Monday, July 27, 2020

Day Let Freedom Ring: Freedom from Indifference
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
At a word from you the devil and his minions flee in terror.
You are the source of all truth. You are the source of all strength.
By the power of your Cross and Resurrection, we beseech you, O Lord
To extend your saving arm and to send your holy angels
To defend us as we do battle with Satan and his demonic forces.
Exorcise, we pray, that which oppresses your Bride, The Church,
So that within ourselves, our families, our parishes, our dioceses, and our nation
We may turn fully back to you in all fidelity and trust.
Lord, we know if you will it, it will be done.
Give us the perseverance for this mission, we pray.
Amen

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception ... pray for us
St. Joseph ... pray for us
St. Michael the Archangel ... pray for us
(the patron of your parish) ... pray for us
(your confirmation saint) ... pray for us


 
"Freedom from Indifference" by Fr. Jim Altman

Dear family, of all the things about which we can "take it or leave it," going deeper into our Faith is not one of them. We cannot be indifferent to our Faith.

When we try to reflect on some principle of our Faith - like "indifference" - it is always good to refer to the Catechism to get a working definition so we all are on the same page. That was my starting point.

So, §2093 states: "Faith in God's love encompasses the call and the obligation to respond with sincere love to divine charity. The first commandment enjoins us to love God above everything and all creatures for him and because of him." Ok. So good so far.

Then it follows up with §2094 which states: "One can sin against God's love in various ways" - and then includes the definition for indifference: "indifference neglects or refuses to reflect on divine charity; it fails to consider its prevenient goodness and denies its power."

Oh, dear family, my head hurts when I try to read something like §2094, something someone cannot seem to put in understandable language. If I asked you - exactly what does it mean to fail to consider Divine Charity's prevenient goodness and deny its power? ... could you answer the question? Don't feel badly if you couldn't; I couldn't either. I had to look up the word "prevenient" and then try to place it in some sort of context of "goodness" and then try to figure out how does refusing to reflect on divine charity had anything to do with understanding prevenient goodness and, more so, what that has to do with denying its power? Is it any wonder people do not get through the Catechism when they run into roadblocks like this? I say all this just so you know: You are not alone. Even priests sometimes struggle with this stuff.

For the record, the definition of prevenient is: preceding in time or order; antecedent. So, indifference, which apparently is neglecting to reflect on divine charity, means failing to consider it's "preceding in time or order, antecedent" goodness. But what does that even mean???

In the Law, there is an ongoing movement to take "legalese" - the formal and technical language of legal documents that is often hard to understand - and put it into "plain English."  So let us try to do that here.
 
God loved us first. His love preceded us, preceded our very existence. His love was so great that He willed to create us into existence so He could share His love with us. And then, when we did not love Him back - that's that whole Fall of Adam and Eve thing, and every sin ever since - He still loved us so much that He sent His only Son to suffer and die in order to prove His love which, hopefully, would inspire us to love Him back. In fact, He sent His Son even though He knew full well exactly what some of us would do to Him because He knew it would be proof of His Divine Love. It is why St. Paul - so cognizant of this infinite love of God - hardly could keep in the immensity of his praise and worship for God when he wrote to the Ephesians: "Praised be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Who has bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavens. God chose us in Him before the world began to be holy and blameless in His sight. He predestined us to be His adopted sons through Jesus Christ, such was His will and pleasure, that all might praise the glorious favor He has bestowed on us in His beloved.  In Him, and through His blood, we have been redeemed, and our sins forgiven, so immeasurably generous is God's favor to us" (Eph 1:3-7).

It is no accident that in the Breviary, the Church's Liturgy of the Hours, this passage is prayed every Monday at Evening Prayer. It, along with the entire Breviary, is a constant reminder of God's love for us. To pray the Liturgy of the Hours actually is to contemplate and reflect upon Divine Charity. It is the 
opposite of indifference.

So maybe by considering the opposite of indifference, we get a better understanding of whether or not 
we are indifferent.  If we want to know if we have fallen victim to indifference, perhaps the best answer is to ask the question:  do we immerse ourselves daily in contemplating God's love so much so that we, like St. Paul, are compelled to praise and worship God in such words as he wrote to the Ephesians?  Do we reflect enough upon the magnitude of God's love, expressed in our very own existence, such that we are compelled to give back to Him even just a tithing of the countless gifts He has given us?

Having just celebrated two Holy Masses of Christian Burial, this thought is fresh in my mind, the words prayed after the final Song of Farewell: "We give you thanks for the blessings which you bestowed upon (decedent) in this life: they are signs to us of your goodness and of our fellowship with the saints in Christ."

God's blessings are indeed signs of His goodness, signs of His infinite Love. Are we indifferent to those signs of His goodness and love? Are we so unaware of His signs that we are disconnected from Him that we can take it or leave it? Or do we, in our daily contemplation, reflect so deeply upon those signs of His love that we are compelled, like St. Paul, to sing out such words as that hymn written way back in 1674 - amazingly enough, before even indoor plumbing and anesthesia: "Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.  Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye Heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost."

