First Friday
HOLY NAME OF JESUS-10TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
Ecclesiastes,
Chapter 12, Verse 13-14
13 The last word, when all is heard: Fear God and keep his commandments, for
this concerns all humankind; 14 because God will bring to judgment
every work, with all its hidden qualities, whether good or bad.
This gift “allows us to imitate the Lord in humility and obedience, not with a resigned and passive attitude, but with courage and joy.” “The Holy Spirit turns us into Christians convinced that we are not subject to the Lord out of fear, but rather conquered by his paternal love.” Fear of the Lord is an “alarm” that awakens us “to the presence of sin in our lives” and reminds us that one day we will “be held accountable to the just Judge that when we start to sin, this spiritual gift can help direct the faithful back on the right path.[1]
Things to Do
·
Say
a prayer for the Poor Souls; for instance, recite the Little Litany of the Holy
Souls.
·
Offer
up some small sacrifice for the relief of the most abandoned soul. "It is
therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be
loosed from sins" (Mc. 12:46).
First Friday
Let us lean on the heart of Jesus; and driven on the stormy sea of this world, under the protection which He grants to those who love Him, we shall one day triumphantly enter the desired port, and enjoy the eternal blessings of that holy guidance. Death was always precious in the sight of God, for Jesus was to pass through its portal; it is precious to Him still, for Jesus has died. No one who is devout to the heart of Jesus will fail to find at the moment of his death more excellent and abundant treasures than he had ever expected to receive. Death, precious to Himself, will not Our Lord render it also inexpressibly so to us?
Faith cannot mistake the proofs of His tenderness. If we may venture to say so, the exile of the being He created is a sorrow to Him as much as to the soul itself; for, like a tender father, God desires that His children should be with Him in His kingdom. Of all the hours of life this is the one which is the most precious in the sight of God, exerts the greatest power over His love, and for this very reason has such a mighty influence over His mercy and justice. In order to receive the fulness of the new life to be merited by repentance through the divine reparation every man must undergo the terrible suffering of death; but is not this suffering, caused by sin, like all other trials, a token of love on the part of God? Without death life could not attain to its end; without death how could the soul ever reach eternal life?
The rebel angel escaped the sentence of death, but for him there was no resurrection. It is decreed that man should die, or, rather, the soul, cleansed by the blood of Our Lord, and vivified by His love, passes into eternity before the body which it shall one day glorify; united together they are called by Jesus to reign in heaven in a state so exalted that it could not have been won by primeval innocence. Even in this world, without awaiting the eternal glorifying of humanity, the most beloved amongst the friends of God experience through their whole being a marvelous transformation which robs death of its terrors, and wholly disengages them from this transitory world. The interior light by which they are led is no longer human, but divine, through Jesus; and a supernatural love is substituted for that natural love which they made their law; and not only are their criminal affections destroyed, but the love of God above all things gives them, even in this life, a foretaste of heaven. They feel no longer an engrossing care for the preservation of the body, but sigh after death, crying incessantly to God, with St. Paul, “I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. They exult when they hear the clock strike, at the thought that one hour less remains for them to pass in this exile; death is no longer a passage of sorrow, but the desired way by which they shall go to the Lord; they sigh after it, they desire it, and would fain hasten the moment of its approach by the ardor of their desire for the enjoyment of a never-ending eternity. One single thing restrains them: it is when the perfection of love imposes on them a law of charity yet stronger, which would detain them in this world for the glory of God and the good of their brethren; says St. Teresa, “thus do souls arrive at a strict union with Jesus.” Thus ardently they have desired to die in order to enjoy the presence of Our Lord; this is their martyrdom that their exile is prolonged; yet they are so inflamed with the desire of knowing Him, of making His name hallowed, of being useful to the souls of others, that far from sighing after death they would wish to live for many years, even amidst the greatest sufferings, too happy in being able to add to the glory of their divine Master. Perfect submission in death is an act of entire adoration, a magnificent profession of faith and praise; its beauty consists in the cheerful and ready sacrifice which the creature makes to the Creator of the life which He had given, shadowing forth God s power in all its grandeur. Death beholds the soul already in adoration annihilated at the thought of the near approach of eternity; this, we may well imagine, is the kind of death the angels love to contemplate. The soul takes to itself no merit, places no trust on the way in which it has served God, and desires to possess even the smallest consolation the Church can bestow. It is specially attracted by the sanctity of God, which makes it aspire to become pure, pure almost beyond conception, in order to appear before the inviolable majesty of God; relying only on His mercy; never losing its confidence in the greatness of the divine compassion, but fearing lest its offences may be beyond the reach of pardon; dying the death of a child, with its eyes fixed on the countenance of its tender Father. Why, then, when in a state of grace, should we entertain a fear of death?”
