Sunday, October 13, 2019

Eighteenth Sunday af. Pentecost (28^th S. Ord. Time)

MIRACLE OF THE SUN-SUKKOT-FULL HUNTERS MOON

Job, Chapter 6, Verse 21

It is thus that you have now become for me; you see a terrifying thing and are afraid.

Job is a horrifying thing to look upon. He is just plain nasty. Full of oozing sores and covered in filth. He kind of looks like our savior on the way to pay for our sins. Job is scaring his neighbors and they find no fun in fear. Can you run away from your fears? 

Taking Courage[1]

The words “Be Not Afraid” are written more than 365 times in the Bible. God has reminded us continuously throughout Sacred Scripture to have no fear and trust in Him. Sometimes circumstances let our fear take the lead while our faith in God lags behind.

St. John Paul II reminds us to “Be Not Afraid”.

“Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence.”

We must remember the greatness of our God and trust in His plan, even during times when it seems like He is not there.

1.      Here are three important tips to keep in mind:

Remember that Christ has defeated sin and death so that we can have an abundant life in Him.

John 10:10 says that “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Christ came into this world, vulnerable and susceptible to suffering, so that we may be freed from the bondage of sin through His death. His Resurrection from the dead should be a cause of great joy for us. Our fears should shrink from the realization of Christ’s Redemption.

2.      Get out of your comfort zone.

This saying may sound cliche, but it is imperative! As Neale Donald Walsch has said: “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” It is not until we face our fears that we will truly start living our lives to the full.

3.      Do not become discouraged!

Bad times are bound to happen, but It is important to have faith during those times, though it may be difficult. Deuteronomy 31:8 says that “It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed.” It is important to remember God’s presence in our lives. Although there is bound to be hard times throughout life, we must recognize that God is with us more than ever during those tumultuous times, even if His Presence is not felt. When confronted with unforeseen circumstances, we have two choices to make. We can either allow ourselves to be paralyzed by fear, or we can surrender ourselves to God. In the end, the choice to have faith in the face of fear will deepen our trust in God. Let us not run away from fear, but face it head on, knowing that God is in control. He will not allow our fears to get the better of us, but He will use them for our own benefit, drawing us closer and closer to Himself.

1805 Four virtues play a pivotal role and accordingly are called "cardinal"; all the others are grouped around them. They are: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. "If anyone loves righteousness, [Wisdom's] labors are virtues; for she teaches temperance and prudence, justice, and courage." These virtues are praised under other names in many passages of Scripture.

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost[2]

Sacrifice, forgiveness, and "confirmation in the end without crime" (1 Cor. 4.8)

IN the Introit of the Mass the Church prays for the peace which God has promised through His prophets. “Give peace, O Lord, to them that patiently wait for Thee, that Thy prophets may be found faithful; hear the prayers of Thy servants, and of Thy people Israel. I rejoiced at the things that were said to me; we shall go into the house of the Lord.

Prayer.

We beseech Thee, O Lord, that the work of Thy mercy may direct our hearts; for without Thy grace we cannot be pleasing to Thee.

EPISTLE, i. Cor. i. 4-8.

Brethren: I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace of God that is given you in Christ Jesus, that in all things you are made rich in Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that nothing is wanting to you in any grace, waiting for the manifestation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who also will confirm you unto the end without crime, in the day of the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Brief Lessons.

St. Paul shows in this epistle that he possesses the true love of his neighbor, by rejoicing and thanking God that He had be stowed on the Corinthians manifold gifts and graces, and thereby confirmed the testimony of Christ in them. By this we learn that we should rejoice over the gifts and graces of our neighbors; should thank God for them, and pray Him to fill all who are in the darkness of error with knowledge, and love, and all virtues.

GOSPEL. Matt. ix. 1-8.

At that time Jesus, entering into a boat, passed over the water and came into His own city. And behold they brought to Him one sick of the palsy lying in a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man sick of the palsy: Be of good heart, son, thy sins are forgiven thee. And behold some of the scribes said within themselves: He blasphemeth. And Jesus seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you think evil in your hearts? Whether 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, then said He to the man sick of the palsy: Arise, take up thy bed and go into thy house. And he arose, and went into his house. And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men.

Explanation.

The charity of those who brought the sick man to Christ was so full of faith, so pleasing to Him, that, out of regard for it, He forgave the palsied man his sins, and healed him.

Christ did not heal the man sick with the palsy until He had forgiven him his sins. By this He teaches us that sins are often the cause of the sicknesses and evils that pursue us; and that if we sincerely repent of our sins, God would be likely to remove these evils from us. This is also intimated by the words of Jesus to him who had been sick eight-and-thirty years: “Sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee” (John v. 14). This should be kept in mind by those who so impetuously be seech God to free them from their afflictions, but who do not think to free themselves from the sins which may be the cause of them, by a sincere repentance and by leading a Christian life.

