Monday Of the Fourth Week of Lent
Therefore,
thus says the Lord, the GOD of hosts: My people, who dwell in Zion, do not FEAR
the Assyrian, though he strikes you with a rod, and raises his staff against
you as did the Egyptians.
Who
is it you fear; who are the
Assyrians in your life? God asks us to trust in Him. Even in the worst of
situations God is with you.
Today I am going out into the desert to
pray for those afflicted with the Corona Virus. Below is my prayer plan: feel
free to use it to go out to a deserted place to pray for those afflicted in
this pandemic.
Precious Blood of
Christ Hike
Fay
Canyon Trail #53
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is on page 9,
during this hike you will be praying the Divine Mercy Novena as Christ asked "Today
bring to Me the Souls All mankind,
especially sinners and immerse
them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter
grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me."
Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it
is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but
upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into
the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We
beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy
Spirit. Eternal Father turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially
upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For
the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the
omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.[1]
Length:
1.1 miles
Rating:
Easy
Use:
Moderate
Season:
All year
Hiking time:
1 hour round trip
Notes:
No mechanized vehicles (including mountain bikes) in the wilderness. This trail
can be hot and dry in summer. Please do not disturb ruins or remove artifacts.
USGS Maps:
Wilson Mountain
Location:
33 miles south of Flagstaff (2.5 miles west of Sedona) in scenic Red Rock
Country on roads that are paved. Elevation is 4500 feet.
GPS:
N34° 54' 7.4154", W-111° 51' 28.2594"
Access:
Drive 27 miles south from Flagstaff to Sedona on US 89A. Continue through
Sedona to Dry Creek Road (152C) at the west end of town. Turn north three miles
to the Boynton Canyon intersection then left about a half mile to the Fay
Canyon parking area on the left. Cross the street to the trailhead.
This hike is also
excellent to reflect on the precious Blood of our Lord. A good time to hike
this would be during the Month of July at sunset.
Legend
states that the Canyon is so beautiful at sunset that the Angels come to
visit. During twilight in the canyon a
strong breeze can often be felt. A
unique rock formation is also located in the canyon that is in the shape of a
chalice, bringing to life that the very rocks cry out the divine mercy of God.
I
suggest you complete the meditation on the Precious Blood of Christ first, and
on the way back pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet that is listed on page 9, for the
intention of all of mankind.
- Start at the
Beginning of Fay Canyon Trail--Red Cliffs form the West wall of the canyon.
Meditation: "The Precious Blood which we worship is
the Blood which the Savior shed for us on Calvary and reassumed at His glorious
Resurrection; it is the Blood which courses through the veins of His risen,
glorified, living body at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven; it is the
Blood made present on our altars by the words of Consecration; it is the Blood
which merited sanctifying grace for us and through it washes and beautifies our
soul and inaugurates the beginning of eternal life in it."
- The trail enters a
low deciduous forest.
Meditation: Cain and Abel are making an offering. Abel's
sacrifice is pleasing to God, Cain's is not. This gives rise to the sin of
hatred, and fratricide is its resolution. The thirsting earth soaks up Abel's
blood as it shouts to Heaven for vengeance. This shouting prefigured the scene
on Calvary, where Christ's Blood cried to Heaven for the redemption of mankind.
- A relatively flat
trail leads deep into the canyon. At approximately 0.6 miles from the
parking lot on the right is the trailhead to the Fay Canyon Arch (optional
moderate hike up to the arch). It
traverses a creek bed and is usually marked by hikers with a pile of
rocks.
Meditation: Millennia pass, and now we see Israel
oppressed by Egypt. God commands the people to kill a lamb and to sprinkle the
doorposts with its blood; houses thus besprinkled are spared by the messenger
of death; but where the doors are not reddened with the blood of the lamb, all
male firstborn from king to slave die. This blood on the doorposts was a type
of the Blood of Christ. Can the blood of a lamb save a man? No, but as a figure
of the Redeemer's Blood it certainly does. For when the Destroyer sees the
thresholds of a human heart marked with Christ's sacred Blood, he must pass by.
