Saturday, December 14, 2019
St. john of the
cross-roast chestnuts day
Proverbs, Chapter 10,
Verse 24-27
24 What
the wicked fear will befall them, but
the desire of the just will be granted. 25 When the tempest passes, the
wicked are no more; but the just are established forever. 26 As vinegar to the
teeth, and smoke to the eyes, are sluggards to those who send them. 27 Fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked are cut
short.
We are created in the image and likeness of the Lord;
in everything we create physically it is first created in the mind. Fear and
love are the emotional engines that turn or dreams or nightmares into reality.
Yes we are created in the image of God but we are not Him. We are but a spark
from the great fire of creation
Human industry is
futile without divine approval. Joy comes from fulfillment of one’s plans,
which the righteous can count on. The opposite of joy thus is not sadness but
unfulfillment (“perishes”). A righteous person’s words create a climate of
favor and acceptance, whereas crooked words will not gain acceptance. In Hebrew
as in English, straight and crooked are metaphors for good and wicked.[1]
Many of us today are still enthralled to a Deist view of God,
whereby God is a distant and aloof first cause of the universe, uninvolved with
the world he has made. But Thomas Aquinas taught that God is in all things,
"by essence, presence, and power" and that God providentially cares
for every aspect of his creation. Therefore, we should expect to see signs of
his presence and activity in nature, in history, and in human affairs.
And once we see, we are meant to speak! In a way, followers of Jesus are not
looking at the signs of the times for their own benefit, but rather that they
might share their prophetic perspective with everyone else. So look around,
look with attention, look with the eyes of faith!
Read: St.
John of the Cross, who we honor today, was known for his deep spirituality
and compassion.
Reflect: "We
must dig deeply in Christ. He is like a rich mine with many pockets containing
treasures: however deep we dig we will never find their end or their limit.
Indeed, in every pocket new seams of fresh riches are discovered on all sides."
—St. John of the Cross
Act: Brainstorm
ideas for how you can live out your call to "imbue every area of social
life with the spirit of the Gospel" as an active citizen. For ideas, visit
the Faithful Citizenship website.
In the chill of December, there’s one warming treat that is especially popular across the world to keep the cold away. Roasted chestnuts are often seen this time of year being cooked by street vendors, and the earthy, spicy scent is more than enough to get anyone into the Christmas spirit. On the 14th of December, it’s time to honor the humble chestnut. Or specifically, mark the time-honored tradition of roasting chestnuts round about the season of good cheer. Roast Chestnut’s day is a relatively new day in the calendar, but the practice of roasting chestnuts has been around for donkey’s years. Although it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when they started to become so popular, historians pencil the 16th century in as being a turning point, when the nuts would be sold by street vendors to anyone wanting a quick and warming snack. It has also long been a tradition in Portugal to eat them roasted on Saint Martin’s Day, and in Tuscany on Saint Simon’s Day. When chestnuts are carefully roasted, the natural sweetness of the nut is revealed. This makes them an ideal snack if you want something to stave off a sweet tooth that also happens to be quite nutritious, chestnuts being comparatively low in calories and being a good source of fibre. They are also very rich in vitamin C, which may come as a surprise to you. Although they are technically nuts, they taste very unlike other nuts – the sweet, earthy taste is certainly worth a try if you’ve never had one before – and Roast Chestnuts Day is the perfect time to try that first one. Chestnuts are often roasted on a grill, which helps to remove their bitter, shiny skins, but you can make them at home using your conventional kitchen oven. All you need to do is cut a cross into each nut, put them on a roasting tin and bake them until the skins open. They are eaten after peeling away that tough, shiny skin.
How to Celebrate Roast Chestnuts
Day
·
It’s
so, so easy to make roast chestnuts, so why not roast up a batch for yourself
on the 14th December? Have them as a snack on their own, add them to stuffing
or pair them with roasted beef.
·
And
you’ll be able to find them in most supermarkets during the festive season, so
you won’t have to go foraging for them in the woods!
From Latin Alcyone, daughter of Aeolus and wife of Ceyx. When her husband died in a shipwreck, Alcyone threw herself into the sea whereupon the
gods transformed them both into halcyon birds (kingfishers). When Alcyone made her nest on the beach, waves threatened to destroy it. Aeolus restrained his
winds and kept them calm during seven
days in each year, so she could lay her eggs. These became known as the
"halcyon days," when storms do not occur. Today, the term is used to
denote a past period that is being remembered for being happy and/or
successful.
Today reflect on seven successes or happy
times of the year then pick one to thank Our Lord for and offer to Our Lord an
appropriate gift for it for his birth!
Spiritual Crib[6]
A special devotion that can be performed during Advent to
prepare for the coming of the Infant Savior. It can be adapted for adults
and/or children and applied as is appropriate to your state in life.
·
4th day, December 14th: THE ROOF—Self-denial
Today we must practice self-denial in everything great or small. We must
therefore do the very things from which nature shrinks, and if opportunity
permits, abstain from some amusement in whatever way it presents itself. No
TV today
Daily
Devotions
·
Attend
Mass: During the Octave of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the
Blessed Virgin Mary.
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