inheritance. Anyone can leave an inheritance. An inheritance is
something you leave TO your family or loved ones, and it also fades. A legacy
is something you leave IN your family and loved ones.
·
An
inheritance is something tangible you give to others but a legacy is something
you place in others.
·
An
inheritance brings temporary happiness but a legacy transforms lives.
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An
inheritance is spent but a legacy is renewing.
·
An
inheritance may or may not pay off but a legacy always propagates.
·
Physical-The first dimension is the the
physical dimension. It is the world of action, the world of survival, the world
of physical pleasure. It’s easy to access this dimension through an activity
like eating, but the pleasure is short-lived and ends shortly after the last
bite.
·
Emotional-Next up is the emotional dimension.
It’s the world of belonging, caring, connecting and loving. It takes more work
to properly access this dimension because it involves other people. The
pleasure is much deeper and more meaningful than the physical. A litmus test is
that one would not trade the true love of a spouse or a child for even
$1billion, which can buy a lot of physical pleasure.
·
Mental-Higher up is the mental dimension.
It’s the world of learning, understanding and creating. These activities
require more time, thought and effort than emotional activities. They are the
activities at the root of self-actualization, and they help us keep our
emotional and physical activities within the proper measure. It is the
dimension that powers the political, business and altruistic worlds in which
people often sacrifice their emotional relationship in pursuit of solutions to
big problems.
·
Spiritual-The highest dimension is the
spiritual dimension. It goes beyond self-actualization to self-transcendence,
higher purpose and leaving a legacy. It is the realm of belief and dedication
to a Higher Power. It is all the dimension of free will and doing the
intrinsically right thing
Ember Days[3]
Before the revision of the Catholic Church's liturgical calendar in 1969 (coinciding with the adoption of the Mass of Paul VI), the Church celebrated Ember Days four times each year. They were tied to the changing of the seasons, but also to the liturgical cycles of the Church. The spring Ember Days were the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the First Sunday of Lent; the summer Ember Days were the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost; the fall Ember Days were the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the third Sunday in September (not, as is often said, after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross); and the winter Ember Days were the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of Saint Lucy (December 13).
·
The
Roman Origin of Ember Days: It's common to claim that the dates of important
Christian feasts (such as Christmas) were set to compete with or replace
certain pagan festivals, even though the best scholarship indicates otherwise. In the case of the Ember Days, however,
it's true. As the Catholic Encyclopedia notes: The Romans were originally given
to agriculture, and their native gods belonged to the same class. At the
beginning of the time for seeding and harvesting religious ceremonies were
performed to implore the help of their deities: in June for a bountiful
harvest, in September for a rich vintage, and in December for the seeding.
·
Keep
the Best; Discard the Rest: The Ember Days are a perfect example of how the
Church (in the words of the Catholic Encyclopedia) "has always tried to
sanctify any practices which could be utilized for a good purpose." The
adoption of the Ember Days wasn't an attempt to displace Roman paganism so much
as it was a way to avoid disrupting the lives of Roman converts to
Christianity. The pagan practice, though directed at false gods, was
praiseworthy; all that was necessary was to transfer the supplications to the
true God of Christianity.
·
An
Ancient Practice: The adoption of Ember Days by Christians happened so early
that Pope Leo the Great (440-61) considered the Ember Days (with the exception
of the one in the spring) to have been instituted by the Apostles. By the time
of Pope Gelasius II (492-96), the fourth set of Ember Days had been instituted.
Originally celebrated only by the Church in Rome, they spread throughout the
West (but not the East), starting in the fifth century.
·
The
Origin of the Word: The origin of the word "ember" in "Ember
Days" is not obvious, not even to those who know Latin. According to the
Catholic Encyclopedia, "Ember" is a corruption (or we might say, a
contraction) of the Latin phrase Quatuor Tempora, which simply means "four
times," since the Ember Days are celebrated four times per year.
·
Optional
Today: With the revision of the liturgical calendar in 1969, the Vatican left
the celebration of Ember Days up to the discretion of each national conference
of bishops. They're still commonly celebrated in Europe, particularly in rural
areas. In the United States, the bishops' conference has decided not to
celebrate them, but individual Catholics can, and many traditional Catholics
still do, because it's a nice way to focus our minds on the changing of the
liturgical seasons and the seasons of the year. The Ember Days that fall during
Lent and Advent are especially useful to remind children of the reasons for
those seasons.
·
Marked
by Fasting and Abstinence: The Ember Days are celebrated with fasting (no food
between meals) and half-abstinence, meaning that meat is allowed at one meal
per day. (If you observe the traditional Friday abstinence from meat, then you
would observe complete abstinence on an Ember Friday.) As always, such fasting
and abstinence has a greater purpose. As the Catholic Encyclopedia notes,
through these activities, and through prayer, we use the Ember Days to
"thank God for the gifts of nature, teach men to make use of them in moderation,
and assist the needy."
