Like the teachings of an ancient Israelite Yoda, The Book of Proverbs is all about wisdom.
The book's editors and compilers took wisdom wherever they could find it: the
oracles of Agur and Lemuel at the end of Proverbs may very well be
non-Israelite in origin, and the "thirty sayings" in the middle part
of Proverbs are related to an Egyptian wisdom collection ("The
Instructions of Amenemopet"). Combine that with proverbs classically
attributed to King Solomon, and you have a delicious Near-Eastern fusion meal,
slathered in wisdom gravy. Proverbs is a little like Confucius's Analects,
which had a profound influence on the ethical, social, and moral teachings of
China. Confucius doesn't spend much time getting deep into metaphysics and
theological disputes—he just wants to know how to live in accordance with
"the Will of Heaven," how to be a good person, while also managing to
live a productive life in the world. Proverbs has the same set of concerns. It
takes the existence of God for granted and has interesting poetic statements to
make about the role of Wisdom in the world. Yet overwhelmingly, the advice it
offers is extremely practical: it's concerned with the details of everyday
life, with work and family. Like the writer Jack Miles observed, Proverbs deals
with the struggles of character formation and prudence—in a way that the Torah
doesn't, exactly. It's really hard to determine when the book was actually
written or compiled because it takes so much material from so many sources from
different time periods. One section claims to have been compiled by officials
in King Hezekiah's court—so if they truly date from his reign, that would put
that section at roughly the 8th century CE… though its sayings could've come
down from earlier centuries. Then the final compilation of the book would've
likely been a few centuries after Hezekiah's reign, give or take a century or
two. As with all things Bible, you never can tell.
Why Should I Care?
If you've ever wondered if it's okay to gorge yourself on honey
until you throw up, Proverbs is the book for you. (Psst—Proverbs says the
answer is: "It is not.") But, um, even if you haven't wondered about
that particular quandary, Proverbs still probably has something to say to you.
It answers the same questions that people ask when they consult self-help books
or when they (used to) write in to "Dear Abby": "How should I
live?" Proverbs is basically an ancient self-help manual—yet it has plenty
of advice that still holds up today. For example: "Soft words calm another's
anger" and again, "Don't eat honey until you puke" (to
paraphrase). To quote the RZA, explaining the name
of The Wu Tang Clan: "'Wu' stands for 'Wisdom of the Universe' […] but
there's a little 'tang' thrown in." That's actually a pretty good
definition of The Book of Proverbs—though, we suppose it's debatable exactly how
much 'tang' it has. (Well, we think it has 'tang'—more than
you would probably expect, anyway. Also, we're painfully aware that quoting the
RZA in this "Why Should I Care?" could make us seem like Jason
Schwartzman in "Yo
Teach!" from Funny People. But we reject that contention.
Vigorously.)
Wise Elders
Proverbs isn't just a collection of crotchety sayings, like
"Be sure to get your daily recommended amount of fiber" (though
there's, admittedly, a small element of that kind of advice). To some degree,
it does represent the advice of senior citizens to young people (there's an
ancient Egyptian story about an elderly man who got revenge on his nephew for
trying to assassinate him by reciting proverbs to the nephew until the nephew
exploded and died—presumably out of boredom). More than that, though, Proverbs
aims to free you, by giving you the tools and craft you need to navigate life
in the world. "Free your mind, the rest will follow"—that's a proverb
(just, er, not one from Proverbs). Despite the stodgy reputation of some
Biblical Wisdom Literature, its goal is to teach people the rules so that they
can eventually thoroughly embody and forget them. Proverbs imagines Wisdom (or
any wise person) as "rejoicing in the habitable part of the earth" or
"playing all over the earth." Although it seems like a lot of advice
and precepts at first, on a deeper level it's about giving people a method of
targeting their energy to work in a way that helps them enjoy life. Like it
says: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick / But a fulfilled desire is a
tree of life." That's some "Wu" for you, but we hope you'll
agree that it's also got quite a bit of "Tang," too.
[1]https://www.shmoop.com/Proverbs/
First
Saturday
pearl harbor day
Proverbs, Chapter 1, Verse 7
Fear of the LORD is
the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.
At his audience on June 11, Pope Francis reflected on fear of the
Lord: “This is the fear of God: abandonment into the goodness of Our Father who
loves us so. … This is what the Holy Spirit does in our hearts: He makes us
feel like children in the arms of our Daddy … with the wonder and joy of a
child who sees himself served and loved by his Father.” Therefore, this great
gift of fear of the Lord allows us to have an intimate relationship with the
Holy Trinity which compels us to have regular and careful examinations of conscience
and the use of the sacrament of penance. A good way to cultivate our
relationship with the Trinity is through daily prayer and worship at Mass. The
gift of fear also prevents us from being too familiar with God. We are the
victims of original sin and suffer from concupiscence; therefore, each of us
struggles with a rebellious heart. A person could easily take God’s love for
granted and presume forgiveness without real contrition; or forget God’s
majesty by taking His holy name in vain; or make demands of God and then be
angry when He does not meet them; or forget that every gift is from God and be
selfish; or neglect prayer and worship because there is not enough time for
Him; or disregard God’s commandments and the teachings of His church. And without
fear of the Lord, such a person might say, “God loves me just the way I am, and
I am going to heaven.” One has to ask, “Does such a person really love God?”
