Thursday, July 30, 2020
Day 24-Let Freedom Ring: Freedom from Consumerism
"If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides." Mt 6:30-33
We have allowed the temptation of the devil to move our hearts toward consumerism.
We have fallen into countless times of sinful buying stuff we do not need with money we do not have.
We do this all to fill the emptiness within us, to salve the wounds within us.
We turn so readily to consuming things of this world, instead of detaching ourselves from things of this world and attaching ourselves to You.
We spend so much time and effort and money consuming and yet we still are not happy.
We turn to You Lord, in our weakness, and beg Your forgiveness for the consumption of temporal goods that stand in the way of our devotion to You.
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.
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.
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.
of the Eternal Father, save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God, save us.
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, etc.
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the Agony,
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging,
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns,
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross,
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation,
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness,
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls,
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy,
Blood of Christ, victor over demons,
Blood of Christ, courage of martyrs,
Blood of Christ, strength of confessors,
Blood of Christ, bringing forth virgins,
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril,
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened,
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow,
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent,
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying,
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts,
Blood of Christ, pledge of Eternal Life,
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory,
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
R. And made us, for our God, a kingdom.
Almighty and eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and willed to be appeased by his blood. Grant, we beg of Thee, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
To see the Goals, Methods and Levels of "Let Freedom Ring," go HERE.
NATIONAL CHEESECAKE DAY
Mark, Chapter 6, Verse 49-50
49 But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. 50 They had all seen him and were
Christ compels us to be not afraid. Bravery, Nerve, Pluck, Valor, Daring, Audacity, Mettle and lastly resolution are all synonyms for courage. Which word strikes your heart? For me it is resolution. For I am determined not to invalidate Christ sacrifice for me, I will not stop trying to become the vision He has for me; I am resolute. No matter how many times I fall I will get up; I will not stop. I will remember that the journey before a man tries the measure of his heart long before it tests the strength of his legs. I will remember that a man’s life is likening unto a lake with no outlet in which no life will come. Life giving water is always moving and giving of itself. Man, to be truly a creature of God must give of his essence and run to the sound of battle.
Novena in Honor of Saint John Marie Vianney[1]
Horror of Sin
Saint John Mary Baptist Vianney, you were so adamant against sin, yet so sympathetic and so ready to welcome the sinner. I come to you today as if you were still alive, as if I were kneeling at your feet and you could hear me. Bend towards me, listen to the repentant confidence for the weaknesses and miserable deeds of mine. Priest of the Lord, inexhaustible Confessor, obtain for me the horror for sin. You wanted us First to avoid the occasion of sin. I want to take your advice and make the resolution to break bad habits and to avoid the dangerous occasions of sin. Help me today to examine my conscience. 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
Total Consecration to St. Joseph-Day 11
On Day 11 Father Calloway points out that there has never been a man more in love with Mary than 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.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, Pray for Us.
Noble offspring of David, Pray for Us.
Light of Patriarchs, Pray for Us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, Pray for us.
Father Calloway stresses on this day that:
· St. Joseph is a model husband and father.
· St. Joseph is the model for all men.
Saint
Joseph was a real man and real men are gentlemen at the service of others. St.
Joseph although depicted as an older man was not much older than Mary. He needed
to be viral to protect Mary and Jesus. He was a torch of love for them and
mostly spent himself in dying selfless love for his family. Just as the Holy
Roman Catholic Church will not ordain a man to priesthood who has not his vital
powers. Likewise, God would not have place a weaken man as the head of the Holy
Family.
Young Husband of Mary
The Venerable Fulton Sheen describes St. Joseph in this way:
Joseph was probably a young man, strong, virile, athletic, handsome, chaste, and disciplined; the kind of man one sees sometimes shepherding sheep, or piloting a plane, or working at a carpenter’s bench. Instead of being a man incapable of love, he must have been on fire with love… Instead, then, of being dried fruit to be served on the table of the king, he was rather a blossom filled with promise and power. He was not in the evening of life, but in its morning, bubbling over with energy, strength, and controlled passion.
St. Joseph practiced virtue in a heroic fashion which transformed him into a man’s man. Virtue. Aristotle says that “excellence is an art won by training and habituation” and that virtue is essentially practicing good habits. To be an excellent man like St. Joseph, is to be virtuous.
Four simple steps to forming virtue.
1. Start Small
When you embark on the journey to practice virtue, you must start small. Don’t try to practice every virtue all at once.
If you desire to become more patient, start by putting up with that one really annoying person at work. Or if you desire to be milder and gentler, start holding your road rage at bay on your commute into work. If you desire to be more pious, start by waking up in the morning and making the Sign of the Cross.
Whatever virtue you decide to tackle, start small.
2. Be Mindful of Your Negative Thoughts and Temptations
Once you begin to form a new habit, you will be tempted to fall back into your old ways. Temptation comes from the world, the flesh, and the devil.
The world is the people and influences around you. They can either lead you to greatness or keep you in mediocrity. I heard it once said, “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” The world will tempt us to be mediocre, but we are called to greatness.
The flesh is your own weak humanity that is further weakened by the effects of original sin. Our love for bodily comforts can tempt us away from virtue. But the man endeavoring to live a life of virtue must “deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mt. 16:24).
