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Let Freedom Ring: Freedom from Stinginess/Miserliness
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
At a word from You the devil and his minions flee in terror.
You are the source of all truth. You are the source of all strength.
By the power of your Cross and Resurrection, we beseech You, O Lord
To extend Your saving arm and to send Your holy angels
To defend us as we do battle with Satan and his demonic forces.
Exorcise, we pray, that which oppresses Your Bride, The Church,
So that within ourselves, our families, our parishes, our dioceses, and our nation
We may turn fully back to You in all fidelity and trust.
Lord, we know if You will it, it will be done.
Give us the perseverance for this mission, we pray.
Amen

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception...pray for us
St. Joseph...pray for us
St. Michael the Archangel...pray for us
(the patron of your parish )... pray for us
(your confirmation saint)...pray for us

 
"Freedom from Stinginess/Miserliness" by Fr. James Altman

Dear family, who is the one person that most often comes to mind when we think of stingy misers? For many it may be the infamous Ebenezer Scrooge, from Charles Dickens' 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol. At the beginning of the story, Scrooge is a cold-hearted miser who despises Christmas. His attitude can be summed up in two words: "Bah, humbug!" Dickens describes Scrooge as "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint ... secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster." Yes, that about sums up the image we have when we see Scrooge's heartless attitude toward his clerk, Bob Cratchit, whose household includes the crippled child, Tiny Tim.

Maybe you, like me, have run into some Scrooges in your lifetime - miserly people who are stingy with their money like Ebenezer Scrooge. The adjective miserly evolved from the Latin word miser, which means "unhappy, wretched." How often do we see unhappiness and wretchedness in the genuinely stingy and miserly?

Why are the stingy and miserly unhappy and wretched? Because misers are a step beyond mere frugality. They are a leap beyond mere prudence in spending. Misers are those who love the accumulation of money, which brings them into direct conflict with the first commandment, to love God above all things.

Jesus directly taught us on this very issue in a parable entitled The Rich Fool, emphasis on the word "fool": "There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?' And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, 'Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!'" But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?' Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God" (Luke 12:16-21).

Perhaps it was grace that inspired Dickens to write The Christmas Carol - grace that enabled him to understand that we are formed by our experiences, but all is not lost. It is not too late; it is never too late, to change. The actual novella opens with a description of Scrooge's lonely and unhappy childhood, and his aspiration for money to avoid poverty. Unlike the rich fool, Scrooge indeed overcame his early formation and, as we know, when he did there was joy: "I don't know what to do! I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!"

It is not likely that our own transformation from stinginess and miserliness will arise from being visited by three ghosts, Past, Present, and Future; however, we do not need nocturnal visits from ghosts to effect a change in ourselves. Rather, if we are open to it, we may make the effort to ponder our own past experiences, then meditate upon how these experiences have formed us and resulted in our present, and then make a firm purpose to amend our future, an amendment to be less stingy and miserly with anything we have.

Certainly, this applies to any material goods, but perhaps most importantly to our time - time we could spend in prayer of thanksgiving, intercession for others, even imploring God on our own behalf. Indeed, what may be most required of us is our time; it so often is a lot easier to just throw some money at a problem, but extremely difficult to spend some personal time fixing it. How stingy and miserly we are with our time. How little we comprehend the implications of the words God spoke to the rich fool: "this night your life will be demanded of you."

Dear family, we must examine our lives. As the great Socrates is said to have uttered: "The unexamined life is not worth living" (as described in Plato's Apology, which is a recollection of the speech Socrates gave at his trial. (38a5-6)). One commentator described the meaning of Socrates' statement thusly: "It means any life which is not checkmated, unaccountable is not worth living. It tries to emphasize that everyone has to live a life that they should be proud of, a life that they can look back to what they achieved and say yes indeed I made a mark or I have not lived up to my expectations, so I need to make amends."

We must examine our lives and when we do, let us keep in mind the sobering words of the ghost of Jacob Marley: "'I wear the chain I forged in life,' replied the Ghost, 'I made it link by link, and yard by yard.'" And when we examine our lives let us understand the truth spoken by Scrooge after the visit of the ghost of the Future: "Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of things that May be, only?" In other words, Scrooge asked it if was too late to change. No, dear family, it is not too late, it is never too late, to change.

