Saturday, December 28, 2019

FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS-CARD PLAYING DAY

Proverbs, Chapter 29, Verse 25

Fear of others becomes a snare, but the one who trusts in the LORD is safe.

Fear of others the political correctness of the bible. With this fear we are apprehensive of what others may think of us over a concern of what God thinks of us. We all fall into the trap of wishing for as many likes as we can get on our Facebook page. We cater to the approval of others often letting our Lord take the back seat.

God’s Laws Do Not Depend on Popular Votes of Approval[1]

Since the French Revolution, revolting from God’s ways has been the norm for governments and people. Before the French Revolution, Emperors and Empresses, Kings and Queens received from God, via the Catholic Church, authority to rule. They were bound to rule by obeying God’s Rules. There were good Catholic popes, bishops’ emperors and kings. There were also bad popes, bishops, emperors and kings who abused the authority God had given them to rule. But each one of them, at death, have had to give a detailed account of how they had used the divine authority they had been given to rule. In fact, everyone has some sort of authority, and we will have to give a strict account to God as to how we used His authority for the good or the bad. I as a priest will have to give an account of how I used my priestly authority over the parishioners under my care. I will have to give an account of all the money, buildings and programs that I have had under my care while I was an associate pastor and as pastor. Each one of you, bishops, religious and priests reading this, will also have to give an account of how you used your God given authority over God’s flock. For us who have been vigilant in guiding God’s flock to heaven, there will be a reward. For each one of us who have been lazy, there will be punishment. But each one of us who has abused our God given authority to persecute holy priests and people, or mislead our people by telling them not to worry about sin, the devil and eternal damnation, it will be one horrible awakening into eternal chastisement. The road to Hell is paved with skulls of bishops and priests”.

Each husband will give an account of how he ruled over his wife and children. Each parent will have to give an account of the way they have raised their children. Each teacher, each principal, each government leader; each Emperor, King, Empress, Queen, and those under their orders, will also be rewarded or terribly chastised for how they did or did not implement God’s rules on their subjects. They will also have to give a detailed account on how they spent God’s money and treated God’s people placed under their care.

I am totally in favor of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. He is the head of the pope, cardinals, bishops, priests and religious. The Church is head of the Emperors and Kings and those subject to their authority. Under this system, when the Holy Roman Empire existed, there was all sorts of great Christian growth as well as cultural growth: the great cathedrals, universities, hospitals, buildings, art, all over the world, was created in this divinely ordered society where God was the center of government and society. His divinely revealed laws were the laws that men lived by even though people broke them. This didn’t just start under the great Catholic Emperor Constantine. We can see it under the rule of the Judges of the Old Testament, who ruled by God’s authority, enforced His laws and guided by His wisdom. Under this divine system these judges/prophets were able to guide the Jewish people into a flourishing society. Under King David we see the great development and peace of Israel. When King Solomon ruled on the throne of his father King David, he did not ask for riches or a long life, but for divine wisdom. When he was faithful to The True God and lived by His wisdom, he built the great Temple and palace and had wealth unknown before his time. But when he became overcome by his lust and all his wives, he succumbed to allowing his wives to bring into God’s kingdom the abomination of worshipping of devil gods. From then on, the kingdom of Israel went down and was eventually divided. And so, his-story (King Saul, King Solomon and all the other Kings who abused God’s authority) goes on throughout time.

Jesus, when He showed his Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1671, gave an important message to King Louis XIV of France. He was told to consecrate France to Jesus’ Sacred Heart and there would be great success in all his battles and in France. He was also instructed to put the Sacred Heart on the flag of France to remind everyone that France belongs to God, not the king. King Louis XIV never did what Jesus asked. King Louis XV also failed to comply with what Jesus asked for. When King Louis XVI came to rule, again, he did not obey Jesus’ request. After France financed the American Revolt against Britain, they ended up deep in debt. So, to try to resolve the problem, King Louis XVI called together the Estate General. From there, the other Estates were formed to try to solve the financial crisis. The 1st. Estate consisted of clergy. The 2nd consisted of Nobles. The 3rd. consisted of mostly bourgeois lawyers and other representatives. This is when democracy took power away from the king. No longer was it God, from above, who was giving authority through the His Church, to the kings and queens. Now, through democratic voting, authority was given to the leaders from below. Whatever was the desire of the people who had the most power became law and Man became god.

