ICEMANforChrist

This blog is based on references in the Bible to fear. God wills that we “BE NOT AFRAID”. Many theologians state that the eighth deadly sin is fear. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. By “the power of the Holy Spirit” we can be witnesses and “communicators” of a new and redeemed humanity “even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7 8). This blog is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God.

Monday, March 9, 2020

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Tuesday In the Second Week of Lent

NOVENA ST. JOSEPH--BAGPIPE DAY

Sirach, Chapter 40, Verse 26-27

²⁶Wealth and vigor make the heart exult, but better than either, fear of God. In the fear of the Lord there is no want; whoever has it need seek no other support. ²⁷ The fear of God is a paradise of blessings; its canopy is over all that is glorious.

Everyone serves something. Some serve gain, some serve pleasure, some serve others, but the wise person serves the Lord not out of servile fear but Holy fear; that is out of love.

Can we say with Joshua, “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD!” (Jos. 24:15) If we serve the Lord our own house should be open to our kindred. If everyone did this would we have any who are homeless? Search your hearts; do you have kindred who are in need? Sustain them. Real charity is looking after widows and orphans beginning with your own families and relatives.

Warriorsof Compassion[1]

In the summer of 2011, four Air Force officers deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. During their stay there, they discovered beautiful hand-crafted artisan scarfs produced by a group of local women. Over time, it was brought to light that all of these women had tragically lost their husbands to the Taliban and now had the responsibility of providing for their families – most of which was through the sales of their handmade crafts. This fact brought a realization to the four Air Force Officers that a vehicle of empowerment for the local population did not exist. Thus, Flying Scarfs was officially founded, and with it, a business means through which the local Afghani widows could continue to find financial stability. Today, via their work with Flying Scarfs, these four social entrepreneurs have reshaped the manner in which many Americans think about social change. Through a lens of free market capitalism and micro-economic development, Flying Scarfs is an enterprise dedicated to the empowerment of the artisans not just in Afghanistan, but around the world. What was once just a small goal of providing employment for the Afghan widows after Americans had withdrawn from Afghanistan has now turned into a worldwide mission to find and aid other individuals in similar situations. Flying Scarfs is a not-for-profit team of military officers and volunteers that seek to be an engine of change by building the necessary bridges so that underdeveloped countries may one day flourish in a global economy. Our goal is to promote microeconomic development around the world in order to provide comprehensive networks of stability with a concentration in providing opportunities for women to succeed. In short, this means we buy from the “small guys” through localized economies while promoting peace, both at home and abroad. We intend to ultimately make a change by providing a "hand up" rather than a "handout."

Poverty USA[2]

WASHINGTON—Catholics can encounter, learn and act to address poverty in the United States through two new websites from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). PovertyUSA.org and its Spanish mirror site, PobrezaUSA.org, are mobile-friendly sites that offer tools and resources to help Catholics put faith in action by working to address poverty. Resources include an interactive map with state and county level poverty statistics, learning activities about poverty, prayer materials, and multimedia. The sites also feature stories of hope about how communities are working to address poverty locally, and an interactive map to find community organizations funded by the U.S. bishops' Catholic Campaign for Human Development. "As Disciples of Christ, we are invited to encounter those in our communities who experience poverty," said Bishop David P. Talley of Alexandria, chair of the CCHD Subcommittee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. "Poverty in the United States is a reality. We must work together to put faith in action to work towards policies in our local communities, and nationally, that can help address it." Nearly 41 million people live in poverty in the United States, including 15 million children. The poverty threshold is $26,200 for a family of four and $12,760 for a single person.

Tuesday in the Second Week of Lent[3]

Prayer. GRANT, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, that Thy family, who, afflicting their flesh, abstain from food, by following justice may fast from sin.

EPISTLE. Daniel ix. 15-19.

In those days Daniel prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, Who hast brought forth Thy people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, and hast made Thee a name as at this day : we have sinned, we have committed iniquity, Lord, against all Thy justice : let Thy wrath and Thy indignation be turned away, I beseech Thee, from Thy city Jerusalem, and from Thy holy mountain. For by reason of our sins, and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem, and Thy people are a reproach to all that are round about us. Now, therefore, O our God, hear the supplication of Thy servant, and his prayers: and show Thy face upon Thy sanctuary which is desolate, for Thy own sake. Incline, O my God, Thy ear and hear: open Thy eyes, and see our desolation, and the city upon which Thy name is called: for it is not for our justifications that we present our prayers before Thy face, but for the multitude of Thy tender mercies. O Lord hear: O Lord, be appeased: hearken and do: delay not for Thy own sake, O my God: because Thy name is invoked upon Thy city, and upon Thy people.

