Wednesday, September 30, 2020
DAY 47 - MARY, QUEEN OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY, PRAY FOR US
BORN FOR COMBAT
PRAY A ROSARY
- Rosary of the Day: Glorious Mysteries
- Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Sorrowful Mysteries
HOT
MULLED CIDER DAY
Philippians, Chapter 2, Verse 12
So then, my beloved, obedient as
you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am
absent, work out your salvation with FEAR
and trembling.
Be
good even when no one is watching is the old man’s advice. We who are chosen by
the Lord are the light bearers showing the way to the will of God in a dark
world. The world is a turbulent place fraught with evil beyond imagining. We
must be wise as parents of children who build a home with both a prayer room
and a storm cellar for the times when a tornado might come. Our church is such
a home both a prayer room and storm cellar against the world.
Hot Mulled Cider Day[1]
The winter will be short, the
summer long, the autumn amber-hued, sunny and hot, Tasting of cider and of
scuppernong; All seasons sweet, but autumn best of all. The squirrels in their
silver fur will fall Like falling leaves, like fruit, before your shot. Elinor Wylie
The
chilly seasons welcome a delicious drink called hot mulled cider, a traditional
drink made from heated apple cider with various spices added, including citrus
orange, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. It is a perfect drink on chilly days whether
you are home alone by your fireplace reading a book, or having a party serving
this drink with your friends. The history of hot mulled cider is bears
remarkable similarities to the old pagan tradition called Wassailing. The word ‘wassail’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘waes hael’, which means ‘good health’. The wassail was a drink made of
mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and
sugar. It was served from huge, 10-gallon bowls, often made of silver or
pewter. This originally came from a story about a young beautiful maiden
presenting the drink to Prince Vortigen, saying the words “waes hael” in a toast. The term wassailing
refers to the act of the bowl being carried into the room with great splendor,
a traditional carol about wassailing and then the beverage was served. Nowadays,
hot mulled cider is generally referred to non-alcoholic, fermented apple juice.
Hard cider would be the alcoholic version of apple cider. This drink can be
served during the fall and winter seasons, and it is similar to Mulled wine,
which is essentially hot, sweetened red wine made aromatic with the addition of
citrus fruits and warming spices such as cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. However,
people these days have been gravitating towards mulled apple cider as a drink
that anyone can have.
How to celebrate Hot
Mulled Cider Day
One of
the best ways to celebrate this holiday is to find a recipe and make mulled
cider yourself! It’s a very
easy and simple drink with a lot of flavor. In a large pot, add brown sugar to
apple cider over medium heat. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Then add
other ingredients such as nutmeg, allspice, orange juice, and lemon juice, and
bring to a boil. When serving, strain out the spices, pour into a mug, and
enjoy! Add a cinnamon stick to your mug if you’d like or make it fancy and add rum into your mixture.
“Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the
Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.”-Deut
31:6
Every Wednesday is
Dedicated to St. Joseph
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family
night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.
·
Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
·
Do Day 6 of the
Consecration to St. Joseph.
Daily
Devotions
·
Litany
of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Rosary
OCTOBER
Trees declare their own sermon in
brief autumn's painted landscape. We note their size and type and variety and
beauty. Trees serve as symbols of the gift-giving aspects of our lives. Trees
provide fruit, wood, climatic modification, wind and sun protection, prevention
of soil erosion, and a host of other benefits. This is the time to plant trees
and to prepare them for winter. Should we not give more attention to how our
lives can bear fruit in Christ and in the protection of our forests?
Overview of October[3]
The
month of October is dedicated to the Holy
Rosary. The
Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on October 7. October falls
during the liturgical season known as Ordinary
Time, which is represented by the liturgical color green.
During October, as in all of Ordinary Time (formerly known as Time After Pentecost), the Liturgy does
not focus on one particular mystery of Christ but views the mystery of Christ
in all its aspects. We follow the life of Christ through the Gospels and focus
on the teachings and parables of Jesus and what it means for each of us to be a
follower of Christ.
Autumn
Festivities
October
usually is an enjoyable time of the year in the United States. The autumn
season manifests itself with wonderful fall foliage in many parts of the
country. The temperatures are cooler, inviting people outdoors for nature
walks, apple or pumpkin picking. School routines are more established and
football season is in full swing. The celebrations of the Church for the month
of October are also wonderful and unique. The feasts of some of the most
popular saints of the universal Church are celebrated during this month: St.