And another soul is saved.
- After the Arch, on
the right will be a rock formation in the shape of a chalice. At the end of the trail a rock formation
can be seen over the tree-tops.
Meditation: The Church reminds us of the first drops of
blood that flowed for our redemption on the day when Jesus was circumcised.
- The main Fay Canyon
Trail ends at a rockslide as the canyon divides. A short climb up
this dividing rock formation affords majestic views of Fay Canyon.
Meditation: It is night on Mount Olivet, and the moon is
shining. We see the holy face crimsoned with blood during the agony in the
garden.
Meditation: Unhappy, despairing Judas casts the
blood-money down in the temple. "I have betrayed innocent blood!"
- As you look down Fay
Canyon to the southeast you will see Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock in the
distance.
Meditation: In the scourging chamber we see the Lord in
deepest humiliation; under raw strokes the divine Blood spurts out over the
floor. Christ is led before Pilate. Pilate shows the blood-covered Body to the
crowds: Ecce homo! We go through Jerusalem's streets following the bloody
footsteps to Golgotha. Down the beams of the Cross blood trickles. A soldier
opens the sacred side. Both Water and Blood flow for our redemption.
Excerpted from the
Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Litany of the Most
Precious Blood[2]
Lord,
have mercy
|
|
Christ, have mercy
|
Christ,
have mercy
|
Lord, have mercy
|
Lord,
have mercy
|
God our Father in Heaven
|
have
mercy on us
|
God the Son, Redeemer of the world
|
have
mercy on us
|
God the Holy Spirit
|
have
mercy on us
|
Holy Trinity, one God
|
have
mercy on us
|
Blood of Christ, only Son of the Father
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, incarnate Word
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, of the new and eternal covenant
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, that spilled to the
ground
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, that flowed at the scourging
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, dripping from the
thorns
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, shed on the cross
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, the price of our
redemption
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, our only claim to
pardon
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, our blessing cup
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, in which we are washed
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, torrent of mercy
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, that overcomes evil
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, strength of the martyrs
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, endurance of the saints
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, that makes the barren fruitful
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, protection of the
threatened
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, comfort of the weary
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, solace of the mourner
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, hope of the repentant
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, our peace and
refreshment
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, our pledge of life
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, by which we pass to
glory
|
be
our salvation
|
Blood of Christ, most worthy of honor
|
be
our salvation
|
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of
the world
|
have
mercy on us
|
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of
the world
|
have
mercy on us
|
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of
the world
|
have
mercy on us
|
Lord, you redeemed us by your blood.
|
You
have made us a Kingdom to serve our God.
|
Let us pray.
Father, by the
blood of your Son you have set us free and saved us from death. Continue your
work of love within us, that by constantly celebrating the mystery of our
salvation we may reach the eternal life it promises.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Monday of the Fourth
Week of Lent
Prayer. GRANT, we beseech Thee, Almighty God,
that, keeping with yearly devotion these sacred observances, we may please Thee
both in body and mind.
EPISTLE, in. Kings iii. 16-28.
In those days: There came two women that
were harlots to King Solomon, and stood before him: and one of them said: I
beseech thee, my lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I was delivered
of a child with her in the chamber. And the third day after that I was delivered,
she also was delivered, and we were together, and no other person with us in
the house, only we two. And this woman’s child died in the night: for in her sleep
she overlaid him. And rising in the dead time of the night, she took my child
from my side, while I thy hand maid was asleep, and laid it in her bosom: and
laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my
child suck, behold it was dead: but considering him more diligently when it was
clear day, I found that it was not mine which I bore. And the other woman answered:
It is not so as thou sayest, but thy child is dead, and mine is alive. On the
contrary, she said: Thou liest: for my child liveth, and thy child is dead. And
in this manner, they strove before the king. Then said the king: This one saith:
My child is alive, and thy child is dead. And the other answereth: nay, but thy
child is dead, and mine liveth. The king therefore said: Bring me a sword. And
when they had brought a sword before the king, divide, said he, the living
child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. But the woman
whose child was alive, said to the king (for her bowels were moved upon her
child): I beseech thee, my lord, give her the child alive, and do not kill it.
