What Can We Do?The US in 2020 is a country on the edge: a global pandemic; violent protests, vandalism and looting; destruction of Church, state and private property; rejection of the heritage of our nation; heresy against the Catholic Church; withdrawal of support for law enforcement; as well as calls for socialism, Marxism and anarchy. Spiritual Battle has intensified with the forces of evil becoming even more extreme in their advocacy of unrestricted abortion and a radical rebellion against God's creation of man, woman and the sanctity of marriage and family; accompanied by open hostility against all who do not share their unholy beliefs. Rage and division are increasing as we approach a pivotal national election in November. Many are asking, "What can we do?!" Or, "Why isn't anyone doing anything?!" Well, there is plenty you and I can do. Rosary Coast to Coast & National Rosary Rally - October 11, 2020Rosary Coast to Coast takes place on Sunday, October 11 at 3pm CST. Rosary rallies are again encouraged to be in public places and pray the Rosary simultaneously across the country. Those who cannot gather in public are encouraged to join in from wherever they are. It was estimated 100,000 of our on fire Christians brothers and sister gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on September 26. We are planning to have an equal number praying on October 11, but spread throughout the USA. We want to all pray the Glorious Mysteries together, as a nation, at 3:00pm CST. Go to rosarycoasttolcoast.com to register your October 11 "Rosary Rally." |
Indeed, so FEARFUL was the spectacle that Moses said, “I am terrified and
trembling.”
Moses was the heir apparent to the throne of Egypt in his youth. As a member of the Egyptian court he would have seen many fearful spectacles yet imagine what it must have been like to have been a witness of God descending on Mount Sinai to give the law. He was terrified and trembling. Again, now imagine if Moses was somehow resurrected and was able to walk into an ordinary catholic church that has a very modest Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Do you think his reaction would be any different than the first time he encountered the living God?
The Privilege of
Saturday[1]
IT is especially on
certain days that the Queen of Heaven exercises her mercy in Purgatory. These
privileged days are, first, all Saturdays, then the different feast days of the
Blessed Virgin, which thus become as festivals in Purgatory. We see in the
revelations of the saints that on Saturday, the day specially consecrated to
the Blessed Virgin, the sweet Mother of Mercy descends into the dungeons of
Purgatory to visit and console her devoted servants. Then, according to the
pious belief of the faithful, she delivers those souls who, having worn the
holy scapular, enjoy this Sabbatine privilege, and afterwards gives relief and
consolation to other souls who had been particularly devout to her. A witness
to this was the Venerable Sister Paula of St. Teresa, a Dominican Religious of
the Convent of St. Catherine in Naples. (Rossign., Merv., 50; Marchese, tom.
i., p. 56). Being rapt in ecstasy one Saturday, and transported in spirit into
Purgatory, she was quite surprised to find it transformed into a Paradise of
delights, illuminated by a bright light, instead of the darkness which at other
times prevailed. Whilst she was wondering what could be the cause of this
change, she perceived the Queen of Heaven surrounded by a multitude of angels,
to whom she gave orders to liberate those souls who had honored her in a
special manner, and conduct them to Heaven. If such takes place on an ordinary
Saturday, we can scarcely doubt that the same occurs on feast days consecrated
to the Mother of God. Among all her festivals, that of the glorious Assumption
of Mary seems to be the chief day of deliverance. St. Peter Damian tells us
that each year, on the day of the Assumption, the Blessed Virgin delivers
several thousands of souls. (Opusc. 34, c. 3, p. 2).
World
Mental Health Day[2]
World Mental Health Day
seeks to raise awareness of mental health illnesses while educating the population
and mobilizing efforts to support mental health. Mental health, which includes
a person's emotional, psychological and social well-being, has become increasingly
important in recent decades as an estimated 350 million people worldwide suffer
from depression. In 1992, the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH)
established World Mental Health Day in an effort to promote education and
advocate for mental health sufferers. The Foundation aims to provide
further awareness and assistance for those suffering from a wide range of
mental disorders in the hopes of saving lives and increasing quality of life
for these individuals. World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually on
October 10th.
World Mental Health Day Facts &
Quotes
·
Depression
can lead to suicide. More than 800,000 people worldwide take their own lives
every year. Compare this to the 200,000 from COVID to get an idea of the
problem.
·
Suicide
is the third leading cause of death in the world for individuals 15 to 44. Suicide
rates have increased by 60% over the past 45 years.
·
10-20%
of children
in the world experience a mental disorder. It is the leading cause of
disability in youth.
·
I
used to think that the worst thing in like was to end up alone. It's not. The
worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone. - Robin
Williams, actor who committed suicide in 2014
World Mental Health Day Top Events
and Things to Do
·
Volunteer
your time at an organization that works with child mental health. Depression is
a growing concern among children and organizations such as Big Brothers and
Sisters of America, Teen Mental Health, NAMI and Children's Mental Health can
help you find a local area to help your youth.
·
Watch
a movie that touches on mental health issues or particular disorders. Some of
our favorites are
1) Bipolar: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
2) Schizophrenia: A Beautiful Mind (2001)
3) OCD: As Good As It Gets (1997)
4) Suicide: The Virgin Suicides (1999)
5) Alzheimer's: Still Alice (2014)
6) Borderline Personality: Girl, Interrupted (1999)
7) Depression: Inside Out (2015)
8) Post Traumatic Stress: Jacob's Ladder (1990)
·
Read
a book about mental disorders. Some of our picks: The Bell Jar, Thirteen
Reasons Why and All the Bright Places
·
Evaluate
your own mental well-being or that of someone you are close to.
- Are you always sad?
- Do you have suicidal thoughts?
- Do you feel that you have no reason to live?