From this democracy came the “Reign of Terror” in France where thousands and thousands of bishops, priests, religious and lay people were put to death by the guillotine. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lost their kingdom and heads. Blood flowed so profusely in Paris that people could not stand the stench. It literally saturated the soil and would squish up when walking on the soil around where they were daily killed. So, when we think of voting on what is or is not moral, sanctioning what is or is not popular, we are giving into the authority of people and not the Divine Revealed Laws of God. The consequences of this are evident every time you watch the news filled with murders, raping, stealing and wars. And yet everyone, Catholics and non-alike, want to judge what is and what is not moral by democratic decision. When will we wake up to the reality, we are selfish?

· We want pleasure.

· We are greedy.

· We will steal and kill to get our drugs.

· We will use and then discard our sex partners.

· We will kill unborn babies, up to 9 months, because it is lawful and convenient.

· People say it is good to blow up innocent people for political reasons.

· Cartoon child pornography is ok because of freedom of speech.

Wake up, open your closed mind, society is leading itself into self-destruction. It is not too late to humbly recognize what simple common sense is telling us: the world is going to hell. Now let us admit that popular opinion has led us to where we are; wars, drugs, violence, crime and broken families everywhere.

God created us. Jesus died for us. Let us humbly submit to His divine loving laws while we still have somewhat of a chance to survive. Let us give Jesus His due and obey Him as our King and resubmit society under Him and His laws. It is so good to be a traditional Catholic and believe in the Kingdom of Christ the King. And Mary is our Queen too.

Feast of the Holy Innocents^{^[2]}

DECEMBER 28.

THE account of the martyrdom of these children is given in the gospel of to-day. The Church justly honors them as martyrs, since they confessed Christ, if not by the mouth, yet by their death, which they suffered by reason of Herod s hatred against Christ.

The Introit of the Mass reads: “Out of the mouth of infants and suckling’s Thou hast perfected praise, because of Thy enemies, O Lord. O Lord, how admirable is Thy name in the whole earth.”

Prayer.

O God, Whose praise the martyred innocents confessed on this day not by speaking, but by dying mortify in us all the evils of vices, that our life also may confess by actions Thy faith, which our tongue proclaims.

EPISTLE. Apoc. xiv. 1-5.

In those days I beheld a Lamb standing upon Mount Sion, and with Him a hundred forty-four thousand having His name, and the name of His Father written on their fore heads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the noise of many waters, and as the voice of great thunder: and the voice which I heard was as the voice of harpers, harping on their harps. And they sung as it were a new canticle, before the throne, and before the four living creatures, and the ancients: and no man could say the canticle, but those hundred forty-four thousand, who were purchased from the earth. These are they who were not defiled with women: for they are virgins. These follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were purchased from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb: and in their mouth there was found no lie: for they are without spot before the throne of God.

GOSPEL. Matt. ii. 13-18.

At that time: An angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and His Mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee: for it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy Him. Who arose, and took the child and His Mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called My Son. Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the Wise Men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men-children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the “Wise Men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

What persons are like Herod?

All those who destroy children, in body or in soul; for example unmanly men who are cruel to their wives while with child, who strike them, incite them to anger, or terrify them; heedless parents who neglect their little ones, who do not take pains to keep them clean and healthy; those corrupt and godless women who destroy the fruit of their shame either before or after birth, and while yet unbaptized. But more cruel than all these, and even than Herod himself, are they who scandalize little children by impure conversations, by indecent songs, by acts of impurity in their presence, or by inciting them to the like; for thereby they plunge the souls of the children into destruction.