“He blasphemeth.”; Thus, in their perverted minds, the Jews thought of Christ ; supposing that, by forgiving the sick man his sins, He had committed an encroachment on the prerogative of God, and thereby done Him great wrong; for it is blasphemy against God to attempt to wrong Him, or to think, speak, or do anything insulting to Him or to His saints.

“And Jesus seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you think evil in your hearts?” This is something to be considered by those who suppose their thoughts to be free from scrutiny, and to whom it does not even occur to make their evil thoughts matter of confession. God, the most holy and most just, will no more leave unpunished impure, proud, angry, revengeful, envious thoughts, than He will an idle word (Matt. xii. 36). Do not, therefore, give yourself up to evil thoughts; and in order to repel them, remember each time that God sees and punishes them. Would you not drive them away if men saw them?

ON INDULGENCES

What is an indulgence? It is the remission granted by the Church, in the name of God, and on account of the merits of Jesus Christ and of all the saints, of the temporal punishment which men must suffer, either in this world or in the world to come, for sins that have been already forgiven.

Whence do we know that after sins are forgiven there yet remains a temporal punishment? From Holy Scripture; thus, God imposed upon Adam and Eve great temporal punishments, although He forgave them their sin (Gen. iii.). Moses and Aaron were punished for a slight want of confidence in God (Num. xx. 24; Deut. xxxii. 51). David, though forgiven, was obliged to submit to great temporal punishments (n. Kings xii.). Finally, faith teaches us that after death we must suffer in purgatory till we have paid the last farthing (Matt. v. 26).

Can the Church remit all temporal punishments, even those imposed by God Himself, and why? Certainly, by virtue of the power to bind and to loose which Christ has given her (Matt, xviii. 18). For if the Church has received from God the power to remit sins which is the greater she certainly has authority to remit the punishment of them which is the less. Moreover, it is by the bands of punishment that we are hindered from reaching the kingdom of God.

But if the Church can loose all bands, why not this? Finally, Jesus certainly had power to remit the temporal punishment of sins and the power which He Himself had He gave to His disciples.

What is required in order rightly to gain an indulgence? In order to gain an indulgence, it is necessary:

I. To be in the grace of God. It is proper, therefore, to go to confession every time that one begins the good works enjoined for the gaining of an indulgence. In granting partial indulgences sacramental confession is not usually prescribed, but if one who is in the state of mortal sin wishes to gain the indulgence, he must at least make an act of true contrition with a firm purpose of going to confession.

2. It is necessary to have at least a general intention of gaining the indulgences.

3. It is necessary to perform in person and with devotion all the good works enjoined as to time, manner, end, etc., according to the terms in which the indulgence is granted. To gain plenary indulgences, confession, communion, a visit to some church or public oratory, and pious prayers are usually prescribed. If visits to a church are prescribed, Holy Communion may be received in any church, but the indulgenced prayers must be said in that church in which the indulgence is granted, and on the prescribed day. As to prayers, it is recommended that there be said seven times the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father, and Creed.

Prayer for gaining an Indulgence

“We beseech Thee, O Lord, graciously accept the petitions of Thy holy Church, that Thou wouldst deliver her from all adversities, root out from her all heresies, unite all Christian rulers and princes, and exalt Thy holy Church on earth, that we may all serve Thee in peace and quietness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sukkot (Camping with Christ)[3]begins at sunset

Sukkot (Hebrew: סוכות), meaning Tabernacles, is the autumnal 'foot festival' in which the Jews are commanded to leave their permanent houses and to dwell in booths for seven days. The idea behind this is to remember that the Israelites lived in booths in the Wilderness for forty years. Additionally, when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, this was a pilgrimage holiday to celebrate the harvest.  It is most likely our Lord did this every year as He was a devout Jew.

Tabernacles are typically built out of wood, sheets and have a roof of a natural product, such as leaves, palm branches, through which the stars can be seen at night. The Succah must be built of certain dimensions (not too low or too high) and should have three or four walls.  On Succot, it is customary for Jewish men buy a set of the four kinds/species comprising a lulav (a palm branch), an etrog (a citron), hadassim (myrtle) and aravot (willows).

Sukkot Facts & Quotes

·         Sukkot is also a harvest festival and is sometimes referred to as Chag Ha-Asif, the Festival of Ingathering.  No work is permitted on the first day, but some work is allowed on the intermediate days which are known as Chol Hamoed.

·         Each day of Succot is associated with Ushpezin (visitors), one of seven Succah visitors.  Each day has its visitor, starting with Abraham.  The other visitors are: Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, David and Solomon.

Hebrews 11:8 “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

·         The book of Ecclesiastes is typically read in Synagogues.  This book relates to the futility of man under the sun but concludes optimistically with the notion that we should just do our thing and serve God.

