Day 18-Let Freedom Ring: Freedom from Jealousy
We have allowed the temptation of the devil to move our hearts toward jealousy.
We compare and despair.
We have fallen into countless times of sinful dissatisfaction, when all the gifts You have given us - are never enough.
We long for so many meaningless things of earth.
We spend so much time working so hard for such meaningless things of earth.
And then we discover we still are not satisfied, we still are not happy.
We turn to You Lord, in our weakness, and beg Your forgiveness for our jealousy - our desire to have those gifts You have given to other children - for our dissatisfaction with the gifts You have given us.
We love You, Lord, and we beg for the courage to live out our lives as St. John wrote so perfectly - that we will find our joy in sharing the joy we find in You, and only You.
We know, Lord, if You will it, it will be done.
Trusting in You, we offer our prayer to You who live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
In Your power and goodness, You created all things.
You set a path for us to walk on and a way to an eternal relationship.
By the strength of Your arm and Word of Your mouth
Cast from Your Holy Church every fearful deceit of the Devil
Drive from us manifestations of the demonic that oppress us and beckon us to faithlessness and fear.
Still the lying tongue of the devil and his forces so that we may act freely and faithfully to Your will.
Send Your holy angels to cast out all influence that the demonic entities in charge of fear have planted in your church.
Free us, our families, our parish, our diocese, and our country from all trickery and deceit perpetrated by the Devil and his hellish legions.
Trusting in Your goodness Lord,
We know if you will it, it will be done in unity with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, One God for ever and ever.
Amen.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ graciously hear us
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, etc.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father,
Heart of Jesus, formed in the womb of the Virgin Mother by the Holy Ghost,
Heart of Jesus, united substantially with the word of God,
Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty,
Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God,
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High,
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven,
Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity,
Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love,
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love,
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues,
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise,
Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts,
Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
Heart of Jesus, in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Divinity,
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father is well pleased,
Heart of Jesus, we have all received,
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills,
Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy,
Heart of Jesus, rich to all who invoke Thee,
Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness,
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins,
Heart of Jesus, saturated with revilings,
Heart of Jesus, crushed for our iniquities,
Heart of Jesus, made obedient unto death,
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance,
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation,
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, .
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation,
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins,
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee,
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee,
Heart of Jesus, delight of all saints,
Spare us, oh Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Christ graciously spare us.
Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Make our hearts like unto Thine.
Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy well-beloved Son and upon the acts of praise and satisfaction which He renders unto Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou, in Thy great goodness, grant pardon to them who seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Thy Son, Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, world without end.
NATIONAL TEQUILA DAY
Matthew,
Chapter 28, Verse 4-5
4 The guards were shaken with FEAR of him and became like dead men. 5 Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be AFRAID! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.
Have you ever been so afraid
that you lost consciousness? I must admit I have not; however once when praying
intently I distinctly heard the singing of angelic voices that scared me so bad
I hid and prayed it stop, which it did. Yet it is not impossible for this to
happen.
Extreme pain, fear, or stress may bring on fainting. This type of fainting is caused by overstimulation of the vagus nerve, a nerve connected to the brain that helps control breathing and circulation. In addition, a person who stands still or erect for too long may faint. This type of fainting occurs because blood pools in the leg veins, reducing the amount that is available for the heart to pump to the brain. This type of fainting is quite common in older people or those taking drugs to treat high blood pressure.[1]
The Law of Victory[2]
Jesus raised several people from the dead, but in each case differed from His own resurrection. Those people would eventually die again. But Jesus rose from the dead, never to die again. He defeated mankind’s greatest enemy: death. All other problems are problems because they kill us. Once Jesus defeated death, His followers could operate in total security. No struggle is too big for God. No question is unanswerable. No problem is too difficult. The resurrection of Christ trumpeted good news from the graveyard! Jesus in spite of the evil influence of Satan on men practiced the Law of Victory, decisively defeating even death itself.