While the Lord will never spurn a humble and contrite heart, He will humble the
haughty. The gift of fear brings to perfection the virtue of hope. A person
respects God as God trusts in His will, and anchors his life in Him. He
approaches the Lord with humility, docility and obedience. He believes in His
promises of forgiveness of sin and eternal life in heaven. Also, this gift is
the launchpad for the other gifts. As sacred Scripture attests, “Happy the man
who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commands” (Ps 112:1), and “the
beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord” (Sir 1:12).[2]
1.
Confession: This confession can be made before the
First Saturday or afterward, provided that Holy Communion be received in the
state of grace. In 1926, Christ in a vision explained to Lucia (Fatima) that
this confession could be made a week before or even more, and that it should be
offered in reparation.
2.
Holy Communion: Before receiving Holy Communion,
it is likewise necessary to offer it in reparation to Our Lady. Our Lord told
Lucia in 1930, “This Communion will be accepted on the following Sunday for just
reasons, if my priests allow it so.” So, if work or school, sickness, or another just reason prevents
the Communion on a First Saturday, with this permission it may be received the
following Sunday. If Communion is transferred, any or all of the other acts of
the devotion may also be performed on Sunday if the person so desires.
3.
Rosary: The Rosary is a vocal prayer said while
meditating upon the mysteries of Our Lord’s life and Passion and Our Lady’s
life. To comply with the request of our Blessed Mother, it must be offered in
reparation and said properly while meditating.
4.
15-minute meditation: Also offered in
reparation, the meditation may embrace one or more mysteries; it may include
all, taken together or separately. This meditation should be the richest of any
meditation, because Our Lady promised to be present when she said “...those who
keep me company....”
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Facts
& Quotes
·
Within
hours of the attack, Canada was the first nation to declare war on Japan. The
United States declared war the following day.
·
The
Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal was established by the United States Congress
on November 5, 1990. U.S. Armed Forces veterans and civilians who served,
were injured or killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor were eligible to
receive the medal to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the attack.
(Public Law 101-510, 104 Stat. 1721 and Public Law. 104-201, 110 Stat.
2654)
·
The
USS Arizona Memorial was built in 1962 to mark the resting place of the 1,102
sailors and marines who died on the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl
Harbor.
·
...commemoration
of the attack on Pearl Harbor will instill in all people of the United States a
greater understanding and appreciation of the selfless sacrifice of the
individuals who served in the armed forces of the United States during World
War II... (Public Law 103-308)
·
Yesterday,
December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of
America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the
Empire of Japan. - President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This speech by
President Roosevelt is widely cited and referred to as the Infamy Speech or
Pearl Harbor Speech.
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Top
Events and Things to Do
·
Visit
Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial on Oahu Island in Hawaii.
·
Spend
some time learning about the Second World War and the US involvement that began
after Pearl Harbor.
·
Attend
a remembrance ceremony at your local naval club, army base, naval base, or
museum of war.
·
Watch
movies about Pearl Harbor and World War II. Here are some
recommendations:
·
1)
Pearl Harbor (2001)
2) Saving Private Ryan (1998)
3) Inglorious Basterds (2009)
4) Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
5) Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
6) Empire of the Sun (1987)
7) The Longest Day (1962)
8) Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
9) Schindler's List (1993)
10) The Pianist (2002)
2) Saving Private Ryan (1998)
3) Inglorious Basterds (2009)
4) Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
5) Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
6) Empire of the Sun (1987)
7) The Longest Day (1962)
8) Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
9) Schindler's List (1993)
10) The Pianist (2002)
Aloysius H. Schmitt was born in St. Lucas, Iowa on December 4,
1909, and was appointed acting chaplain with the rank of Lieutenant (Junior
Grade) on June 28, 1939. Serving on his first sea tour, he was hearing
confessions on board the battleship USS Oklahoma when the Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. When the ship capsized, he was
entrapped along with several other members of the crew in a compartment where
only a small porthole provided a means of escape. He assisted others
through the porthole, giving up his own chance to escape, so that more men
might be rescued. He received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal posthumously for
his courage and self-sacrifice. St. Francis Xavier Chapel, erected at
Camp Lejeune in 1942, was dedicated in his memory. The destroyer escort USS
SCHMITT was laid down on February 22, 1943, launched on May 29, 1943, and
was commissioned on July 24, 1943. The USS Schmitt was decommissioned and
placed in reserve on June 28,1949 and struck from the Navy list on May 1,1967.
Daily
Devotions
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