Thursday, November 21, 2019

FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION

Luke, Chapter 1, verse 50:

⁵⁰His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.

Christ the King is drawing near. We are to rejoice in her son just as Mary did in her Canticle of Praise when she entered the house of Zechariah.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

I would like to focus on the words from “age to age”. In physics, spacetime (also space–time, space time or space–time continuum) is any mathematical model that combines space and time into a single interwoven continuum.[1] As I understand it what has been done in the past and in the future continues forever rippling through time and space from “age to age”. If this is the case let us follow Mary’s example and develop in ourselves Holy fear through her virtues of: humility, generosity, chastity, patience, self-control and of course love.

Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary[2]

THE Blessed Virgin was presented in the temple at Jerusalem by her pious parents, Joachim and Ann, there to be educated in the service and the law of the Lord in order that she might be guarded against the defilements of the world. From this we learn:

Joachim and Ann offered to the Lord their only and most beloved child and gave her up entirely to His service. Great as the sacrifice was, they yet made it. The preservation of the innocence of their daughter was to them above all else. Parents, God requires of you that you should not merely offer your children to Him in the temple, but that you should take care to keep them pure and holy, as living temples which have been consecrated in Baptism.

Mary gives and dedicates herself to God as soon as she is capable of serving Him, and that without any reservation, for all time, and irrevocably.

· When, then, shall we give ourselves in earnest to God? True, we have been given to Him in holy Baptism, we have been consecrated as His temples, we have renounced the devil and the world, we have vowed to live only for God, and this vow we have, perhaps, often renewed; but have we kept it?

· What we gave with one hand have we not taken it away with the other? Have we not denied the temple of our hearts by shameful lusts, lived for the world and vanity more than for God? Ah, when shall we give ourselves up to God sincerely and forever? Perhaps when we are old! But will God accept our offering then?

· Will He be pleased that we begin to serve Him only when we can no longer serve the world? That we first begin to live for Him when our life is soon to cease? No; God is a jealous Lord and is not pleased with a heart divided between Him and creatures. He requires us to love Him with all our heart and all our soul, and to serve Him with all our powers. Let us, then, do this, and do it from our youth; let us keep ourselves in body and soul undefiled for the Lord; such love, and such love only, will He reward as perfect.

Prayer.

O God, Who wast pleased that the blessed Mary, ever virgin, the habitation of the Holy Ghost, should oh this day be presented in the temple, grant, we beseech Thee, that by her intercession we may deserve to be presented in the temple of Thy glory.

EPISTLE. Ecclus. xxiv. 14-16.

From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling-place I have ministered before Him. And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem. And I took root in an honorable people, and in the portion of my God His inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.

GOSPEL. Luke xi. 27, 28.

And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd lifting up her voice said to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that gave Thee suck. But He said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.

Explanation.

By His answer Jesus would have us understand that His Mother was not to be blessed merely because she bore Him, the Son of God, but rather because she at all times endeavored to keep the word of God in her heart and to observe it in her life. If you would be blessed, learn to be not only a hearer, but a doer, of the word of God.

Things to Do[3]

· Meditate on the mystery of Mary's temporary dwelling in the sanctuary of the Old Covenant as a preparation for the approaching season of Advent.

· Locate the order of contemplative nuns closest to you and visit their monastery (you may want to request their prayers and you might consider supporting them financially), they are the privileged souls who, by the grace of their vocation, are even here below dwellers in the house of the Lord.

· Spend 30 minutes reading the Bible.

· Learn more about Mary in the Byzantine Liturgy and say one of the beautiful prayers of the Eastern liturgy in honor of Mary.

It is better to smoke in this life than the next!

Today is “The great American Smokeout” day which incourages smokers to quit or cut down on the habit. When I was a soldier, I often cautioned my troops on the dangers, to which one young lieutenant retorted one day, “You know it is better to smoke in this life then the next”.

Great American Smokeout[4]

The Great American Smokeout is an informal holiday aimed at encouraging citizens to quit or plan to quit smoking. Smoking is a habit that involves consumption of tobacco smoke, which has been shown to cause a variety of cancers, most notably lung and mouth cancer. Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of Cancer death in the United States and the most preventable type of cancer worldwide. The Great American Smokeout is promoted by the American Cancer Society and is held on the third Thursday of November each year in an effort to reduce cases of preventable cancers, reduce secondhand smoke and improve the health of all Americans.