·
Visit
a psychologist to discuss any problems that have overwhelmed you lately.
Keys to Healthier Mind Development[3]
Emotional
intelligence (EI) is defined as the ability to monitor one’s own emotions, as
well as those of other people, to discriminate between different emotions, and
to label them appropriately. while applying EI, we are guiding our thinking and
behavior with an educated focus on healthier mind development.
Emotional
quotient (EQ) is a testing measurement of our ability to understand and apply
our own minds emotionally. Although a comprehensive ambition, EQ testing is
meant to reveal how well we have learned to manage the harmful and helpful
effects of emotions for the purpose of facilitating healthful thoughts,
communication, and behavior. Researchers now realize that emotional literacy
helps to prevent and solve myriad problems that we experience in our personal
and professional lives. The more we understand about our mind’s emotional
component, the more valuable assets we possess as individuals-namely emotional
stability, security, overall intelligence, and physical health, as well as our
ability to treat other people and other things in healthier, more meaningful. Emotional
intelligence is the secret to building healthier minds, getting the best out of
life, and developing a behaviorally safer world. With the emotional state of
the world today, emotional intelligence is our strongest hope for an optimistic
future.
Epigenetics[4]
Epigenetics is a relatively new branch
of genetics that has been heralded as the most important biological
discovery since DNA. Until recently, it was believed you were stuck with the
genes you were born with. But now it’s known that your genes get turned on
and off and are expressed to greater or lesser degrees depending on lifestyle
factors. Let’s take a look at what epigenetics is, how it works, and what you
can do to improve your chances in the health lottery.
What Is Epigenetics?
The “epi” in
epigenetics is derived from the Greek word meaning “above” or “over.” Epigenetics is
defined as the study of any process that alters gene activity
without changing the DNA sequence. More simply, it is the study of gene
expression — how external factors turn genes on and off, and up and down. The
Human Genome Project has identified 25,000
genes in human DNA. DNA is widely regarded as the code the body uses to build and
rebuild itself. But genes themselves need instructions for what to do, and
where and when to do it. Epigenetic
modifications, also called “tags,” provide the instructions. Several of
these tags have been discovered, but the two main ones involve methyl
groups (made of carbon and hydrogen) and histones (a type of protein). To
imagine how tags work, think of a gene as a lamp. Methyl groups act as an
on-off switch that turn a gene on or off. Histones, on the other hand, act like
a dimmer switch, regulating gene activity up or down. It’s thought that we
have four
million of these switches that are triggered by lifestyle and environmental
factors.
Lifestyle Factors Affect Your Genes
Dr. Rudolph Tanzi is a professor of neurology at
Harvard University Medical School and he states “You are not simply the sum total of the
genes you were born with. You are the user and controller of your genes, the
author of your biological story. No prospect in self-care is more exciting.” It means that you’re
not at the mercy of your genetic makeup at birth. You actually have a great
deal of control over your health and your future no matter what genetic hand
you have been dealt. The field of epigenetics is in its infancy and there
is still much to learn, but so far, the evidence shows that there are many
fundamental lifestyle factors that can alter gene expression.
Not surprisingly, diet
can affect the health of your DNA. A diet high in refined carbohydrates that
promotes high blood glucose attacks your DNA. On the other hand,
compounds like sulforaphane (found in broccoli), curcumin
(turmeric), epigallocatechin gallate (green tea), and resveratrol (wine)
can slow or potentially reverse
DNA damage. Inadequate sleep also disrupts genetic activity. A team of
researchers that included sleep science and genetics experts examined the
influence of sleep on gene function and discovered that just a single week
of insufficient sleep altered
the activity of over 700 genes. It’s well accepted that physical
exercise is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and
mental well-being. Now there’s evidence that physical exercise can positively
affect gene
expression. A recent study of the brains of elderly mice found 117 genes that
were expressed differently in the brains of animals that ran regularly,
compared to those that were sedentary. If you are interested in starting a
program of fitness try the Iceman’s Universal Man Plan.
Stress, Relationships, And Thoughts
Not only do tangible
factors like diet, sleep, and exercise affect your genes, so do
intangibles like stress, your relationships with others, and your thoughts. One
of the most powerful stress reduction techniques, mindfulness
meditation, turns down the expression of pro-inflammatory
genes thus reducing inflammation. Chronic
inflammation is an underlying cause of seven of the top ten
leading causes of death including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and
Alzheimer’s. You might expect that you’d have to meditate for
years to change
gene expression sufficiently, but measurable changes have been
observed in as little as eight hours of meditation. However, these effects
were stronger in experienced meditators than in those new to the practice.
Dr. Dawson Church is an award-winning author whose bestselling book, Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New
Biology of Intention, has been hailed as a breakthrough in the field
of epigenetics. In his book, Church cites over 400 scientific studies that
show how intangibles like the expression of gratitude, acts of kindness,
optimism, and mind-body healing techniques like the Emotional
Freedom Technique positively
affect the expression of genes. And just as in the meditation study, these epigenetic benefits were
often experienced immediately. It’s not only positive habits that affect
your genes though. So do the bad ones. Substance abuse, addictions, inactivity,
malnutrition, and exposure to toxins negatively
affect the way your genes express themselves. Researchers have
found that emotional factors such as trauma
and stress can activate harmful epigenetic changes.
There are numerous
diseases thought to have an epigenetic
component including asthma, Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, immune disorders,
kidney disease, glaucoma, muscular dystrophy, and pediatric syndromes as well
as many psychiatric
disorders including autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar
disorder. In 2008, the U.S. National Institutes of Health committed to
investing $190 million into epigenetics
research to hopefully find new and better ways to treat
these diseases.
·
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
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