DAY 11 - MOTHER MOST ADMIRABLE, PRAY THAT WE RECEIVE THE GIFT OF COUNSEL
HEROES' WORDS
MEDITATION
PRAY A ROSARY
- Rosary of the Day: Luminous Mysteries
- Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Sorrowful Mysteries
Until the Election is Called
Those who would like to pray with others via The Telephone Rosary, call 1-951-799-9866 daily at 6 pm Eastern.
SMOKEOUT-TOILET-PHILOSOPHY DAY
41As he drew near, he saw the city
and wept over it, 42saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for PEACE—but now it is hidden
from your eyes. 43For
the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against
you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides 44They will smash you to the ground
and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another
within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
The lament for Jerusalem is found
only in the Gospel of Luke. By not accepting Jesus (the one who mediates
peace), Jerusalem will not find peace but will become the victim of
devastation. Which it did for Luke may be describing the actual disaster that
befell Jerusalem in A.D. 70 when it was destroyed by the Romans during the
First Revolt.
Only
Christ can give peace; even in 2020[1]
·
Do not expect to find peace in your life circumstances.
Look to God.
Jesus
says, “I have told you these things so you may have peace. You may have trouble
in the world but take heart I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
The world
is often crazy, chaotic, and in general not a fan of Jesus and his teaching.
But that is not where we find our peace. Jesus also warns us about how the
world can make us lose our faith, in the parable of the sower. He says that
when some tribulation or persecution comes, we may fall away from Him
immediately if we do not have strong roots. And then “worldly anxiety and the
lure of riches choke the word” such that it won’t bear fruit (Matthew 13:21-22). If we never make time for God, and we don’t try
to make our lives pleasing to him, we will never be able to discover His peace.
·
Push onward. Do not sit bogged down by life’s
difficulties, large and small.
Keep in
mind that everyone has hard things in life, and that living with them well will
help your mental state much more than bitterness and resentment. Jesus told his
disciples that anyone who wanted to come after him must deny himself and “take
up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) We can’t let our crosses prevent us from following
our Lord who was nailed to his. Suffering can make sense, and we can even find
peace in it or despite it, but only in Him.
·
Simplify your life. Be generous with those around
you.
The more
we are generous, the more detached we can be, then the more at peace and free
we can feel. Jesus says invite the poor to your banquets (Luke 14: 13), give expecting nothing in return, (Luke 6:35), give to everyone who asks you for something (Matthew 5:42), sell what you have and give to the poor (Matthew 19:21). Giving away what we have helps us become less
preoccupied with acquiring and more focused on what’s actually important in
life.
·
Do not be anxious.
Jesus
asks, “Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?” (Matthew 6:27) We will never find peace if we are constantly
concerned with what tomorrow will bring. Trusting in God is tough for us. Adam
and Eve sinned in the garden because they didn’t trust God and the rule He had
given them. But without trust in God, we have to rely on ourselves. And that is
just exhausting and stressful.
·
Pray.
Spend time
in quiet reflection. Ask for what you need in prayer and it will be given you
“For everyone who asks, receives.” (Matthew 7:8) Jesus himself would often “withdraw to deserted places to pray.” (Luke 5:16) If Jesus prayed while he was on this earth, we certainly need to. He
gave us the Our Father, which is a great place to start.
Whether it
is your to do list, your work-life balance, your relationships, or your kids
that are stressing you out, inner peace is possible. Look at your priorities.
When you can prioritize Him and trust Him, while getting rid of resentment,
excess stuff, and distractions, you might still find yourself as busy as
before. But in that busyness, you should be able to remain rooted and calm —
secure in the peace only God can give.
Today
is “The great American Smokeout” day which encourages smokers to quit or cut
down on the habit. When I was a soldier, I often cautioned my troops on the
dangers, to which one young lieutenant retorted one day, “You know it is better
to smoke in this life then the next”.
Great
American Smokeout[2]
The Great American Smokeout is an
informal holiday aimed at encouraging citizens to quit or plan to quit smoking.
Smoking is a habit that involves consumption of tobacco smoke, which has been
shown to cause a variety of cancers, most notably lung and mouth cancer. Lung
cancer is currently the leading cause of Cancer death in the United States and
the most preventable type of cancer worldwide. The Great American Smokeout is
promoted by the American Cancer
Society and is held on the third Thursday of November each year in an effort to
reduce cases of preventable cancers, reduce secondhand smoke and improve the health
of all Americans.
Great American Smokeout Facts &
Quotes
·
The
holiday began in 1970, when a man in Massachusetts asked people to give up smoking
for one day, and donate the money saved to the local high school scholarship
fund.
·
According
to the Center for Disease Control, smoking is responsible for 1 in 3 cancer-related
deaths, and 1 in 5 deaths from any cause. Worldwide, tobacco use causes
more than 5 million deaths per year.
·
The
Center for Disease Control state that life expectancy for smokers is 10 years
less than that of non-smokers.
·
The
Center for Disease Control states that middle-aged man who smokes, triples his
risk of dying from some type of heart disease.