·         There is a special Priest's (Cohen's) blessing performed at the Western Wall during Succot.  The Western Wall is the last surviving wall of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the side of the Temple Mount.  Thousands of Priests, who are believed to be descendants of the original priests, assemble at the Western Wall and perform blessings.

·         In the days of Nehemiah, an original Bible was found with the passages relating to the building of a Succah.
All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel (Nehemiah 8:1).
They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month (Nehemiah 8:14).

Sukkot Top Events and Things to Do

·         Purchase or make your own Sukkah.  They are typically designed to be assembled and disassembled quickly - in less than two hours by two people.

·         One can buy the four kinds (of material used to build Sukkot as per the Torah) or order them from Israel. The four kinds include palm branches, an Etrog (citron), three willow branches and two myrtle branches. The palm, myrtle and willow are bound together in a palm holder.

·         See the movie Ushpezim with English subtitles.  It which relates to the four kinds and a couple's efforts to buy a most beautiful four species set, despite their poor economic situation.  Ushpizin can be viewed on YouTube.

·         Read the book of Ecclesiastes or watch a lecture about it.  It was written by King Solomon.  It relates to the futility of life, apart from basic belief and being righteous.

·         Attend a local Succot fair.  

A visit from Abraham[4]

Genesis 22:9-10 “When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.”

Just as the knife was being hurled downward, the angel of the Lord said “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me” (Gen 22:12), and “because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice” (Gen 22:16-18).

Fatima[5]

During the night of 12-13 October, it had rained throughout, soaking the ground and the pilgrims who make their way to Fátima from all directions by the thousands. By foot, by cart and even by car they came, entering the bowl of the Cova from the Fátima-Leiria road, which today still passes in front of the large square of the Basilica. From there they made their way down the gently slope to the place where a trestle had been erected over the little holm oak of the apparitions. Today on the site is the modern glass and steel Capelhina (little chapel), enclosing the first chapel built there and the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima where the holm oak had stood. As for the children, they made their way to the Cova amid the adulation and skepticism which had followed them since May. When they arrived, they found critics who questioned their veracity and the punctuality of the Lady, who had promised to arrive at noon. It was well passed noon by the official time of the country. However, when the sun arrived at its zenith the Lady appeared as she had said she would.

"What do you want of me?"

I want a chapel built here in my honor. I want you to continue saying the Rosary every day. The war will end soon, and the soldiers will return to their homes.

"Yes. Yes."

"Will you tell me your name?"

I am the Lady of the Rosary.

"I have many petitions from many people. Will you grant them?"

Some I shall grant, and others I must deny. People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend our Lord any more, for He is already too much offended!

"And is that all you have to ask?"

There is nothing more.

As the Lady of the Rosary rises toward the east she turns the palms of her hands toward the dark sky. While the rain had stopped, dark clouds continued to obscure the sun, which suddenly bursts through them and is seen to be a soft spinning disk of silver.

"Look at the sun!"

From this point two distinct apparitions were seen, that of the phenomenon of the sun seen by the 70,000 or so spectators and that beheld by the children alone. Lucia describes the latter in her memoirs. After our Lady had disappeared into the immense distance of the firmament, we beheld St. Joseph with the Child Jesus and Our Lady robed in white with a blue mantle, beside the sun. St. Joseph and the Child Jesus seemed to bless the world, for they traced the Sign of the Cross with their hands. When, a little later, this apparition disappeared, I saw Our Lord and Our lady; it seemed to me to that it was Our Lady of Sorrows (Dolors). Our Lord appeared to bless the world in the same manner as St. Joseph had done. This apparition also vanished, and I saw Our Lady once more, this time resembling Our Lady of Carmel. [Only Lucia would see the later, presaging her entrance into Carmel some years later.] This would be the last of the apparitions of Fátima for Jacinta and Francisco. However, for Lucia Our Lady would return a seventh time, in 1920, as she had promised the previous May. At that time Lucia would be praying in the Cova before leaving Fátima for a girls boarding school. The Lady would come to urge her to dedicate herself wholly to God. As the children viewed the various apparitions of Jesus, Mary and Joseph the crowd witnessed a different prodigy, the now famous miracle of the sun.

Full Hunters Moon

According to the almanac today is a Full Hunters Moon; if not a hunter take the children/grandchildren for a hike and camping trip.

Daily Devotions

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Make reparations to the Holy Face

·         Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after SUNSET ON SATURDAY till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.

---

[1]http://www.catholicstand.com/not-afraid-faith-despite-fear/

[2]Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896

[3]http://www.wincalendar.com/Sukkot

[4]http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2016/05/18/top-7-bible-verses-about-isaac/

[5]https://www.ewtn.com/fatima/sixth-apparition-of-our-lady.asp