The devil, the third source of temptation, is the last person who wants us to be virtuous. St. Joseph is called the terror of the devils because he was virtuous. Don’t let the devil tempt you from being virtuous.
3. Have A Plan for When You Falter
Needless to say, that when begin to struggle for virtue, we will falter. Have a plan for when you do falter.
Perhaps that really annoying guy at work is beginning to grate on your nerves, have a compliment or kind word ready for him to help you regain your patience.
4. Rejoice at The Small Victories
All virtues are obtained by a hard-fought struggle and with the help of God’s grace. When you win that struggle and the good habit is transformed into a virtue, rejoice!
“For you O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy” (Psalm 92:4)
St. Joseph was able to share in the fatherhood of God because he was virtuous.
If you are single man and hope one day to be a husband and father, you must struggle for virtue like St. Joseph. If you are a married man and you are already a father, you must be virtuous like St. Joseph by being an excellent father.
If you are a single lady who is looking for a husband, ask God to send you a virtuous man. If you are a married woman, be like Our Lady and help your husband be a virtuous man.
St. Joseph, pillar of families and glory of home life, pray for us!
· Pray the Litany of St. Joseph.
National Cheesecake Day[4]
National Cheesecake Day is a day of appreciation for the cheesecake dessert. Based on the discovery of cheese molds, it is believed that cheesecake originated in ancient Greece. Athenaeus, a Greek writer, is credited with the first cheesecake recipe, which only used basic ingredients such as cheese, flour and honey. After the Romans conquered Greece, cheesecake recipes began to include eggs and baking time. With the passing of time, cheesecake ingredients were modified to resemble the finished product we know today. However, the use of cream cheese is an entirely American version of the cheesecake, one that has evolved to consist of an uncooked cream cheese filling on top of cookie or graham crackers, while English cheesecakes are cooked to completion and have a dry texture. This scrumptious national holiday occurs every year on July 30th.
National Cheesecake Day Facts & Quotes
·
According to Guinness World Records, the largest
cheesecake ever made weighed 6,900 pounds and was created by Philadelphia Cream
Cheese in Lowville, New York, USA.
·
Arnold Reuben, owner of the Turf Restaurant in
NYC, created the New York Style cheesecake in 1929. This cheesecake is
not served with any fruit or sauce, but has a smooth-taste from the extra
number of egg yolks that are added in the cream cheese mixture.
·
Pretty in Pink Cheesecake by Elegant
Cheesecakes of Saks Fifth Avenue is one of the most expensive American
cheesecakes. The cheesecake weighs 8 pounds and is shaped as a stack of gift boxes,
each made of edible chocolate wrapping, while the cheesecake is made of
chocolate decadence layered with health crunch in vanilla and chocolate butter cream.
The price tag for this cheesecake is $325.
·
In 1972, Evelyn and Oscar Overton moved to Los Angeles
and opened The Cheesecake Factory Bakery to sell Evelyn's cheesecakes.
Today, The Cheesecake Factory has become a $2 billion global company with
restaurants all across the States and in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Mexico.
·
Because you don't live near a bakery doesn't
mean you have to go without cheesecake - Hedy Lamarr - Golden Age Actress
National Cheesecake Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Try baking a Japanese or English cheesecake.
Japanese cheesecakes have a soft, light and cottony texture, while
English cheesecakes are cooked and served with a fruit compote.
·
Enjoy a discounted or free cheesecake from your
favorite cheesecake restaurant. Many restaurants offer discounts and
samples of cheesecake on National Cheesecake Day.
·
Host a cheesecake potluck. Each guest must
bring one cheesecake of his/her own creation. All guests may then indulge in
each other's delicious creations and try a wide new variety of cheesecake
flavors.
·
According to the USDA, every 100g of cheesecake
contains 321 calories with a total fat content of 23g. To try a healthier
alternative, bake a cheesecake using Greek yogurt instead of cheese.
·
Participate in the Kona Cheesecake Run, held on
April 17, 2016 in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Cheesecake samples at the run are
provided by The Cheesecake Factory Novi.
Jameson Cheesecake
Baileys Cheesecake tends to be an ubiquitous - but very popular - feature of many pubs and restaurant menus in Ireland.
Jameson Cheesecake
- Ingredients
- Base
- 165g / 5.5oz butter
- 15 digestive biscuits or graham crackers
- Topping
- 225g
- 275ml /10 fl oz (½ pint) fresh whipping cream
- 450g / 1lb Philadelphia cheese
- 4 caps (bottle caps) of Jameson Whiskey
· White and dark chocolate for decoration
· Preparation method
- Place digestive biscuits in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Melt the butter and add the biscuits.
· Put into a 23cm (9 inch) loose bottom cake tin (do not press the mixture into the tin too much or your base will be too hard). Leave in the fridge to set.
· Beat the Philadelphia and add the icing sugar.
· Lightly whip the cream and mix into the cheese mixture.
·
Add
the Jameson whiskey to the cheese and cream mixture and mix well.
Daily
Devotions
· do a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
·
Cultivate intelligent foresight
in yourself
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Rosary
Today is my Grandson Joshua’s birthday, who is currently undergoing military training at West Point.
please pray for his intentions.
[1]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1129
[2]https://catholicexchange.com/now-is-the-time-to-consecrate-yourself-to-saint-joseph
Comments
Post a Comment