Wednesday, February 3, 2021

feast of st. blaise

Psalm 103, Verse 13

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who FEAR him.

Does God derive anything from having us fear Him?

His only wish is to see us truly growing and fruitful. He made us and as a loving father knows our needs both physical and spiritual. If we have a loving fear of our father, we are compelled by the Holy Spirit into spiritual leadership avoiding sloth which often comes as a result of being stuck in a victim mentality or not letting go of rage by forgiving the offender.

Today seek the Father’s compassion by going to confession then arise and grow in spiritual leadership.

As we grow in our spiritual leadership[1] we tend to be:

· Confident in God

· Know God

· Seek God’s will

· Self-sacrifice

· Serve all

· Motivated by love

· Trust the Holy Spirit

· Lead others

Feast of St. Blaise^{^[2]}

While he was in prison, the Armenian Bishop Blaise (who suffered martyrdom in the fourth century) miraculously cured a little boy choking on a fishbone lodged in his throat. Ever since then, St. Blaise has been the patron saint of throats. Saint Blaise Sticks (pan bendito) are distributed on his feast and kept in the home to be eaten for a sore throat. The most popular custom, however, is the Blessing of Throats.

Blessing of throats^{^[3]}

The rite of the blessing of throats may take place before or after Mass. The priest or deacon places the candles around the throat of whoever seeks the blessing, using the formula: "Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you free from every disease of the throat, and from every other disease. In the name of the Father and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. R. Amen."

Things to Do

· Take your children to Mass to receive the blessing of throats today.

· Establish a home altar with the blessed candles (symbols of Saint Blaise) from the feast of the Presentation, February 2.

· Visit this website and learn more about St. Blaise and how he saved Dubrovnik in Croatia in the 12th century.

National Signing Day

National Signing Day marks the start of the college football signing season. From this day forward, high school football players can sign a National Letter of Intent to play football for a university in the National College Athletic Association (NCAA). The National Letter of Intent is a binding agreement between a potential student-athlete and a NLI member institution. Once signed, the agreement requires the athlete to attend and represent the institution for at least two semesters or three quarters, and in return, the institution must provide athletic financial aid for the same duration. National Signing Day marks the start of many football players' careers as they transition into more professional setting. National Signing Day was established in 1981 by the College Football Association in an effort to eliminate separate conference signing dates and force student-athletes to commit to only one NCAA institution. Prior to 1981, NCAA football conferences required recruits to sign separate letters of intent since conference letters only restricted signing within the conference itself.

National Signing Day Facts & Quotes

· Up until 2014, players for the NCAA were not paid. In August 2014, the NCAA began to allow student-athletes to receive full scholarships and additional financial supplements between $2,000-4,000 to support daily expenses and the cost of living.

· Different NCAA sports have different signing days where high school athletes from that sport can commit to the university of their choice.

· Prior to signing a letter of intent, prospective students usually go on a recruiting trip paid for by the university in question. The trip serves to show the recruit a good time and attempt to convince him/her to commit to studies there.

· According to the NCAA, of its 1,100 members, only 20 of them actually make more money than they spend on sports each year.

· Once again, we feel that we have another fine class. Most notably we feel that we're continuing to add to our overall team speed and our athleticism on our football team. We're successful in signing 24 players, or probably more aptly put we have 24 new players in our program. - Tracy Claeys - Minnesota Golden Gophers Head Football Coach

National Signing Day Top Events and Things to Do

· Get out to your local park and play a game of football with your family and friends to celebrate all those who are committing to playing in NCAA football today.

· Watch the day's events of your favorite conference live. Most are aired live across networks such as ESPN and they can often be found online.

· Review some of the student-athlete rules and criteria in order to gain a better understanding of the players' responsibilities and duties in addition to playing ball. Some basic requirements include:
1) earn at least a 2.3 GPA in core courses
2) earn at least 9 credits per semester
3) adhere to amateurism requirements (limiting agent involvement, prize money, salaries and contracts with professional teams)

· Watch a movie about NCAA Football. Our favorites are Friday Night Lights (2004), The Blind Side (2009), Rudy (1993) and The Express (2008).

· Support a local high school football team. Your financial and time donations can mean the chance to get a scholarship for a high school student to pursue university studies.

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.

· Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph

· Do Day 24 of the Consecration to St. Joseph

· Do the St. Joseph Universal Man Plan.

Daily Devotions

· 30 Days with St. Joseph Day 17 (End on Ash Wednesday)

· Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Make reparations to the Holy Face

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

· Rosary