The Law of Victory: Leaders find a way
for the team to win. ~ John C. Maxwell
Leaders make things happen. They are unwilling to accept failure as their reality and choose to do all humanly possible (and sometimes even more) to achieve victory. Not just for themselves, but for their teams. Leaders live and breathe success. Leaders are resilient. They don’t feed off of the past, but choose to move forward toward the next victory. Leaders are achievers. Leaders are winners. Leaders understand that they don’t need to win every battle to be victorious. They are patient and understand that victory sometimes takes time and often even sacrifices.[3]
Have courage He has risen, and
He has sent His Mother Mary to help us in the end times. Do not be perplexed
and remember Our Lady said, “In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph!”[4]
National Tequila Day[5]
Another Hedonistic
progressive holiday--Note: Humility and its source is where all goodness comes
from; the Spirit of God, and not this spirit.
National Tequila Day is
dedicated to recognizing Tequila, a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the
blue agave plant and the main alcohol in a margarita. Blue agave plants
produce sugars such as fructose, which are ideal for preparing tequila.
The plant only grows in the rich and sandy soil of Jalisco, Mexico at
altitudes of 1,500 meters.
To make tequila, the heart or piña of the plant is removed when the plant is
approximately 12 years old and weighs around 40-90kg. The heart is then
heated to extract sap which is fermented and distilled into tequila.
According to history, the Aztecs created fermented beverages from the
agave plant prior to arrival of Spaniards in 1521. The origins of
National Tequila Day are not well understood; however, it appears that National
Tequila Day began to emerge around the late 1990s. This holiday is celebrated
every year on July 24.
National
Tequila Day Facts & Quotes
·
During prohibition, tequila became more popular
because smuggling liquor into the country was easiest from Mexico.
·
Hollywood celebrities have ventured into the
tequila industry. Here are some celebrities who have created their own
tequila brands:
Justin Timberlake: 901 Silver Tequila
Carlos Santana: Casa Noble Tequila (Sold ownership in 2014)
Vince Neil: Tres Rios Tequila
Sammy Hagar: Cabo Wabo Tequila
George Clooney: Casamigos Tequila
·
According to Guinness World Records, the most
expensive bottle of tequila was worth $225,000 in 2006. The Platinum
& White Gold Tequila bottle was sold by Tequila Ley .925 to a private
collector. The tequila was harvested from 100% blue agave plants that had
been aged 6 years.
·
As per the Official Mexican Standard for Tequila
(NOM-006-SCFI-2005), the alcohol content of tequila ranges from 35-55%.
·
As per the Consejo Regulador del Tequila
(Tequila Regulatory Council), Mexico produced 118.9 million liters of 100% pure
agave tequila, of which 77.9 million liters were exported.
·
I wanted to do my part to help preserve that
golden age of travel… I step aboard the Patron Tequila Express railcar, and I
go back in time to the days when a long journey was something fun and very
special. - Billionaire John Paul DeJoria, Owner of the Patron Spirits Company
National
Tequila Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Try the World's Best Tequila. Winner of
the World's Best Tequila Award 2015, 1800 Anejo is produced by La Rojena.
·
Attend a tequila festival. Here are some
popular ones to consider:
1) Day of the Dead Tequila Festival
2) South Florida Tequila Festival
3) Northwest Tequila Fest
4) Texas Tequila and Margarita Festival
·
Tour tequila distilleries along the tequila
trail in Jalisco, Mexico. The distilleries offer insight into the production
process and offer ample opportunity to sample a variety of tequilas.
·
Try different categories of tequila. These
include:
1) Blanco (white) tequila which is unaged or has been aged for less than two
months.
2) Joven (gold) tequila which is unaged silver tequila that is flavored with
either caramel coloring or sugar-derived syrups, etc.
3) Resposado tequila which has been aged for a minimum of two months but less
than 1 year in oak barrels.
4) Anejo tequila which has been aged for at least 1 year, but less than 3 years
in oak barrels.
5) Extra Anejo tequila which has been aged for at least 3 years.
·
Try a tequila twist in your favorite recipes.
Many recipes can be infused with tequila, for example:
1) Citrus and tequila infused cupcakes. Add some citrus zest and
sprinkles of tequila to the cupcake frosting.
2) Tequila glazed chicken. Just add a few spoons of tequila to your
favorite chicken glaze recipe.
3) Barbecued tequila and lime pork spareribs. Add lime and tequila to an
overnight sparerib marinade.
Today is my millennial daughter
Nicole Patience’s (Victorious Patience) birthday; hopefully she is eating cake
and not slamming shots! I ask your prayers.