Scrooge changed because the three ghosts forced him to examine his life. Let us force ourselves to do the same. After all, that is the whole point of the Examination of Conscience we are supposed to do before entering the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In that examination, let us ask ourselves if we truly love God above all things, or whether we are stingy and miserly with any or many of the gifts God has given us, especially the gift of time. Let us not fear such an examination, but rather revel in the fact that we know transformative grace will come to us through the sacrament. Let us pray that through this transformation it may be said of us as it was said of Scrooge in some concluding words of A Christmas Carol: "And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!"

 
Prayer of Reparation

My Lord and my God, we have allowed the temptation of the devil to move our hearts toward stinginess and miserliness. We have fallen into stinginess and miserliness when we have not lived up to the call of our baptism by not giving back to You a just tithing of our wealth of time, talents, and treasure. We cling to things so much, forgetting the truth that "we can't take it with us." We ignore the words of the great Job: "Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, and naked shall I go back there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!" (Job 1:21). In our weakness, we have been weak in faith and clung to our wealth like the rich fool. In so many ways, we fear the loss of temporal wealth more than we fear the loss of heaven. We turn to You Lord, in our weakness, and beg Your forgiveness for our stinginess and miserliness. We love You Lord, and we beg for the courage to live out the generosity of the Psalmist: "How can I repay the LORD for all the great good done for me? I will raise the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people" (Psalm 116:12-14). We know Lord, if You will it, it will be done. Trusting in You, we offer our prayer to You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

 
Prayer of Exorcism

Lord God of heaven and earth, in Your power and goodness, You created all things. You set a path for us to walk on and a way to an eternal relationship. By the strength of Your arm and Word of Your mouth, cast from Your Holy Church every fearful deceit of the devil. Drive from us manifestations of the demonic that oppress us and beckon us to stinginess and miserliness. Still the lying tongue of the devil and his forces so that we may act freely and faithfully to Your will. Send Your holy angels to cast out all influence that the demonic entities in charge of stinginess and miserliness have planted in Your Church. Free us, our families, our parish, our diocese, and our country from all trickery and deceit perpetrated by the devil and his hellish legions. Trusting in Your goodness Lord, we know if You will it, it will be done, in unity with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
 
 
Litany of the Most Blessed Sacrament

Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. R. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us. R. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, R. have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, R. have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, R. have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, R. have mercy on us.
J
esus, Eternal High Priest of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, Divine Victim on the Altar for our salvation, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, hidden under the appearance of bread, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, dwelling in the tabernacles of the world, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, really, truly and substantially present in the Blessed Sacrament, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, abiding in Your fulness, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, Bread of Life, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, Bread of Angels, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, with us always until the end of the world, R. have mercy on us.

Sacred Host, summit and source of all worship and Christian life, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, sign and cause of the unity of the Church, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, adored by countless angels, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, spiritual food, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, Sacrament of love, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, bond of charity, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, greatest aid to holiness, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, gift and glory of the priesthood, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, in which we partake of Christ, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, in which the soul is filled with grace, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, in which we are given a pledge of future glory, R. have mercy on us.

Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

For those who do not believe in Your Eucharistic presence, R. have mercy, O Lord.
For those who are indifferent to the Sacrament of Your love, R. have mercy on us.
For those who have offended You in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, R. have mercy on us.

That we may show fitting reverence when entering Your holy temple, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That we may make suitable preparation before approaching the Altar, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That we may receive You frequently in Holy Communion with real devotion and true humility, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That we may never neglect to thank You for so wonderful a blessing, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That we may cherish time spent in silent prayer before You, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That we may grow in knowledge of this Sacrament of sacraments, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That all priests may have a profound love of the Holy Eucharist, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That they may celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in accordance with its sublime dignity, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That we may be comforted and sanctified with Holy Viaticum at the hour of our death, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That we may see You one day face to face in Heaven, R. we beseech You, hear us.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us, O Lord.

O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine,
All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.