But the other said: Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. The king answered,
and said: Give the living child to this woman, and let it not be killed, for
she is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard the judgment which the king had
judged, and they feared the king, seeing that the wisdom of God was in him to
judgment.
GOSPEL. John ii. 13-25.
Jesus answered, and said to them: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews then said: Six and forty years was this temple in building, and wilt Thou raise it up in three days?
But He spoke of the temple of His body. When therefore He was risen again from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this, and they believed the Scripture, and the word that Jesus had said. Now when He was at Jerusalem at the Pasch, upon the festival-day, many believed in His name, seeing His signs which He did. But Jesus did not trust Himself unto them, for that He knew all men, and because He needed not that any should give testimony of man: for He knew what was in man.
Lenten Calendar[3]
Read: The Seven Penitential Psalms, Day
Six:
We
return to the penitential psalms we explored last week.
(During
times when we wish to express repentance and especially during Lent, it is customary
to pray the seven penitential psalms. The penitential designation of
these psalms’ dates from the seventh century. Prayerfully reciting these psalms
will help us to recognize our sinfulness, express our sorrow and ask for God’s forgiveness.)
Today
we will focus on Psalm 130.
Reflect: Read a reflection of Psalm 130—Prayer for Pardon
and Mercy. Pray “Out
of the depths I call to you, LORD;
Lord, hear my cry! May your ears be attentive to
my cry for mercy.” (Ps 130:1-2)
Act: From great depths of his soul, the
psalmist cries out to the Lord in anguish. But he waits for the Lord, he looks
for the Lord, and he hopes in the Lord.
Figure 1 Chapel of the holy cross-sedona
Things to Do:
·
The fasting desired by the Lord is not
so much denying oneself food (although this is important) but rather, consists
in "Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the
homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on
your own." Many families take these words to heart by having an
inexpensive, penitential dinner on Fridays in Lent (such as beans and rice) and
then giving the extra money to the poor.
·
Many families give each child one
pretzel during Friday dinners in Lent. Remind your children of the spiritual significance
of the pretzel.
·
Pray the Stations of the Cross today
with your family. An excellent version with beautiful meditations composed by
our Holy Father is his Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum. Some other recommended versions are: Eucharistic Stations of the Cross, and the more traditional Stations of the Cross written by Saint
Alphonsus Liguori can be found in most Catholic bookstores. Here are some
guidelines for praying the
Stations of the Cross in your home.
·
Any of the linked activities (Fun Pretzel
Project, Lenten
Scrapbook, Candelabrum
for Stations of the Cross) are a perfect way for your children to
spend their Friday afternoons throughout this season of Lent.
Rosary[5]
The
Rosary is the foremost daily method of meditative prayer used by popes
and saints alike. There are many forms of praying the Rosary such as the “The
Seven Sorrows” Rosary and recently Pope John Paul II added the luminous
mysteries. The Rosary has even been adapted to pray for the United States.
Pious Germans have the custom of improvising a mystery-specific insertion for
each Hail Mary. For example, while meditating on the annunciation, they pray,
“Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus” (and they insert the words) “who
died for our sins” then start again with “Holy Mary...The Rosary works, on a
human level, because it engages the five senses. It involves our speech and our
hearing. It occupies our mind and incites our emotions. We feel the beads with
our fingertips. If we pray before a sacred image or better before the Blessed
Sacrament we are transported into the lives of Mary and Jesus. The Rosary works
best when we stop working and abandon ourselves like children to the time we
are spending with our mother. The best place to pray the Rosary is with the
family. Mother Teresa of Calcutta after enduring a vision of Calvary stated
that Mary reassured her to: “Fear not. Teach them to say the Rosary—the family
Rosary—and all will be well.” To God and to the Blessed Virgin, all our efforts
at prayer are precious, when we persevere in praying the Rosary, we become like
little children, children of Mary, children of our heavenly Father.