Whosoever dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God abides in him.” He who loves God is then sure of His grace and dying in this state is certain of enjoying forever the sovereign good in the habitations of the elect. And can such a one fear death?
David has, however, said that no living man is entirely pure in the sight of God. Thus no one should have the presumption to hope for salvation through his own merits; for, except Jesus and Mary, no one was ever exempt from sin. But we need not fear death when we have a true sorrow for our faults, and place our confidence in the merits of Jesus, who came on this earth in order to redeem and save sinners, for whom He shed His blood, for whom He died. The blood of Jesus Christ, says the Apostle, cries more loudly in favor of sinners than the blood of Abel for vengeance against Cain. Grace transforms into a brilliant light that which by its nature was plunged in darkness and obscurity, and the plaintive cry of our misery is changed into a song of triumph; for the fetters which yet separate the soul of the dying from the heavenly Jerusalem are so near being severed asunder that the triumphant alleluias of heaven mingle with the lamentations of earth, and the last gaze of repentant love is tenderly fixed on the crucifix till earth fades from view. The transit of the creature from time to eternity is dear to the Creator; for precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Let us throw aside, then, those vain fears of death, and regard it as a tribute which all must pay to nature. Let us be ready cheerfully to leave this world when Our Lord shall call us to the land where the saints await us, and where we shall meet those who have instructed us in the faith, and whose victory will in some measure supply for the negligence with which we have performed our own duties toward our heavenly Father. Let us unite ourselves to those glorious troops of blessed spirits who are seated in the kingdom of God with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; into which the good thief entered in triumph after a life of sin, and now enjoys, in the company of the elect, the ineffable delights of paradise; where there is no darkness nor storms, no intense heat, excessive cold, sickness, or sorrow ; and where there is no need of the light of the sun, because the Sun of justice alone enlightens the heavenly Jerusalem.
Iceman’s 40 hours devotion
It is traditionally believed that the duration
of time from Christ's death until His Resurrection is forty hours, from 3 p.m.
on Good Friday until 7 a.m. Easter Sunday. It is a pious practice to start this
devotion on first Fridays.
First
Friday
·
Start the devotion at 3 pm with a visit to the Blessed
sacrament. Meditate on the
Chaplet to the Holy Face and the Chaplet of Divine
Mercy.
·
At sundown break fast (fish and oil) and watch a movie from the Vatican list of movies.
(start second fast 2 hours before bed)
Saturday
·
In the afternoon spend time with Mary
and do the first Saturday devotion or
do a Eucharistic
Stations of the Cross and go to confession.
After confession you may consider doing a mikvah or roman
bath
·
At sundown break fast (fish and oil) and watch a movie from the Vatican list of movies.
(start third fast 2 hours before bed)
Sunday
·
Receive our Lord in the Eucharist in thanksgiving.
·
Break your fast and strive to be a soldier for Christ and live
the beatitudes walking
with our Lord.
The
Name Jesus as had been foretold by the angel. The feast is meant to impress on
us Christians the dignity of the Holy Name. What did a name signify originally?
The name should express the nature of
a thing. Thus, Adam in paradise gave the animals names in accordance with their
being. Among the Jews God's name expressed His essence, Yahweh, i.e., I (alone)
am who am (and cause all else to be). The Jews had the highest respect for the
name of God, a reverence that finds continuation in the Our Father:
"Hallowed be Thy Name." Persons who played prominent roles in the
history of salvation often received their names from God Himself. Adam — man of
the earth; Eve — mother of all the living; Abraham — father of many nations;
Peter — the rock. The Savior's precursor was given the name God assigned him.
According to divine precedent, then, the name of the Redeemer should not be
accidental, of human choosing, but given by God Himself. For His name should
express His mission. We read in Sacred Scripture how the angel Gabriel revealed
that name to Mary: "You shall call His name Jesus." And to St. Joseph
the angel not merely revealed the name but explained its meaning: "You
shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins."