Prayer of Reparation

My Lord and my God,
We have allowed the temptation of the devil to move our hearts toward indifference to Your Divine Love.
We have fallen into countless times of sinful diversions from our purpose in life, which is to know, love and serve You in this world.
We are so immersed in things of this world, have we devoted ourselves so greatly to treasures on earth, that we have become indifferent to the treasures we must store up in Heaven?
We spend so much time and effort and money on things that moth and decay will destroy, only to discover that we still are not satisfied, we still are not happy.
We turn to You Lord, in our weakness, and beg Your forgiveness for our indifference to the treasures of Heaven, the greatest treasure being Your love.
We love You, Lord, and we beg for the wisdom and strength to love You more.
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.

Prayer of Exorcism

Lord God of Heaven and Earth,
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.

Litany of Humility

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, etc.
From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred to others,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,
From the fear of being humiliated,
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
From the fear of being calumniated,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being suspected,

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase
and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.


To see the Goals, Methods and Levels of "Let Freedom Ring," go HERE.



NOVENA ST. JOHN VIANNEY

 

Mark, Chapter 5, Verse 33

The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in FEAR and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.

 

The woman in the chapter had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years and was ritually unclean by Jewish laws.

 

An unclean person in general had to avoid that which was holy and take steps to return to a state of cleanness. Uncleanness placed a person in a "dangerous" condition under threat of divine retribution, even death, if the person approached the sanctuary. Uncleanness could lead to expulsion of the land's inhabitants and its peril lingered upon those who did not undergo purification. Bodily discharges (blood for women, semen for men) represented a temporary loss of strength and life and movement toward death. Because decaying corpses discharged, so natural bodily discharges were reminders of sin and death. Physical imperfections representing a movement from "life" toward "death" moved a person ritually away from God who was associated with life. Purification rituals symbolized movement from death toward life and accordingly involved blood, the color red, and spring (lit. "living") water, all symbols of life.[1]

 

For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9). Christ also being clean took this woman uncleanliness and gave her his Holiness. Indeed, she was filled with wonder and awe.


 

This day emulate our Lord by reflecting and living the prayer of St. Francis.

The Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
 
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.


Amoris LƦtitia[2] Love in Marriage Love is not boastful (95-96) 


The word, perpereĆŗetai, denotes vainglory, the need to be haughty, nit-picking and somewhat pushy. Those who love not only to refrain from speaking too much about themselves, but are focused on others; they do not need to be the center of attention. The word that comes next physioĆŗtai – is similar, indicating that love is not arrogant. Literally, it means that we do not become “puffed up” before others. It also points to something more subtle: an obsession with showing off and a loss of a sense of reality. Such people think that, because they are more “spiritual” or “wise”, they are more important than they really are. Paul uses this verb on other occasions, as when he says that “knowledge puffs up”, whereas “love builds up” (1 Cor 8:1). Some think that they are important because they are more knowledgeable than others; they want to lord it over them. Yet what really makes us important is a love that understands, shows concern, and embraces the weak. Elsewhere the word is used to criticize those who are “inflated” with their own importance (cf. 1 Cor 4:18) but in fact are filled more with empty words than the real “power” of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 4:19). It is important for Christians to show their love by the way they treat family members who are less knowledgeable about the faith, weak or less sure in their convictions. At times the opposite occurs: the supposedly mature believers within the family become unbearably arrogant. Love, on the other hand, is marked by humility; if we are to understand, forgive and serve others from the heart, our pride has to be healed and our humility must increase. Jesus told his disciples that in a world where power prevails, each tries to dominate the other, but “it shall not be so among you” (Mt 20:26). The inner logic of Christian love is not about importance and power; rather, “whoever would be first among you must be your slave” (Mt 20:27). In family life, the logic of domination and competition about who is the most intelligent or powerful destroys love. Saint Peter’s admonition also applies to the family: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility towards one another, for ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Pet 5:5).

 

Novena in Honor of Saint John Marie Vianney[3]

Ardent Faith

Saint John Marie Baptist Vianney you were born of a deeply religious mother; from her you received the Holy Faith; you learned to love God and to pray. At a young age, you were seen kneeling in the front of the statue of Mary. Your soul was supernaturally carried towards the things on High. Despite the high cost, you answered your vocation! Against many obstacles and contradictions, you had to fight and suffer to become the perfect priest which you were. But your deep spirit of faith supported you in all these battles. O Great Saint you know the desire of my soul; I would like to serve God better; from Him I have received so many good things. For this, obtain for me more courage and especially the depth of faith. Many of my thoughts, words, and actions are useless for my sanctification and for my salvation, because this supernatural spirit does not stir up my life. Help me to be better in the future. Holy Priest of Ars, I have confidence in your intercession. Pray for me during this novena especially for ... (mention silently your special intentions).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