Innocents Day^{^[3]}

In many religious communities, Innocents' Day was the traditional feast for the youngest members. In keeping with the upside-down spirit of Twelfth night, the youngest novice had the privilege of sitting at the first place or even of being abbot for a day. Feast of the Holy Innocents is a day for the younger members of the family or religious community. Some kind of "baby food" -- such as a hot cereal with sugar and cinnamon -- is generally served to them. In the family, the youngest member is also the "celebrity" of the day, especially if he is a baby. Customs like decorating the crib or blessing the baby are appropriate ways of observing the feast. Today, on the day in which little ones shed their blood for Christ, was the festival for choirboys and students.

Today is also an excellent day for Father’s and Mother’s to bless their children.

Blessing

O Lord, Jesus Christ, Who didst embrace and lay thy hands upon the little children when they came to thee, and didst say to them: "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs, and their angels always see the face of my Father," — look with a Father's eye upon the innocence of these children and their parents' devotion, and bless them this day through our ministry. By thy grace and goodness let them make progress in desiring thee, loving thee, fearing thee, obeying thy commandments — thus coming to their destined home, through thee, Savior of the world, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Today I will ask the Lord to bless all my seven children! (Claire, Christopher, Candace, Dara, Rachel, Nicole and Vincent) Also my stepchildren! (Kelly, Ryan and Nathan)

Four Calling Birds

Today in the song the 12 days of Christmas the 4th day we sing of the Four Calling Birds which represent the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. During the upcoming year it would make a worthy project to read them all. These gospels will help us to be persons of courage.

Cup of Courage

For Christmas my wonderful wife brought me three coffee mugs on being 1) a man of courage 2) a man of strength and 3) a man of wisdom. It takes courage to live out the gospels. Here is what is on the courage mug: Blessed is the man who faces his fears honestly, holds on to hope passionately, and seeks others readily for help, reassurance, and love.

Be strong and courageous…the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. -Joshua 1:9

Christmas Calendar[4]

Read: Read today about the Holy Innocents who were put to death by King Herod.

Reflect: The observances of the Christmas season illuminate many key themes for the faithful. Meditate today on this one:

"The sacredness of human life and the wonderful event that is every birth, since the Word of life came amongst men and was made visible through his birth of the Virgin Mary (see 1 Jn 1:2)."

—Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2001), no. 108 Pray

Pray the Rosary for life today.

Act: Add an intercession for life that has particular meaning for your family to the mealtime blessing today.

Card Playing Day[5]

The holiday season has come and gone, and the end of the year is in sight. You know what you need to do now? That’s right, you need to sit back and play out a few rounds of solitaire, or maybe get the family together for a night of Texas Hold’em, Slap Jack, or War. Whatever your pleasure, Card Playing Day is a chance to wind down from all the kerfuffle of the season by engaging in a card game or three. Playing cards are thought to have first been introduced to the world in China before spreading across the globe to India, Persia, and ultimately every corner of this… sphere. Ok, so that corner thing never has made sense, unless you’re talking about a rectangular playing card, which thankfully we are! A whole pack of them in fact. Playing cards have always been the last bastion of entertainment in inclement weather, and thus were a favorite of the winter holidays. After all, before the invention of television and electricity, what was one to do when you’d heard all of Uncle Joe’s story, and couldn’t possibly bring yourself to lay your eyes on another dog-eared novel? That’s right, you play cards! There are numerous games that exist in the world, hundreds from every culture imaginable. Some games are unique to a particular region, or at least distinct to it (Like Baccarat) or can be found in variations all over the world while clearly being recognizable (like poker). Others still involve the use of playing boards as a utility in keeping track of points, such as cribbage. Card Playing Day is an opportunity and excuse to return to this age-old form of entertainment, and to spend a little time alone, or connecting with your family.

How to celebrate Card Playing Day

Well, the simplest way to celebrate Card Playing Day is, of course, to participate in the aforementioned past-time! However, if you’re really looking to make an experience out of Card Playing Day, you may consider trying to learn a variation of a game you already know, or even learning a completely new card game altogether. There’re countless games out there you can learn, and if the game you know has lost its appeal, it’s time to learn another one! We also suggest getting out there and investing in a new deck of cards, there are limitless variations on style and theme, and a new deck can make a new game even more fun!