The Messiah should not only be the savior but should be called Savior. With
Jesus, therefore, the name actually tells the purpose of His existence. This is
why we must esteem His name as
sacred. Whenever we pronounce it, we ought to bow our heads; for the very name
reminds us of the greatest favor we have ever received, salvation.
His
name was called Jesus, which was called by the Angel before He was conceived in
the womb."
LUKE ii. 21.
1.
It is not difficult to meditate upon the Holy Name, or to use the Holy Name in
prayer. More than any other name, perhaps alone among all proper names, it is
appropriate to the One Who owned it. Usually the names of men are given at
random; they mean nothing in themselves; a man who happens to be called John
might just as well have been called Thomas or William; the mere name tells us nothing
about him; it is a convenient means of distinguishing him from others, a label
put upon him and little or no more With a few human beings it has been
otherwise: Adam, Abraham, Josue, John the Baptist were given names that
signified the men on whom they were bestowed. But with none is this so true as
it is with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With care the Angel impressed it
on His Mother's mind: "Thou shalt call His name Jesus," he said, and
there followed the description of His future greatness. With care it was
repeated to Joseph: Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His
people from their sins.
2.
The Name stands as a complete summary and description of our Lord's character
and office, and it is under this aspect that it has been regarded by thousands
of saints, whose hearts have melted at its mere sound. To them Jesus is their
God, Jesus is their King, Jesus is their Redeemer, Jesus is their Mediator,
Jesus is their Savior, Jesus is their great Priest, Jesus is their Intercessor,
Jesus is the Captain under Whom they fight, Jesus is the Leader Whom they
follow, Jesus is their Teacher, Jesus is the Giver of their law, Jesus is the
Spouse and Shepherd of their souls, Jesus is their Light, Jesus is their Life,
Jesus is the Judge before Whom they rejoice to think that they must one day
stand, Jesus is their final and eternal Reward, for which alone they live.
3.
But He is also to them the mirror of all the most glorious and winning virtues.
He is, and His Name tells them that He is, unbounded Charity, infinite Mercy,
extremist Kindness, deepest Humility, most devoted Piety, transparent
Simplicity, uttermost Poverty, Chastity without a stain. It is the prerogative
of love to transform those who love into the likeness of Him Whom they love; and
as the mere name of one who is loved cannot sound in the ear or be thought of
in the mind without adding to the love which is already there, so the thought
of the Holy Name and the mention of the Holy Name have a kind of sacramental
power in the hearts of His saints. They seem to convey the grace which enables
men to think like Him, to speak like Him, to act like Him, to sacrifice
themselves like Him, and to Him, and for Him, and along with Him, to make Him
known to others, not by word only, but also by reproduction of Him in
themselves, and to win all men to love Him.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is
within thee bless His Holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget
all He hath done for thee. Ps. cii. i, 2.
Read "But the one name that contains
everything is the one that the Son of God received in his incarnation; JESUS.
The divine name may not be spoken by human lips, but by assuming humanity the
Word of God hands it over to us and we can invoke it: "Jesus," "YHWAH
saves." The name "Jesus" contains all: God and man and the whole
economy of creation and salvation. To pray "Jesus" is to invoke him
and to call him within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence
it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of Jesus is
welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for him.
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2666)
Reflect "May he—who did not shrink from taking a
beginning like ours—perfect in us his gifts, and may he also make us children
of God, he who for our sakes wished to become a child of man." — St.
Augustine, Sermons, 184
Pray Today we remember and honor the Most Holy
Name of Jesus. Take time to read the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus.
Act Make reading the daily readings a part of
your New Year's habits this year.
Today is the tenth
day of Christmas the 10 Lord’s a leaping are a sign for the Ten
Commandments.
January 3-6
High-five!
Kick off the New Year at the annual Walt
Disney World Marathon. For the super-fit, a 26.2-mile course runs through
all four Walt Disney World Theme Parks. If you’re not up for the full marathon,
do the half-marathon, 5K or 10K course.
Daily
Devotions
[1]https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-fear-of-the-lord-an-alarm-reminding-us-of-whats-right-48609
[3]https://catholicsaints.info/meditation-for-the-first-friday-of-the-month-of-the-sacred-heart/
[5]Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[7]https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/travels-best/photos/awesome-things-to-do-in-january
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