Therese the Little Flower (France), St. Francis of Assisi (Italy) and St.
Teresa of Avila (Spain). These saints come from different countries, and in
honoring these saints we can include cultural dishes or activities from each
country to make the feast day even more special. Read more about the lives of
these saints. Perhaps the family can pick one virtue that each saint practiced
well and try to implement it.
The
feasts in October also include two of the most popular, time-honored devotions
of Catholics, the devotion to the Holy
Rosary (October 7) and the Guardian Angels (October 2). In October 2002 our
Holy Father John Paul II wrote the Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (the Rosary of the Virgin
Mary)." This letter introduced five new mysteries, called the
Luminous or Mysteries of Light, which are (1) Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan, (2)
Jesus' self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana, (3) Proclamation of the
Kingdom of God, with the call to conversion, (4) the Transfiguration, and (5)
the Institution of the Eucharist. Try to make a more concerted effort to pray
the Rosary together as a family during the month of October, read the Apostolic
Letter to understand the beauty of this devotion more deeply, and pray the new
Luminous mysteries. October 16 is known as "Pope Day" on which we
celebrate the gift of the papacy and our current pope.
Every
person has a guardian angel assigned to them, and October 2 the Church
celebrates the role of these Guardian Angels. We should show devout gratitude
to God for placing these angels at our service. Having a guardian should give
us confidence during all of life's difficulties. Every Catholic should know the
Angele Dei (Angel of God) prayer and pray it often. The Directory on
Popular Piety suggests that families pray it at morning and evening prayers
or after the Angelus.
All
Hallows' Eve or Halloween heralds the month of November with emphasis on the
Communion of Saints, especially the Church Suffering (the Poor Souls in Purgatory)
and the second coming of Christ or parousia.
This last day of October on the secular calendar is second only to Christmas in
commercial preparations. The secular festivities center on ghouls, witches and
devils, but the Christian counterpart focus on the communion of saints. As
Christians living a "Catholic Culture", we should try to explore the
Christian roots of the Halloween
festivities.
October: Respect Life Month
We mark the month of
October as Respect Life Month. Looking back over the last year, there's been a
lot of uncertainty, suffering, and heartache. Between tragedies that occur in the public eye and trials that take
place in our personal lives, there's no shortage of reasons we cry out to God.
At such times, we may feel alone and unequipped to handle the circumstances.
But we have an anchor of hope to cling to. With words that echo through
thousands of years into the corners of our hearts, God says to us, "Do not
fear: I am with you" (Isaiah 41:10). God isn't a detached, distant
observer to our pain; the Eternal Son became man and Himself experienced
immense suffering—for you and for me. His wounds indicate the very essence of our
identity and worth: we are loved by God. There are times we may doubt the value
of our own lives or falter at the thought of welcoming and embracing the life
of another. But reflecting on the healed wounds of the Risen Christ, we can see
that even our most difficult trials can be the place where God manifests his
victory. He makes all things beautiful. He makes all things new. He is the God
of redemption. That's powerful. That's something to hold onto. And, He is
always with us. Jesus promised this when he gave the disciples the same mission,
he gives to each of us: Go. As followers of Jesus Christ, we know that our
identity and our mission are two sides of the same coin; like the apostles, we
are called to be missionary disciples. We are not only invited to follow and
take refuge in God, our stronghold, but we are also commissioned to reach out
to one another, especially to the weak and vulnerable. Building a culture of
life isn't something we just do one month of the year, or with one event or
initiative—it's essential to who we are. It happens through our daily actions,
how we treat one another, and how we live our lives. How do we respond when our
aging parents are in failing health? Do they know how much we love them and
cherish each day given? Do we ensure they know they are never a burden to us?
In our own challenging times, do we ask for support? When others offer a
helping hand, do we receive it? When our friend becomes pregnant in difficult
circumstances, do we show compassion that tangibly supports her and helps her
welcome the life of her new little one? Sometimes, we may not be sure exactly
what to do, but let's not allow the fear of doing the wrong thing or saying the
wrong thing keep us from living out our missionary call. We don't need to have
everything figured out all at once. Let's remember the guidance of Our Blessed
Mother, the first disciple: "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:5). https://www.usccb.org/prolife
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