DAY 11 - MOTHER MOST ADMIRABLE, PRAY THAT WE RECEIVE THE GIFT OF COUNSEL

GOD'S WORD

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105)

"For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot." (Romans 8:7)

"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

HEROES' WORDS

"Of all human activities, man's listening to God is the supreme act of his reasoning and will." -Pope Paul VI

"Listen and attend with the ear of your heart." -St. Benedict

MEDITATION

The Gift of Counsel: One of the special gifts of the Holy Spirit; it perfects the virtue of prudence. Its function is to enable a person to judge promptly and rightly, as by a sort of supernatural intuition, what should be done, especially in difficult situations. With the gift of counsel, the Holy Spirit speaks, as it were, to the heart and in an instant enlightens a person what to do. It corresponds to the promise made by Christ to his followers, "When they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you" (Mt 10:19). Counsel refers primarily to prudent conduct in one's own case, and only secondarily in favor of others. Enlightened by the Spirit, a person learns what to do in a specific case and what advice to give when consulted or command to make if he is in authority. (Fr. John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary)

PRAY A ROSARY

Choose either:

Rosary of the Day: Luminous Mysteries
Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Sorrowful Mysteries

PRAYERS FOR TRADITIONAL 54 DAY NOVENA

THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES OF THE HOLY ROSARY

Prayer before the recitation: Sign of the cross. Hail Mary.

In petition (first 27 days): Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I humbly kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses, blood red roses to remind thee of the passion of thy divine Son, with Whom thou didst so fully partake of its bitterness, each rose recalling to thee a holy mystery, each 10 bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, dispenser of God's graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition; from thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

In thanksgiving (last 27 days): Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I gratefully kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses blood red roses to remind thee of the passion of thy divine Son, with Whom thou didst so fully partake of its bitterness each rose recalling to thee a holy mystery; each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, dispenser of God's graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving; from thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I despaired not of what I asked of thee, and thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

Say: The Apostles' Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

The Agony in the Garden - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of resignation to the will of God and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Scourging at the Pillar - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of mortification and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Crowning with Thorns - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of humility and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Carrying of the Cross - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Crucifixion - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of love of our enemies and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

Say: The Hail Holy Queen.

Spiritual Communion: My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

In petition (first 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request, see below). Hail Mary ...

In thanksgiving (last 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request, see below) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me. Hail, Mary, etc.

PETITION: For the protection and provision for the USA and the world. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!

Please consider adding these prayers, until the election is called (more information HERE):

Fr. Ripperger's Recommended Prayers for

Breaking Oppression and Sending Back Evil
Until the Election is Called

Consecration of One's Exterior Goods to the Blessed Virgin Mary

(This prayer is particularly useful for breaking various forms of oppression. By relinquishing what belongs to us into the hands of the Blessed Virgin, Satan cannot touch them. This is a strong prayer of protection on you and yours):

I; (Name), a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy hands the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before. In the presence of all the heavenly court, I choose thee, O Mary, this day for my Mother and Mistress. Knowing that I have received rights over all my exterior goods by the promulgation of the Natural Law by the Divine Author, I deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, all of my exterior goods, past, present and future; I relinquish into thy hands, my Heavenly Mother, all rights over my exterior goods, including our President, the fairness, honesty and accuracy of the outcome of the election, and our country and I retain for myself no right of disposing the goods that come to me but leave to thee the entire and full right of disposing of all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God in time and in eternity. As I now interiorly relinquish what belongs to me exteriorly into thy hands, I entrust to thee the protection of those exterior goods against the evil one, so that, knowing that they now belong to thee, he cannot touch them. Receive, O good and pious Virgin, this little offering of what little is, in honor of, and in union with, that subjection which the Eternal Wisdom deigned to have to Thy maternity; in homage to the power which both of You have over this poor sinner, and in thanksgiving for the privileges with which the Holy Trinity has favored thee. Trusting in the providential care of God the Father and thy maternal care, I have full confidence that thou wilst take care of me as to the necessities of this life and will not leave me forsaken. God the Father, increase my trust in Thy Son's Mother; Our Lady of Fair Love, give me perfect confidence in the providence of Thy Son. Amen.

Sending Evil Back

(Fr. Chad Ripperger comments that the following prayer may appear harsh, in that it seems to seek evil befall on another, yet it is meant to expose evil and to teach that evil does not win. And, in fact, choosing evil will, eventually, lead to bad repercussions)

Jesus and Mary, I ask that if it be Your Holy Will, that any curses or evil sent against the President or the election process be sent back from whence they came.

All of the daily Novena Prayers and Reflections are also posted at usgraceforce.com

Spanish language Novena prayers and reflections are available at https://rosarycoasttocoast.com/nfon-espanol/.

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

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

· Rosary

[1]https://aleteia.org/2019/12/30/5-simple-biblical-ways-to-find-inner-peace-in-2020/

[2]http://www.wincalendar.com/Great-American-Smokeout

[3]https://www.wincalendar.com/World-Toilet-Day

[4]https://www.thrillist.com/health/nation/what-is-a-squatty-potty-review-squat-poop

[5]https://theprovidentprepper.org/no-toilet-paper-no-problem-14-emergency-alternatives/