Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
ST.
FLORIAN-STAR WARS DAY
Judges, Chapter 7, Verse 3
So, announce in the
hearing of the soldiers, “If anyone is AFRAID
or FEARFUL, let him leave!
Let him depart from Mount Gilead!” Twenty-two thousand of the
soldiers left, but ten thousand remained.
Fear!
Those who are fearful are ruled by their emotions. Gideon knew this emotion
well for he was a man afraid. What changed him? It was God! God had changed his
fear into hope and love for the reign of God. God had changed his unbelief into
resolute iron will.
Saint
John Paul II was a sword of Gideon; he reminded us that we too must be unafraid
that we must be bold and remember that Gideon did not defeat the Midianites
with the sword but with fear.
Gideon needed to lead a night
attack against the Midianites and Amalekites. His plan was to have every
soldier carry a trumpet and a torch, the latter inside a clay pot, and blow the
trumpet and reveal the torch upon command. The racket and the sudden appearance
of hundreds of torches would doubtlessly panic the enemy troops, who would have
no idea as to how many enemies had come out of nowhere. A night attack,
however, involves considerable risk. Even today, only the most skilled soldiers
are willing to undertake such a mission. A lot of things can go wrong, and it
is very easy to mistake friend for foe in the darkness. There is a good chance
of shooting or, in ancient times, stabbing one’s own people unless the
operation goes perfectly. Any premature action or loud noise can allow the
enemy to draw up his soldiers into formations that can repel an attack. If, for
example, one of Gideon’s men dropped his pot by accident during the approach to
the enemy camp, the exposed torch would have told the enemy sentries that
something was amiss. The job was clearly not one for amateurs, or people who
lacked commitment.
The first step was therefore to
send away the more than two-thirds of Gideon’s army that was hesitant to fight
the enemy. This made eminent sense because fear might easily result in the kind
of false move—and it would take only one—that would ruin the operation. Ten
thousand soldiers were still, however, ten thousand opportunities for something
to go wrong. It wasn’t enough that they were committed and willing to fight;
they also had to have the discipline and training necessary to participate in a
night attack. As Judges 7.4 through 7.7 continues: “And the Lord said unto Gideon,
the people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try
them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, this shall
go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, this
shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
“So, he brought down the people
unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, every one that lappeth of the
water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself;
likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.[1]
Now
those who drank like dogs what do you suppose they had in their hands. Their
weapons! They were ready for the battle at any moment. God needs stout hearted
men and women. Are you ready?
Coffee with Christ: Tuesdays
Are Special
We
seek friendship with God through Christ, the Holy Spirit and His mother-Mary.
There is no greater help in our life’s journey in this world than through
friendship with Jesus Christ and His mother. Prayer is, in its purest sense, a
personal journey or intimacy with Our Lord. The imaginary premise of this
article is to encourage having a “Coffee Clutch” with Christ and gather for
coffee and conversation through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Ideally
having a regular or daily set time or appointment to meet and discuss with Him
your hopes, dreams, plans and goals. To bear your heart to Him. To just sit
down with Christ and talk, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company, over a cup of
coffee. To make the common Holy and grow in the love and likeness to our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ.
My
Coffee Conversation with Christ
During a Coffee I apologize to Christ as I hand Him a cup of micro waved coffee. I tell him that I could not sleep last night and that I got up in the middle of the night and could not go back to sleep. He states that when that happens it is a good time to pray. Pray and I will be there with you. He mentions that the coffee is good, and he would have liked to have had a microwave back in Jerusalem. He also tells me that I should try and make it to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel for a little “one on one” time. He further reveals that Tuesdays are always trying for Him; for it was the day that Judas went to the Sanhedrin to betray Him and that it comforts Him when someone has a special devotion to him on that day. He further states that I would grow in grace if I was careful to observe and make a Novena to His Holy Face for the nine days preceding Ash Wednesday ending the Novena on Shrove (day before Ash Wednesday) Tuesday.
The Golden Arrow[2]
(as dictated by Our Lord to Sister Marie of St. Peter)
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and
ineffable Name of God be forever praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified
in Heaven, on Earth, and under the Earth by all the creatures of God and by the
Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the
Altar. Amen. Eternal Father, I offer
Thee the adorable Face of Thy Beloved Son for the honour and glory of Thy Name,
for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of the dying. Amen.
Those
who by words, prayers or writing defend My cause in this Work of Reparation I
will defend before My Father and will give them My Kingdom.
By
offering My Face to My Eternal Father, nothing will be refused, and the
conversion of many sinners will be obtained.
By
My Holy Face, they will work wonders, appease the anger of God, and draw down
mercy on sinners.
As
in a kingdom they can procure all that is desired with a coin stamped with the
King's effigy, so in the Kingdom of Heaven they will obtain all they desire
with the precious coin of My Holy Face.
Those
who on earth contemplate the wounds of My Face shall in Heaven behold it
radiant with glory.
They
will receive in their souls a bright and constant irradiation of My Divinity,
that by their likeness to My Face they shall shine with particular splendor in
Heaven.
I
will defend them, I will preserve them, and I assure them of Final
Perseverance.[3]
Saint Florian[4] is the patron saint of firefighters, and many things associated with either fire or
water. His feast day is celebrated today.