"Vaya con Dios, mi amor"
Marriage: The Gift of
Love and Life[6]
C.S. Lewis once wisely observed: “When everyone is rushing
headlong towards the precipice, anyone going in the opposite direction would
appear to be mad.” In July of 1968, the world at large thought Pope Paul VI had
lost his mind. For in that month he issued his long-awaited encyclical Humanae
Vitae, which reiterated the Church’s age-old ban on every form of
contraception. A tidal wave of angry dissent erupted over the pope’s decision.
Catholic and non-Catholic alike berated “the celibate old man in the Vatican”
for hindering the Church’s full entry into the modern era. As we approach the
fortieth anniversary of that historic document, I wish to emphasize its
importance for our times. As a backdrop
for my remarks, I would like to place it in the context of its time. In the
same year that Pope Paul issued Humanae Vitae, another Paul—Paul Ehrlich—
published a book entitled, The Population Bomb. In that 1968 bestseller,
Ehrlich made some stark predictions. For example:
·
“The battle to feed humanity is over. In the 1970s the world will undergo famines
…hundreds of millions of people (including Americans) are going to starve to
death…” Fact: Food production worldwide is well ahead of population growth, and
obesity now kills 300,000 Americans a year.
·
“India couldn’t possibly feed two hundred
million more people by 1980.” Fact: Since 1968 India has doubled its
population by half a billion and is still self-sufficient in food.
·
Comparing population explosion to a cancerous
tumor, Ehrlich prescribed “cutting out the cancer [too many people]” as the
only remedy to save humanity. Fact: Today
Europe is dying, with most countries fluctuating around the 60% replacement
level.
Against this foreboding background, the reaction to Pope
Paul’s encyclical came as no surprise, even though it only restated what the
Church has taught for 2,000 years. Namely:
“There is an inseparable link between the two meanings of the
marriage act: the unitive meaning [making love] and the procreative meaning
[making babies]. This connection was
established by God himself, and man is not permitted to break it on his own
initiative.” (H.V, no. 12) In
Deuteronomy 18:21 we learn how to tell an authentic prophet from a false one:
Has the prophecy materialized or not? Judged by that benchmark, Paul Ehrlich is
a false prophet. What about Paul VI?
Pope Paul predicted four dire consequences if the use of
contraception escalated:
1) increased marital infidelity.
2) a general lowering of morality, especially among the young.
3) husbands viewing their wives as mere sex objects; and
4) governments forcing massive birth control programs on their
people.
Forty years later the moral landscape is strewn with the
following stark reality:
1) The divorce rate has more than tripled.
2) Sexually transmitted diseases have increased from six to
fifty.
3) Pornography—especially on the Internet—is a plague,
addicting millions annually.
4) Sterilization is forced on women in third world countries,
with China’s one-child policy in the vanguard.
In the waning years of his life, St. Augustine wrote his mammoth
work, The City of God. According to Augustine, the whole world is comprised of
two communities: The City of God and the City of Man. Citizens of each city are
determined not by one’s birthplace or residence, but rather by the object of
one’s love: placing the love of God above self, or the love of self above God.
The two cities are still with us. Paul Ehrlich and Paul VI could well serve as
icons of each city. In one case, death and darkness prevail—in the other, life
and light. Death or life? The choice is ours!
Novena of St. Ann[7]
Daily Prayer to Saint Ann
O glorious St. Ann, you are filled with compassion for those
who invoke you and with love for those who suffer! Heavily burdened with the
weight of my troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take
the present intention which I recommend to you in your special care.
Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it
before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue
to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me
the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the
saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen.
Our Father, . . . Hail
Mary . . .
O Jesus, Holy Mary, St.
Ann, help me now and at the hour of my death. Good St. Ann, intercede for me.
EIGHTH DAY
Hail, St. Ann! I
rejoice at your exalted glory. You gave birth to Mary, whose divine Son brought
salvation to our lost world by conquering death and restoring life and hope to
sinners. Pray to Him who, for love of us, clothed Himself with human flesh in
the chaste womb of your daughter.
Glorious St. Ann, with
your blessed daughter, deliver me from everything that is displeasing in the
sight of God. Pray to your gentle and powerful Grandson that He may cleanse my
soul in His precious blood, that He may send His Holy Spirit to enlighten and
direct me in all that I do, always obedient to His holy inspirations.