·
More
Doctors Smoke Camels than Any Other Cigarette - line used in 1949 commercial
for Camel Cigarettes.
Great American Smokeout Top Events
and Things to Do
·
If
you are a smoker, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for support in quitting. You can
also get help from organizations like smokefree.gov
and ucanquit2.org.
·
Organize
a sporting
event like soccer or softball as a way to have fun and otherwise help smokers
take their minds off of smoking.
·
Talk
to someone you know who smokes and challenge them to quit for the day.
·
Give
out sugarless gum to otherwise smokers as friendly gesture to promote an
alternative.
·
Watch
movies and documentaries that aim to uncover the tobacco industry and impact of
tobacco addictions:
1) The Insider (1999)
2) Addiction Incorporated (2011)
3) Dying for a Smoke (1992)
4) Smoke & Mirrors: A History of Denial (2000)
World Toilet Day[3]
World
Toilet Day aims to raise awareness of sanitation and hygiene issues around the
world. Poor sanitation and hygiene refer to lack of access to clean drinking
water, toilets and showers. Poor sanitation drastically increases the risk of
disease and malnutrition, especially for women and children. Today, 2.6 billion
people, about one-third of the population on the planet, do not have access to
proper sanitation, a problem that kills nearly 1 million young children every
year. World Toilet Day was designated by the United Nations in July 2013. It is
celebrated annually on November 19 as people all over the world take action and
support the basic human right of access to clean water and sanitation.
World Toilet Day Facts & Quotes
·
1 in 8 people in the world practices open
defecation, meaning that the person must relieve him/herself without cover or
shelter from other people.
·
The average person spends one hour and 42 minutes
a week on the toilet, or nearly 92 days over his/her lifetime.
·
Diarrhea is the second leading cause of deaths
in children under age 5 in developing countries. Diarrhea is primarily due to
poor hygiene and sanitation
·
The 2030 Agenda calls on us to renew our efforts
in providing access to adequate sanitation worldwide. We must continue to
educate and protect communities at risk, and to change cultural perceptions and
long-standing practices that hinder the quest for dignity. – Ban Ki-moon,
Secretary-General of the United Nations.
World Toilet Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Watch a movie about toilets and the importance
of sanitation. Some suggestions are: Guts For Change (2015), A
New Culture of Water (2004) and A Thirsty World (2012).
·
Spread awareness by using the hashtag #WorldToiletDay,
#WeCantWait and #ToiletAccessIsARight.
·
Tour a local sanitation plant. Sanitation
plants throughout the US exist to recycle and clean water while properly
disposing of human excrement and other waste.
·
Donate to the World Toilet Organization. All
proceeds are used by the organization to help break the taboo around the toilet
and sanitation crisis. They help lobby governments, public and private sector
stakeholders to prioritize sanitation on the agenda.
·
Read a book about toilets and the importance
of sanitation. Some suggestions are: Sanitation & Water Supply in
Low-Income Countries, Sitting Pretty An Uninhibited History of the
Toilet and The Big Necessity.
·
Check out Earthship
technology.
To
Squat or Not That is the Question
Enter the
Squatty Potty[4]
One time, I took a dump in my backyard because the toilet
had been broken for two weeks (blame our absentee slumlord). My best friend
never let me live it down, but you know what? I didn't care, because on that
crisp fall day in 2007, when the gas station whose toilets I had been relying
on was unexpectedly closed, I learned something. Specifically, I learned that
pooping outside is… kind of pleasant. But it wasn't until the advent of the Squatty Potty that I
really started to analyze why that was. Basically, if you use a Western toilet
on the reg, you're fighting against your body's anatomy. But now, there's a way
to poop optimally that doesn't involve squatting behind the
shrubs and hoping a neighbor won't walk by (though I do recommend everyone try
that at least once). Here it is.
You don't know squat. The Squatty Potty is a small
footstool designed to fit a toilet's curves. The idea is to elevate your feet
and knees, so your body is closer to a squatting angle -- a natural pooping
position -- than the upright position imposed on it by a porcelain throne. This
isn't just hippie BS, either. There's actual science as to why a squat is the
way to go when moving your bowels. "Defecating is actually really
complicated, and involves a lot of nerves and muscles relaxing and
moving," says Dr. Michelle Cohen, a gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai.
"When you sit, the puborectalis muscle is pulled in around the colon to
create an angle, so the stool can't drop out."
Think of a kinked hose and you might be able to picture
what's happening in your colon as the puborectalis muscle stays tight around
it. In some cases, particularly in people with constipation or dyssynergic defecation (when your
muscles fail to relax, making pooping more difficult), sitting with your thighs
perpendicular to the ground can make it much harder to poop. Enter the Squatty
Potty
The Squatty Potty was born in 2010 because of this exact
scenario. "They say necessity is the mother of invention," says Bobby
Edwards, CEO and co-creator of the defecation device. "My mother was
constipated. It was definitely out of need." Edwards says his mother's
physical therapist explained that constipation is, in many cases, "an
anatomical thing," and that if she elevated her feet while eliminating, it
would change the angle of the colon and make the whole process work smoothly, the
way nature intended. She propped her feet up on a stool and loved the results,
but the process wasn't ideal. "She couldn't quite get comfortable with a
regular stool, and it was in the way in the bathroom," Edwards says.