Saint
Florian was born in
the mid-third century A.D., perhaps around the year 250, somewhere around
current-day Austria. He rose through the Roman army ranks to become a
commander. Besides his duties to the military, he was charged with leading the
firefighting brigade of the day. Florian was a Christian in a time when the
Roman emperors were trying to eliminate Christianity throughout their realm. At
one point he was ordered to offer up a sacrifice to the Roman gods, something
in which he did not believe. Other stories state that he refused to participate
in the ongoing persecution of Christians, in which the army had been ordered to
participate.
In either case, Florian's
beliefs became known. When questioned, he again stated that he was a Christian.
The popular method of disposing of Christians in that day was to burn them to
death, and it was suggested that Florian suffer the same fate. He, however,
stated his intention to "climb to Heaven on the flames"
of the funeral pyre being prepared for him. The soldiers decided at that point
to dispense with him via another route: he was flogged, then flayed, then a
large stone was tied around his neck and he was thrown into the Ennis River to
drown. A faithful lady recovered and buried his body, which was later moved to
the Augustinian Abbey of St. Florian, near current-day Linz, Austria. In 1138
some of St. Florian's relics were given to King Casimir of Poland and
the Bishop of Cracow. Since his relics arrived in Poland, he has been regarded
as the patron saint of that country. Because of his association with fire, St.
Florian is the patron saint of firefighters and chimney sweeps and has been
invoked for protection from both fire and water. A statue of St. Florian
installed at the front of the main firehouse in Vienna, Austria survived a 1945
bombing with barely a scratch.
Please pray the Stations of the Cross for our firefighters from 911 and The Yarnell Hill Firefighters; which were lost in a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona, ignited by lightning on June 28, 2013. On June 30, it overran and killed 19 City of Prescott firefighters, members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. It was the third deadliest U.S. wildfire since the 1991 East Bay Hills fire, which killed 25 people; and the 2017 Northern California wildfires, which killed over 40, the deadliest wildland fire for U.S. firefighters since the 1933 Griffith Park Fire, which killed 29; and the deadliest incident of any kind for U.S. firefighters since the September 11, 2001, attacks, which killed 343. It is the sixth-deadliest American firefighter disaster overall and the deadliest wildfire ever in Arizona.
May the Farce Be with You[5]
May 4th has become commonly known as Star Wars Day. And who could be surprised? The words, “May the 4th” seem to beg the rest of the catchphrase be uttered. Regardless of whether you prefer Star Wars or Star Trek, or if are even a sci-fi aficionado at all, the influence of George Lucas’ Star Wars on pop culture is undeniable.
The History of Star Wars Day
Star Wars, an epic space opera written
and directed by George Lucas, premiered in 1977 and became an almost instant
cult classic. Even today, almost 40 years later, Star Wars remains one of the
most financially successful films of all time. The franchise it began remains
the most successful one of all time, earning over 2.5 billion dollars since the
release of the first film. However, the money it’s earned over the years is
hardly the most impressive aspect of Star Wars. As famous film critic Roger
Ebert put it: “Like The Birth of a Nation and Citizen Kane, Star Wars was a
technical watershed that influenced many of the movies that came after.” Star
Wars was a real game-changer, beginning a new era of special effect-packed
motion pictures bursting with excitement, adventure and imagination that
appealed enormously to younger audiences as well as older ones. Many of today’s
most acclaimed film directors, such as Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, Christopher
Nolan and James Cameron, cite Star Wars as a great influence on their careers.
Star Wars has also had enormous cultural impact on other areas besides
filmmaking, including politics–the Reagan Administration’s Strategic Defense
Program was mockingly nicknamed “Star Wars”. As recently as 2013, President
Barack Obama used the phrase “Jedi mind meld” to describe what some people were
expecting him to do on his opposition to make them accept his ideas. “May the
Fourth be with you” was first used by Margaret Thatcher’s political party to
congratulate her on her election on May 4th, 1979, and the saying quickly
caught on. However, the first celebration of May 4th took place much later, at
the Toronto Underground Cinema in 2001. This first official Star Wars Day’s
festivities included a costume contest and a movie marathon. Fans’ favorite
parodies of the franchise were also enjoyed, as were some of the most popular mashups
and remixes. Since then, Star Wars Day has gained popularity and is celebrated
by Star Wars Fans worldwide.
How to Celebrate Star Wars Day
The way you celebrate Star Wars day
will depend on how well you know this cultural phenomenon. If you are a
longtime fan of the franchise, you might want to get a group of friends
together and attend one of the many Star Wars events organized in different
parts of the world. Such events range from costume contests to museum exhibits
to tours of space centers. And if you’re not feeling up to going out, there’s
no reason why a Star Wars Day party organized by you at home should be any less
fun. Movie marathons with friends, Star Wars trivia games and even Star Wars
themed snacks (Death Star piñata, anyone?) will guarantee this day is full of
fun as well as being very educational. “Vadering” another person has also
become an extremely popular thing to do on this day, and the photos you take of
this are sure to bring a smile to your face for years to come. Because Star
Wars itself is such an enormous topic, the ways of celebrating the day
dedicated to it are virtually endless. So choose one, have fun, and May the 4th
be with you!
Daily
Devotions/Practices
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 4 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
Tuesday:
Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
·
Manhood of
the Master-week 11 day 7
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary.
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