Scotch Whisky Day[4]

The Babylonians of Mesopotamia were likely the first people to distill alcohol as 2nd millennium BC. At the time it is likely that various perfumes and aromatics were most often distilled. The earliest records of the distillation of alcohol for the purpose of drinking date back to 13th century Italy, where harder alcohols were distilled from wine. Soon, the practice of distillation use spread through medieval monasteries and was used largely for medicinal purposes, such as the treatment of smallpox and other illnesses. Distillation spread to todays Great Britain in the 15th century, and the first evidence of whisky production in Scotland comes from an entry in the Exchequer Rolls for 1494 where malt is sent To Friar John Cor, by order of the king, to make aquavitae, enough to make about 500 bottles. Whisky production later moved out of a monastic setting and into personal homes and farms when King Henry VIII of England dissolved all the monasteries in his country due to his feud with the Pope, causing the monks to find a way to earn a living for themselves. However, the distillation process in those days was much more basic than it is today, and the whisky itself was not allowed to age, meaning it must have tasted much rawer than it does today.

Scotch Whisky Day was created to celebrate this alcoholic beverage in all of its glory and remind people that Ballantines is not as good as it gets!

How to celebrate Scotch Whisky Day

There are hundreds of distilleries in Scotland you have likely never heard of that make whisky better than youve ever tried before, and this day is the day to experience them. The best part is that not all good Scotch whiskies are expensive, so if you want to enjoy this day to the fullest, you can order 5 or 6 miniaturesor more, if you decide to invite people over to share the funand enjoy an evening of sampling the unique whiskies Scotland has to offer. Ten-, twelve- and even fifteen-year-old single malt Scotch whisky miniatures can be purchased for under £5 and are sure to help you understand why this drink is loved worldwide. and because it is usually a bad idea to drink strong alcohol on an empty stomach, make sure you have some snacks on hand during your whisky-tasting as well! Cheeses like Roquefort go well with many whiskies, as does high-quality dark chocolate. If you feel like eating something more filling, try a simple meat dish like slow-roasted pork spareribs.

There are also quite a few films to choose from that would be perfect for this day, such as The Angels Share, an acclaimed Scottish comedy-drama about a man trying to get his life back on track after narrowly avoiding a prison sentence. The titular angels share, is what distilleries call the portion (share) of a whiskys volume that is lost to evaporation during aging in oak barrels.

Total Consecration to St. Joseph-Day 8[5] 

On Day 8 Father Calloway using the Litany points to the idea that we are members of the new covenant family and we should ask St. Joseph as head of that family to pray for us.

 

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.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.

 

Saint Joseph, Pray for Us.

 

Father Calloway stresses on this day that: 

·         St. Joseph is a new Adam.

·         St. Joseph will help you get to the wedding feast of heaven.

·         St. Joseph is the delight of the Saints. 

Marriage is at the center of creation and redemption. When we ask St. Joseph to pray for us, he will increase our wisdom and virtue so that we have a “proper attire” for the heavenly wedding feast. 

Delight of the Saints 

St Joseph is the model of love, humility and dedication to Jesus and the Virgin Mary. In the Kingdom of God, Mary is the most elevated of all creatures, but Joseph outranks all other saints. He is the Father of Christ, and husband/First Knight to Christ and His Mother. As such Joseph outranks all other saints. In the early Church it was understood that Joseph was the holiest human person after Mary. St. Lawrence of Brindisi stated, “And as in that first marriage God created Eve to be like Adam, so in this second marriage he made Joseph to be like the Blessed Virgin in holiness and justice.” 

The church has created ranks of order and respect in the Kingdom. 

1.      We are to give Adoration and Worship alone to God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and we are to serve only Him.

2.      We are to give the Highest reverence to Mary.

3.      We are to give first respect (revered) to Joseph.

4.      All others (saints) are revered (honored).

What about the angels? Only God is worthy of adoration. The Virgin Mary is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit; she is Queen of Heaven whom the highest choirs of angels serve. Yet since Joseph was united to the Blessed Virgin by the conjugal bond and God gave Joseph to Mary to be her spouse, he has via the conjugal bond an eminent dignity with Mary. St. Joseph is close to God because he is the father of Jesus. Saint Joseph’s role was planned from all eternity, even before the creation of the angels. His intercession is all powerful, he is the delight of saints and popes; the Italians and he should be your delight as well.

·         Pray the Litany of St. Joseph.

Daily Devotions

·         Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels

·         Cultivate intelligent foresight in yourself

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Monday: Litany of Humility

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Universal Man Plan

·         Rosary




[1]http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/clean-unclean.html.

[2] Pope Francis, Encyclical on Love.

[3]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1129

[4] https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/scotch-whisky-day/

[5]https://catholicexchange.com/now-is-the-time-to-consecrate-yourself-to-saint-joseph



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