Good mother keep a
watchful eye on me. Help me bear all my crosses. Give me the fullness of your
bounty and sustain me with courage.
Total Consecration to St. Joseph-Day 5[8]
On Day 5 Father Calloway using the Litany points to the idea that the Holy Spirit wants us to know and love St. Joseph.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of
Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the
world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit have
mercy on us.
Father Calloway stresses on this day that:
·
St.
Joseph wants you to be docile to the direction of the Holy Spirit so that you
can be led in the ways of holiness.
·
St.
Joseph is a model of the interior life for all his children.
·
Consecration
to St. Joseph will increase the Holy spirit in your life.
Holiness is living in intimate loving communion with God. St. Joseph knew, and he wants you to know holiness is for everyone. St. Joseph will help you become a saint. Ask and you will receive. Ask the Holy Spirit to make you into another Joseph. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the graces of St. Joseph.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
1. Wisdom. Wisdom is not the quoting of facts. Wisdom is a gift that allows a person to understand things from God's point of view. In other words, Wisdom allows a person to recognize truth. A person with the Gift of Wisdom is able to take this truth and use it to glorify God by choosing Godly solutions to problems.
2. Understanding. Understanding is the second gift of the Holy Spirit, and people sometimes have a hard time understanding (no pun intended) how it differs from wisdom. While wisdom is the desire to contemplate the things of God, understanding allows us grasp, at least in a limited way, the very essence of the truths of the Catholic Faith. Through understanding, we gain a certitude about our beliefs that moves beyond faith
3. Counsel. The Gift of Counsel is also known as a Gift of Right Judgment. Counsel, the third gift of the Holy Spirit, is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of prudence. Prudence can be practiced by anyone, but counsel is supernatural. Through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we are able to judge how best to act almost by intuition. Because of the gift of counsel, Christians need not fear to stand up for the truths of the Faith, because the Holy Spirit will guide us in defending those truths.
4. Fortitude. The Gift of Fortitude is also known as the Gift of Courage. Through this Gift a person is no longer afraid to stand up for God and His truths. A person who has the Gift of Fortitude will stand up for good against evil and is convicted to take a stand when the occasion arises.
5. Knowledge. The Gift of Knowledge allows a person to understand the meaning and purpose God has for him and to live up to this meaning. It differs from wisdom in that it is an action, not just a desire to live up to the ways of God. It differs from Understanding in that it is not just ability, it is a knowing.
6. Piety. Piety, the sixth gift of the Holy Spirit, is the perfection of the virtue of religion. While we tend to think of religion today as the external elements of our faith, it really means the willingness to worship and to serve God. Piety takes that willingness beyond a sense of duty, so that we desire to worship God and to serve Him out of love, the way that we desire to honor our parents and do what they wish.
7. Fear of the Lord. The Gift
of Fear of the Lord puts God in the proper perspective. A person with this Gift
understands the greatness and awesomeness of the Lord. They want to serve Him
because of who He is. A person with the Gift of Fear of the Lord understands
who they are and why they are here in relationship to God; In other words,
everything they are is due to the wonder, love, grace, and perfection of God.
They are totally dependent on the Lord as a child is to a parent. The Gift of
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. Once a person understands who God
is and desires to please Him, they can begin to understand things from God's
point of view or have Wisdom.
·
Pray the Litany of St. Joseph.
Daily Devotions
·
It is traditional in Spain to make a yearly
pilgrimage to St. James of Compostela on July 24. Read
more about this custom. From Catholic Culture's Library: Pilgrimage
To The Stars and Cycling
through time on the Camino de Santiago.
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
"Faith cannot
save without virtue"
·
Rosary
[2] John Maxwell, the Maxwell
Leadership Bible.
[4] Third apparition, Fatima, July 13,
1917.
[6]http://usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/natural-family-planning/awareness-week/upload/HV-40-Marriage-Gift-of-Love-and-Life-Galeone.pdf
[7]Blessed Sacrament Fathers, ST. ANN’S SHRINE, Cleveland, Ohio
[8]https://catholicexchange.com/now-is-the-time-to-consecrate-yourself-to-saint-joseph
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