DAY 29 - MARY, TOWER OF IVORY, PRAY FOR US!
SUMMONED TO COURAGE
PRAY A ROSARY
- Rosary of the Day: Joyful Mysteries
- Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Sorrowful Mysteries
HOLY NAME OF MARY-SELICHOT
Fearing that we would run aground on a
rocky coast, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to
come.
Paul
was under arrest and was an inmate on a prison ship bound for Rome, when the
ship he was on, was in danger of being sunk. Yet, God had not abandoned Paul.
His faith saved him and also the crew. Paul in this case really did lead from
behind.
The Law of Influence: An Inmate Takes Command (Acts
27:4-44)[1]
1.
Paul
built trust which influences his
jailer, Julius, to allow special privileges, noting his trustworthiness.
2.
He
took the initiative by stepping in
when action was needed.
3.
He
possessed good judgment through his
use of wisdom and experience.
4.
He
spoke with authority and credibility based on earlier actions.
5.
He
showed optimism and confidence by
speaking boldly.
6.
He
gave encouragement to the hopeless
that feared their survival and loss
at sea.
7.
He
was honest and candid about the
problems they faced.
8.
He
did not compromise on absolutes from God-given instructions.
9.
He
stayed focused on objectives not
obstacles.
10. He led by example by modeling the right attitude.
Remember
to build trust first with God and then with others when you are in danger
knowing we are all in the same ship and we are all seasick.
Most Holy Name of Mary[2]
In accordance with Jewish
custom our Lady's parents named her eight days after her birth and were
inspired to call her Mary. The feast of the Holy Name of Mary therefore follows
that of her Birthday, as the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus follows Christmas.
The feast originated in Spain and was approved by the Holy See in 1513;
Innocent XI extended its observance to the whole Church in 1683 in thanksgiving
to our Lady for the victory on September 12, 1683 by John Sobieski, king of
Poland, over the Turks, who were besieging Vienna and threatening the West.
This day was commemorated in Vienna by creating a new kind of pastry and
shaping it in the form of the Turkish half-moon. It was eaten along with coffee
which was part of the booty from the Turks. The ancient Onomastica Sacra
have preserved the meanings ascribed to Mary's name by the early Christian
writers and perpetuated by the Greek Fathers. "Bitter Sea,"
"Myrrh of the Sea," "The Light Giver," "The
Enlightened One," "Lady," "Seal of the Lord," and
"Mother of the Lord" are the principal interpretations. These
etymologies suppose that the Hebrew form of the name is Maryãm, not Miryãm.
From the time of St. Jerome until the 16th century, preferred interpretations
of Mary's name in the West were "Lady," "Bitter Sea,"
"The Light Giver," and especially "Star of the Sea." Stella
Maris was by far the favored interpretation. The revival of Hebraic
studies, which accompanied the Renaissance, led to a more critical appraisal of
the meanings assigned to Our Lady's name. Miryãm has all the appearance of a
genuine Hebrew name, and no solid reason has been discovered to warrant
rejecting the Semitic origin of the word. The Hebrew name of Mary, Miryãm, (in
Latin Domina) means lady or sovereign; this Mary is in virtue of her Son's
sovereign authority as Lord of the World. We call Mary our Lady as we call
Jesus our Lord, and when we pronounce her name, we affirm her power, implore
her aid and place ourselves under her protection.
Selichot[3]
Selichot
(Hebrew: סליחות)
means 'sorry/forgiveness prayers'. Selichot are recited from the Sunday
before the Jewish New Year until the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
Selichot are aimed for both the individual and communities to atone their
sins between man and God. They are intended for Jews to reflect on their
actions of the past year and to refrain from committing the same sins in the
next New Year.
Selichot
Facts
· For many Orthodox Jews, Selichot
prayers are added to the daily cycle of religious services. Selichot are
recited before normal daily shacharit (morning prayers) service. They add
about 45 minutes to the regular daily service in a typical service.
· A fundamental part of selichot
service is the repeated recitation of the Thirteen Attributes, a list of God's
thirteen attributes of mercy that were revealed to Moses after the sin of the
golden calf (Ex 34:6-7): Ha-shem [1], Ha-shem [2], God [3], merciful [4], and
gracious [5], long-suffering [6], abundant in goodness [7] and truth [8],
keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation [9], forgiving iniquity [10] and
transgression [11] and sin [12], who cleanses [13].
· This is the season to begin the
process of asking forgiveness for wrongs done to other people. According
to Jewish tradition, God cannot forgive us for sins committed against another
person until we have first obtained forgiveness from the person we have
wronged.
· Many of the Selichot prayers are in
the form of a main Selichah (forgiveness) prayer and a Pizmon (chorus), which
is repeated after each changing Selichah prayer. Some of these Selichot have
cantorial music for the Selichah and a repeating tune for the chorus.
Selichot
Top Events and Things to Do
· Consider your position in life and
ask God for forgiveness. Use this time to reset your daily habits and think how
to change them to the better.
· Use this period of time to forgive
others and as well as ask others for forgiveness. This is often most difficult
to do between life partners, parents and children.
· Many people visit cemeteries at
this time, because the awe-inspiring nature of this time makes us reflect on
our own life, death, and mortality. Consider visiting the graves of your
ancestors, soldiers, or anyone who may have made a positive impact on society.
· Attend to a Selichot prayer
ceremony or watch one on YouTube. A popular Selichot rendition is by Yitzchak Meir Helfgot.
Preaching God's Forgiveness[4]
Much has been written about the great challenges the Church
faces in contemporary culture. The great modern "isms" confront a us
daily—relativism, individualism, and consumerism, to name a few.
·
″Relativism holds that absolute truth and
enduring values are illusory.
·
″Individualism gives "strong
emphasis [to] the individual and individual choice, which often eclipses the
sense of community or of the common good."
·
″Consumerism puts "focus on material
satisfaction to the detriment of spiritual values".
Given this cultural climate, it is hardly surprising that
there is a lack of a sense of sin and a dropping rate of participation in
Church life. In fact, the heart of every person in Christ must be about the
heart of Jesus Christ, and the central mystery of his life, the Paschal
Mystery: "The person and mission of Jesus, culminated in his Death and
Resurrection, this is ultimately the central content of all the
Scriptures". People of God can understand their own lives properly and be
able to see their own experience in the light of the Death and Resurrection of
Jesus". In a culture often dominated by relativism, individualism, and
consumerism, the proclamation of the salvation of Christ is truly Good News. It
allows people to see there is another way; it paves the way for conversion; it
brings hope. God can open up a space in the human heart, a space that he alone
can fill. Christ is about calling persons back to fruitful participation in the
Sacrament of Penance, especially if it has been years since their last
confession.
35 Promises
of God[5]
cont.
“No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is
faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the
testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.”
-1 Cor 10:13
Daily Devotions
·
Saturday
Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary
·
Offering to the
sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Rosary
[1] John Maxwell, The Maxwell
Leadership Bible
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