Korean Catholics[4]
During
the 17th century the Christian faith was brought to Korea through the zeal of
lay persons. From the very beginning these Christians suffered terrible
persecutions and many suffered martyrdom during the 19th century. Today's feast
honors a group of 103 martyrs. Notable of these were Andrew Kim Taegon, the
first Korean priest, and the lay apostle, Paul Chong Hasang. Also, among the
Korean martyrs were three bishops and seven priests, but for the most part they
were heroic laity, men and women, married and single of all ages. They were
canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1984.
St. Andrew Kim Taegon and St. Paul Chong Hasang and their companions
This
first native Korean priest was the son of Korean converts. His father, Ignatius
Kim, was martyred during the persecution of 1839 and was beatified in 1925.
After baptism at the age of fifteen, Andrew traveled thirteen hundred miles to
the seminary in Macao, China. After six years he managed to return to his
country through Manchuria. That same year he crossed the Yellow Sea to Shanghai
and was ordained a priest. Back home again, he was assigned to arrange for more
missionaries to enter by a water route that would elude the border patrol. He
was arrested, tortured and finally beheaded at the Han River near Seoul, the
capital. Paul Chong Hasang was a lay apostle and a married man, aged
forty-five. Christianity came to Korea during the Japanese invasion in 1592
when some Koreans were baptized, probably by Christian Japanese soldiers.
Evangelization was difficult because Korea refused all contact with the outside
world except for an annual journey to Beijing to pay taxes. On one of these
occasions, around 1777, Christian literature obtained from Jesuits in China led
educated Korean Christians to study. A home church began. When a Chinese priest
managed to enter secretly a dozen years later, he found four thousand
Catholics, none of whom had ever seen a priest. Seven years later there were
ten thousand Catholics. Religious freedom came in 1883.
When Pope John Paul II visited Korea in
1984, he canonized Andrew, Paul, ninety-eight Koreans and three French
missionaries who had been martyred between 1839 and 1867. Among them were
bishops and priests, but for the most part they were laypersons: forty-seven
women, forty-five men. Among the martyrs in 1839 was Columba Kim, an unmarried
woman of twenty-six. She was put in prison, pierced with hot awls and seared
with burning coals. She and her sister Agnes were disrobed and kept for two days
in a cell with condemned criminals but were not molested. After Columba
complained about the indignity, no more women were subjected to it. The two
were beheaded. A boy of thirteen, Peter Ryou, had his flesh so badly torn that
he could pull off pieces and throw them at the judges. He was killed by
strangulation. Protase Chong, a forty-one-year-old noble, apostatized under
torture and was freed. Later he came back, confessed his faith and was tortured
to death.
Today there are approximately four million
Catholics in Korea.
Fitness Friday
In
the movie “Christmas.” we witnessed the day “Ralphie” pronounced the big F word
and as a result his mother in loving correction immediately inserted a bar of
soap in “Ralphie’s” nasty mouth. Today let us look at our own nasty mouths.
Caring for our teeth may improve your fitness more than we realize.
Clean
Mouth-Ralphie![5]
·
Cut
Out Bad Habits-There are dozens of reasons to quit smoking or chewing tobacco,
and the health of your entire mouth is no exception. If you’re currently using
tobacco products, talk to your doctor about healthy methods for quitting. And
as you likely remember from childhood, sugary foods like candy and soda can
increase your risk for cavities. Committing to healthy eating isn’t just good
for your heart and waistline — it’s great for your teeth, too.
·
Increase
Your Fluoride Intake-Many municipalities have fluoride added to their drinking
water, but you can also incorporate a fluoride toothpaste or fluoride rinse
into your daily care routine, too. If necessary, you can even talk to your
dentist about regular fluoride treatments.
·
Be
Diligent About Your Teeth Cleaning Routine-It isn’t enough to simply brush your
teeth twice a day, every day. Additionally, you should floss at least once per
day and consider rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash. Make sure to replace
your toothbrush or brush head every three months.
·
If
You Have Dentures, Clean Them Daily-Denture-wearers may have a different
routine, but good oral hygiene is still a priority. Follow your dentist’s
instructions for keeping your dentures clean so the rest of your mouth also
stays clean and healthy.
·
Keep
Your Mouth Hydrated-If you’re prescribed a medication that causes dry mouth,
make sure you’re taking extra steps to keep your mouth hydrated. Drink lots of
water and switch to sugar-free gum, if you’re a gum chewer. (Bonus: Sugar-free
gum is better for your teeth, too!)
·
Go
to the Dentist-regular checkups with your primary care physician, going to the
dentist is the single best thing you can do for your oral health. Not only can
your dentist give your teeth a good cleaning, but they’ll also be able to
identify oral health problems before they progress and give you tips for taking
care of your teeth. While the minimum recommendation is once per year, many
older adults prefer to see their dentist every six months just to make sure
everything is going well.
“So I say to you,
Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door
will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who
searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there
anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead
of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then,
who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will
the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
-Luke 11:9-13
-Luke 11:9-13
Daily Devotions
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