GOSPEL. John viii. 21-29.

At that time Jesus said to the multitude of the Jews: I go, and you shall seek Me, and you shall die in your sin. Whither I go, you cannot come. The Jews therefore said: Will He kill Himself, because He said: Whither I go, you cannot come? And He said to them: You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore, I said to you, that you shall die in your sins. For if you believe not that I am He, you shall die in your sin. They said therefore to Him: Who art Thou? Jesus said to them: The beginning, Who also speak unto you. Many things I have to speak and to judge of you. But He that sent Me is true: and the things I have heard of Him, these same I speak in the world. And they understood not that He called God His Father. Jesus therefore said to them : When you shall have lifted up the Son of man, then shall you know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself, but as the Father hath taught Me, these things I speak : and He that sent Me is with Me, and He hath not left Me alone: for I do always the things that please Him.

Novena of St. Joseph^{^[4]}

This novena prayer, although short is sufficient. It would be better of course to add, if time permits, three Hail Mary’s or say five times the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father, or to use some of the many well-loved novena prayers from other sources. Remember that prayers must be said with the lips in order to gain the indulgences. This novena begins on March 10 and ends on March 19.

Prayer

O dear and good St. Joseph who so lovingly cared for your little family at Nazareth, pray for all workingmen and their families. Help us all to enjoy a happy Christian family life. Be a father to us all and watch over us even as you cherished the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Holy Child. Patron of the Universal Church pray for us.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and soul.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.

7 years for each invocation. Plenary, under usual conditions, if any one of three is said daily for a month. S. Pen., Oct. 12, 1936.

Bagpipe Day[5]

The sound of bagpipes filling the air as day dawns is enough to bring joy to the hearts of many. Others, they may not feel quite the same. It seems that one either loves the pipes or not at all. There is not very much middle ground. International Bagpipe Day is the time to find out where you stand and join those who love them! The Bagpipe Society has been sponsoring the celebration of International Bagpipe Day since 2012. They have helped to bring the bagpipe to new players since 1986. It is important to them that the history and playing of the bagpipes is not lost. Putting this day together was with the hope of bringing awareness of the over 130 different types of bagpipe throughout the world. For the first International Bagpipe Day in 2012, there were reports of events held in some unique places. In South Africa, pipers gathered and played in an underground canyon. In Greece, they played on Athenian hill. The Society even heard of events in countries where previously it was thought that there were not many pipers or any at all! If you aren’t familiar with this ancient instrument, bagpipe is a term that means a wind instrument that uses enclosed reeds to produce sound. Air feeds the reeds with a constant flow of air from a reservoir in the form of a bag. In each area that it is found, the bagpipe may change in sound and shape. This is an ancient instrument and is claimed to be represented on a Hittite slab dated to 1000 BC!

How to Celebrate International Bagpipe Day

· Celebrating the bagpipe when this holiday rolls around can take many forms. If you have ever wanted to try your hand at it, don’t wait! This is the time for you to find your local provider of the pipes and take a lesson. You could be the next great Piper! It could happen, you never know, right?

· There is a multitude of information available about this instrument. A great idea to celebrate is to learn more about it. A quick internet search will bring up resources like The Bagpipe Society. You can follow the history of this unique instrument through the millennia to present day and from country to country! There is much more information than you could learn in just one day, but it’s a great time to start.

· Another way to celebrate is to find out if there are any events planned in your local area. Grab the family or friends and go check it out! You may just find that you were missing out on all the fun. If you ask, it may even be possible to try it out and see if you can make a sound with it!

· Bagpipes have a long history that spans the ages and spans many regions. It is an instrument that has weathered the test of time and surely deserves to be honored on International Bagpipe Day!

Preparing for Battle[6] Know Your Weapons

The weapon of Sacred Sacramentals

· Sacramentals include certain actions, such as the Sign of the Cross and other blessings, as well as objects that have been blessed, such as holy water, oil, salt, candles, incense, rosaries, crucifixes, scapulars, and religious images.

· In an exorcism, the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the Devil’s power and withdrawn from his dominion.

· The Sign of the Cross is the most terrible weapon against the Devil.

· The Church displays images of the cross so that we can have it continually in front of our minds to recall to us just what our souls are worth and what they cost Jesus Christ.

· Blessings and blessed objects. Both the blessings that are properly given by clergy (such as those in the Liturgy) and the blessings spoken by lay people as part of their daily lives (such as a table grace) are important sacramental's.