"I was taking design classes, and she asked if I could design a stool for
the toilet, with the height and width to simulate a natural squat."
Boy, could he. Edwards made five prototypes before hitting
on the perfect model. Delighted, his mother gave proto-Squatty Potties to
constipated friends for Christmas gifts. "She thought everybody needed to
be squatting," Edwards says. Word of mouth spread, and in 2012, Edwards
launched the website. A media blitz ensued, and the rest is history.
Putting the potty to the test. I was pretty intrigued by
the "squatting is better" maxim, so much so that I tried literally
squatting on my toilet. Surprisingly (or not?), a militant vegan has uploaded a
YouTube video
about how to do exactly that. It was a little weird, and there was some serious
splash back when shit hit the water, but I could tell stuff was rearranging
itself in my colon -- that's the medical terminology, right? It felt good and
correct, and I understood why my cats wear such serene, noble expressions when
they poop.
Not only is that method impractical, but it’s also probably
dangerous for older folks, people with physical challenges or injuries, and,
well, everyone, honestly. I needed to try the real deal. The Squatty Potty was
delivered to my office in a freaking huge (but mercifully unmarked) brown
cardboard box. I sneaked it out to my car, hoping to dodge co-workers and the
inevitable, "Ooh, what's that?" The box contained the white
plastic stool, a Burger King-like crown with the hashtag #pooplikeroyalty, and
a button that read "I Pooped Today!" (Though Squatty Potty entreats
its Twitter followers to "share your Poop Like Royalty pics!
#pooplikeroyalty," only one brave soul had risen to the challenge as of
press time.)
2020 and…No Toilet Paper?
Yes, with the COVID 19 and a screwy election people are scared,
and the first act of desperation is to raid the local Walmart and clean it out
of one of life’s necessities. Not to worry. Check out “The
Proven Preppers” Advice.
Historical Substitutes for Toilet Paper[5]
According to Wikipedia,
Joseph Gayetty invented the modern version of toilet paper in the United States
in 1857. Just how did people wipe before toilet paper?
The Romans provided a
sponge attached to the end of a stick for citizens to use in public toilets. It
was returned to a bucket of brine (saltwater) after each use. Have you ever wondered
where the saying, “picking up the wrong end of the stick” came from?
Ancient Jewish practice
included carrying a small bag filled with pebbles, dry grass, or smooth edges
of broken pottery. Vikings used discarded sheep wool. Eskimos used tundra moss
in the warm months and handfuls of snow in the winter. Snow!? Doesn’t that just
make you want to run to the store and stock up on a bit more toilet paper?
Colonial Americans used
corn cobs until newspapers became common. The French invented the bidet for
proper cleansing, which is still quite popular.
The wealthy may have used
wool, lace, linen or hemp. The poorer population resorted to using their hand
when defecating near water sources.
Other recorded options
included rags, wood shavings, leaves, grass, hay, stone, sand, moss, water,
snow, maize, ferns, plant husks, fruit skins, seashells, or corn cobs. The
various products used were influenced by country, weather, or local customs.
World Philosophy Day[6]
World
Philosophy Day seeks to promote human thought, new ideas and critical thinking
to confront today's challenges. Philosophy refers to the study of
knowledge, experience, existence and reality. According to the United Nations,
philosophy provides the conceptual bases of principles and values on which
world peace
depends: democracy,
human rights,
justice and equality. World Philosophy Day was proclaimed by UNESCO in
2005. Since then, every third Thursday of November has served as a celebration
of philosophical knowledge.
World
Philosophy Day Facts & Quotes
·
Rene
Descartes is considered to be the father of modern Western philosophy. He is
widely credited with being the first to use the concept of reason to develop the
natural sciences.
He lived from 1596 to 1650.
·
Thales
of Miletus is widely considered to be the father of philosophy. He was a Greek
philosopher, mathematician and astronomer that lived around 624-546BC.
·
Truth
in philosophy means that concept and external reality correspond. – George
Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher of the late enlightenment period.
World
Philosophy Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Spread
awareness on social media by using the hashtags #WorldPhilosophyDay,
#PhilosophyDay and #PhilosophyandCooperation.
·
Tune
in to the live webcast of the philosophical debates on UNESCO’s website. It can
be streamed in French or English at the UNESCO site.
·
Watch
a movie that touches on philosophy. Some suggestions are: The Matrix
(1999), Blade Runner (1982) and Being There (1979).
·
Donate
to the Philosophy Foundation. Any money raised is put towards providing
specialist teachers to schools that need it most but can’t afford it. The
organization aims to support young people in higher education studying
philosophy.
·
Read
a book on philosophy. Some suggestions are: Plato’s Republic, Critique
of Pure Reason and A History of Western Philosophy.
Daily Devotions
·
do
a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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