Christmas. Basant. Diwali. Eid al-Adha. Easter. Yom Kippur. Vesak. Hanukkah. Ramadan. There is no shortage of religious holidays celebrated every year. According to recent studies, there are approximately 7.1 billion people currently living in this world, 31% of whom are Christians, 23% of whom are Muslims, 13% of whom are Hindus, and almost 7% of whom are Buddhists. There are also millions of other people who follow religions such as Judaism, Jainism, and Spiritism. But what about those of us who do not believe in a god or gods? An estimated 2% of the world’s population does not adhere to any religion. So why don’t they get to have any holidays? Just because 142 million people don’t believe in God, does mean they don’t like to have a good time, right?
Last Words of famous Atheists[7]
Thomas Hobbs [political philosopher]
·
I
say again, if I had the whole world at my disposal, I would give it to live one
day. I am about to take a leap into the dark."
Thomas Payne [the leading atheistic writer
in American colonies
·
"Stay with me, for God's sake; I cannot bear to be left
alone, O Lord, help me! O God, what have I done to suffer so much? What will
become of me hereafter? "I would give worlds if I had them, that The Age
of Reason had never been published. 0 Lord help me! Christ help me! …No, don't
leave; stay with me! Send even a child to stay with me; for I am on the edge of
Hell here alone.
If ever the Devil had an agent, I have been that one."
If ever the Devil had an agent, I have been that one."
Voltaire famous anti-Christian atheist:
·
"I
am abandoned by God and man; I will give you half of what I am worth if you
will give me six months' life." (He said this to Dr. Fochin, who told him
it could not be done.) "Then I shall die and go to hell!" (His nurse
said: "For all the money in Europe I wouldn’t want to see another
unbeliever die! All night long he cried for forgiveness.
Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor,
and who, like Adolf Hitler, brought death to millions to satisfy his greedy,
power-mad, selfish ambitions for world conquest:
·
"I
die before my time, and my body will be given back to the earth. Such is the
fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my
deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ!”
In a Newsweek interview with Svetlana
Stalin, the daughter of Josef Stalin, she told of her father's death:
·
"My father died a difficult and terrible death. God
grants an easy death only to the just. At what seemed the very last moment he
suddenly opened his eyes and cast a glance over everyone in the room. It was a
terrible glance, insane or perhaps angry. His left hand was raised, as though
he were pointing to something above and bringing down a curse on us all. The
gesture was full of menace. The next moment he was dead."
The Enemy is crafty and powerful. Heed these warnings to avoid his ambush.
·
Be
sober, be watchful! For your adversary the Devil, like a roaring lion, goes
about seeking someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith. 1 Peter 5:
8– 9
·
Satan
himself disguises himself as an angel of light. 2 Cor 11: 14
·
But
I fear lest, as the serpent seduced
Eve by his guile, so your minds may be corrupted and fall from a pure devotion
to Christ. 2 Cor 11: 3
·
Wisdom
that is from above is first of all chaste, then peaceable, moderate, docile, in
harmony with good things, full of mercy and good fruits, without judging,
without dissimulation. The fruit of justice is sown in peace by those who make
peace. Jas 3: 13– 18
·
Be
angry and do not sin do not let the sun go down upon your anger; do not give
place to the Devil. Eph 4: 26– 27
Daily
Devotions
[2]http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/litanies/litany-of-the-most-precious-blood.cfm
[4]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-04-01
[5] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40 Catholic
Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 35. Rosary.
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