Monday, January 20, 2020

- January 19, 2020

FEAST OF ST. SEBASTIAN-MLK DAY-PENGUIN DAY

1 Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 13-16

13 Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, 16 but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.

Archbishop Sheen explained that suffering is an integral part of becoming a new person in Christ by the giving up the self and ego in sacrifice to the other.

On the marriage of my oldest son his little brother was asked to say something at the reception. Vincent got up (he is 6’6”) and while all eyes were on him stated, “First Chris called Kate and there was the telephone ring: then there was a bond establish and the trust ring began: then after some time came the engagement ring: and naturally followed the wedding ring: but Chris I have to warn you that after today there is one more ring; for now begins the suffer ring.

Christian suffering begins at home: for it is in the home the Lord develops the understanding heart when one discovers the imperfections of the other and makes sacrifices seeking the good of the other as other.

St. Sebastian[1]

The name of Sebastian is enveloped in a wreath of legends. By birth he was a Milanese. Perhaps the persecutor of Christians had left Milan, or had not yet arrived, or had become momentarily more tolerant. Sebastian believed that here there was no opportunity for combat, or that it had already passed. So, he went to Rome, the scene of bitter opposition arising from the Christians' zeal for the faith. There he suffered; there he gained the crown." St. Sebastian was widely venerated during the Middle Ages, particularly as a protector against the plague. Paul the Deacon relates that in 670 a great pestilence at Rome ceased when an altar was dedicated in his honor. The Breviary account of the saint is highly legendary; in part it reads: "Diocletian tried by every means to turn Sebastian from the faith of Christ. After all efforts had proven fruitless, he ordered him tied to a post and pierced with arrows. When everyone thought him dead, a devout woman named Irene arranged for his burial during the night; finding him still alive, she cared for him in her own house. After his recovery he appeared again before Diocletian and boldly rebuked him for his wickedness. Enraged by the saint's sharp words, the emperor ordered him scourged until he expired. (Remember that in our Lords scourging; He paid particularly for the sins of the flesh) His body was thrown into a sewer."

Things to Do:[2]

· Read a longer account of St. Sebastian's life.

· St. Sebastian's Day is marked in Sicily and in Kerala, India with huge celebrations. Try a Sicilian or Kerala dish for dinner tonight in honor of the saint.

· If you have an athlete in your family teach them the prayer to St. Sebastian.

Martin Luther King^{^[3]}

We celebrate today the legacy of a man who died and lived to create a culture of justice that ensures the dignity of all men, women and children in America. Our church also recognizes the need for dignity not only for mankind but also in marriage and it is only when we recognize the grandeur of His works that we begin to realize that every man, woman and child is a wonder wroth by His hands.

The reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) championed a movement that was based on love and his ideal was to obtain justice by nonviolent means as expressed in this speech.

Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love. Our aim must never be to defeat or humiliate the white man, but to win his friendship and understanding. “The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy, instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Character is Destiny[4]

According to John McCain a person or nations character determines its destiny. McCain points out in his book Character is Destiny the person who most exemplifies the characteristic of fairness is that of Martin Luther King, Jr.

John said of King:

From a jail cell he wrote a letter that is one of the most celebrated documents in American history and summoned his country to the cause of justice. “My Dear Fellow Clergymen,” it began. Recognizing that his correspondents were “men of genuine good will and your criticisms sincerely set forth,” he promised to respond in patient and reasonable terms. They were reasonable terms, and undeniably fair, but patient they were not.

We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. . . . Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say, “Wait.” But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: “Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?”; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading “white” and “colored”; when your first name becomes “nigger,” your middle name becomes “boy” (however old you are) and your last name becomes “John,” and your wife and mother are never given the respected title “Mrs.”; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of “nobodiness” then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair.

America still struggles internally and externally to arrive at the place Dr. King had summoned us to, that exalted place that had been the highest ambition of our Founding Fathers and the highest value we recommend to the rest of the world; the place where all people are recognized as equal and endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights. African Americans recognize the debt they owe Dr. King’s courage, wisdom, and unshakable sense of fairness. But Americans of European descent owe him a greater one. At the cost of his life, he helped save us from a terrible disgrace, the betrayal of our country, and the principles that have ennobled our history. And that is a debt we must happily bear forever.

Martin Luther King Facts & Quotes[5]

· Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He was 35 years old, which made him the youngest Peace Prize winner at that time.

· I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., August 28, 1963.

· Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?' - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

· Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

· Hate is too great a burden to bear. - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Top Events and Things to Do

· Visit thekingcenter.org to find out about local events and ways you can help promote unity, justice, and fight racism.

· Become a mentor to an underprivileged person in your community through Big Brothers, or another similar organization.

· Visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. For more info see the Official memorial website.

· Donate to the United Negro College Fund or other charities that promote college degree attainment by minorities.

· Watch a movie about MLK. Some popular films include: Our Friend Martin (1999), Selma (2014) and The Witness (2008)

Penguin Awareness Day[6] was created to celebrate everybody’s favourite zoo animal! Find out more about penguins, explore what others have to say about penguins, why not visit your local zoo to share the penguin love! You don’t have to wait until Penguin Awareness Day, because penguins can be loved all year long!