Great American Smokeout Facts & Quotes

· The holiday began in 1970, when a man in Massachusetts asked people to give up smoking for one day, and donate the money saved to the local high school scholarship fund.

· According to the Center for Disease Control, smoking is responsible for 1 in 3 cancer-related deaths, and 1 in 5 deaths from any cause. Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year.

· The Center for Disease Control state that life expectancy for smokers is 10 years less than that of non-smokers.

· The Center for Disease Control states that middle-aged man who smokes, triples his risk of dying from some type of heart disease.

· More Doctors Smoke Camels than Any Other Cigarette - line used in 1949 commercial for Camel Cigarettes.

Great American Smokeout Top Events and Things to Do

· If you are a smoker, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for support in quitting. You can also get help from organizations like smokefree.gov and ucanquit2.org.

· Organize a sporting event like soccer or softball as a way to have fun and otherwise help smokers take their minds off of smoking.

· Talk to someone you know who smokes and challenge them to quit for the day.

· Give out sugarless gum to otherwise smokers as friendly gesture to promote an alternative.

· Watch movies and documentaries that aim to uncover the tobacco industry and impact of tobacco addictions:
1) The Insider (1999)
2) Addiction Incorporated (2011)
3) Dying for a Smoke (1992)
4) Smoke & Mirrors: A History of Denial (2000)

World Philosophy Day[5]

World Philosophy Day seeks to promote human thought, new ideas and critical thinking to confront today's challenges. Philosophy refers to the study of knowledge, experience, existence and reality. According to the United Nations, philosophy provides the conceptual bases of principles and values on which world peace depends: democracy, human rights, justice and equality. World Philosophy Day was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2005. Since then, every third Thursday of November has served as a celebration of philosophical knowledge.

World Philosophy Day Facts & Quotes

· Rene Descartes is considered to be the father of modern Western philosophy. He is widely credited with being the first to use the concept of reason to develop the natural sciences. He lived from 1596 to 1650.

· Thales of Miletus is widely considered to be the father of philosophy. He was a Greek philosopher, mathematician and astronomer that lived around 624-546BC.

· Truth in philosophy means that concept and external reality correspond. – George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher of the late enlightenment period.

World Philosophy Day Top Events and Things to Do

· Spread awareness on social media by using the hashtags #WorldPhilosophyDay, #PhilosophyDay and #PhilosophyandCooperation.

· Tune in to the live webcast of the philosophical debates on UNESCO’s website. It can be streamed in French or English at the UNESCO site.

· Watch a movie that touches on philosophy. Some suggestions are: The Matrix (1999), Blade Runner (1982) and Being There (1979).

· Donate to the Philosophy Foundation. Any money raised is put towards providing specialist teachers to schools that need it most but can’t afford it. The organization aims to support young people in higher education studying philosophy.

· Read a book on philosophy. Some suggestions are: Plato’s Republic, Critique of Pure Reason and A History of Western Philosophy.

World Television Day[6]

World Television Day celebrates the daily value of television as a symbol of communication and globalization. Television is one of the single greatest technological advances of the 20th century, serving to educate, inform, entertain and influence our decisions and opinions. It is estimated that approximately 90% of homes around the world have televisions; however, with the introduction of internet broadcasting, the number is declining in favor of computers. World Television Day was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1996. It is celebrated annually on November 21.

World Television Day Facts & Quotes

· TV stimulates the economy by providing countless avenues for jobs. Over 1.2 million people in the European Union alone are employed in the media sector

· In France, 63% of children between the age of 0 and 15 live in a household with 4 screens (TV, computer, tablet etc.).

· Television creates authority. When something is shown on TV it has a particular authority about it because you know that you and millions of other people are seeing it and that professionals have produced it.

· In Canada, nearly 95% of people aged 18-34 watch TV each month, which results in 12 and a half hours of weekly TV watching.

· Television is a medium because anything well done is rare. - Fred Allen, American comedian and radio show host

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