Let us pray.
Most merciful Father, You continue to draw us to Yourself through the Eucharistic Mystery. Grant us fervent faith in this Sacrament of love, in which Christ the Lord Himself is contained, offered and received. We make this prayer through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

 
Daily Checklist

__ Prayer for Freedom from the Devil
__ Daily reflection and prayers
__ Litany of the day
__ Pray a Rosary
__ Divine Mercy Chaplet
__ Spiritual or corporal work of mercy
__ Fast/abstain (according to level)
__ Exercise (according to level/ability)
__ Refrain from conventional media (only 1 hr. of social)
__ Examination of conscience (confession 1x this week)
 

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (16th S. Ord. Time)

NELSON MANDELA DAY

 

Tobit, Chapter 5, Verse 21

Tobit reassured her: “Do not worry! Our son will leave in good health and come back to us in good health. Your own eyes will see the day when he returns to you safe and sound. So, do not worry; do not FEAR for them, my sister.

 

It is natural to fear something you cannot control. Christ could not be controlled by the men in charge of the Temple system; so, they feared Him and they feared the crowd that followed Him. Christ’s message was good news to the crowd who were but pawns in the Jewish Temple system of wealth and power. We in times of trouble should be like Tobit and seek to walk all the days of our lives in paths of truth and righteousness. It was Tobit who defied those in power to do an act of mercy by burying the dead. While his neighbors mocked him and saying to one another: He is still not afraid! Once before he was hunted down for execution because of this very thing; yet now that he has scarcely escaped, here he is again burying the dead!” (Tobit 2:8) Love makes sacrifices. He (Christ) laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our live for our brothers. (1 John 3:16)

 

Tobit[1]

  1. On the first night out, Tobias and Raphael/Azariah camped by the Tigris River.
  2. When Tobias went to bathe, a fish jumped out of the water and tried to swallow his foot.  Scholars see much symbolism in this event.  Typically, water represents chaos; then it’s an attempt to disrupt their trip.  “Feet” sometimes has sexual connotations; then it’s an attack on his manhood.
  3. Azariah told him to grab the fish.
  4. He hauled it out on the shore, and Azariah told him to cut out the heart, liver, and gall bladder.  What he couldn’t eat, he salted and took with them.  Since he ate it, it could not have been an unclean fish. (Now, as an angel, Azariah never ate anything, which he will point out later in the story.  Tobias, however, didn’t catch on to any of this.)
  5. Along the way, the angel told Tobias what to do with those fish parts.

Most of us by the grace of God are never confronted with such terrors as Tobit. Yet, we too in our quiet lives can lay down ourselves in service to our brothers.

 

John McCain in his book Character is Destiny[2] highlights the life of John Wooden who in his own quiet way as a Basketball coach made a huge difference in countless lives of young men growing up teaching them the power of COOPERATION. Coach Wooden was a modest man who inspired young men under his tutelage, leading by example; teaching them wisdom and decency to become both winners and good men.


 

McCain states about Wooden:

 

He cared about his players, and paid strict attention to teaching them the small and big things that would help them become the best basketball players they could be, and, most important, the best men they could be. He would bench a player for using profanity or for criticizing a teammate or for treating an opponent disrespectfully. He expected his players to dress appropriately, be courteous to everyone, acknowledge their other teammates when they scored, and to refrain from showing excessive emotions on the court. He taught them dignity, based, as dignity is, on self-respect and respect for others. And he taught them not only the usefulness of teamwork, five men all playing their assigned roles, but the virtue of cooperation, and the sense of satisfaction it provided to an individual.

 

Coach Wooden[3] taught that success is,

 

“Peace of mind that is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”

 

Coach Wooden developed a Pyramid of Success which he taught his players which not only help them win at the game of basketball but also in the game of life. 

ON KEEPING THE LORDS DAY HOLY[4]

CHAPTER III

DIES ECCLESIAE

The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday

The Eucharistic assembly

32. The Eucharist is not only a particularly intense expression of the reality of the Church's life, but also in a sense its "fountain-head". The Eucharist feeds and forms the Church: "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread" (1 Cor 10:17). Because of this vital link with the sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord, the mystery of the Church is savored, proclaimed, and lived supremely in the Eucharist.

This ecclesial dimension intrinsic to the Eucharist is realized in every Eucharistic celebration. But it is expressed most especially on the day when the whole community comes together to commemorate the Lord's Resurrection. Significantly, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that "the Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life".

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost[5] 

The importance of intelligent foresight and the fascinating passage on "the mammon of iniquity" (Lk. 16.9). 

IN the Introit of the Mass the Church praises God, whose mercy and justice extend to the ends of the world. “We have received Thy mercy, O God, in the midst of Thy temple. According to Thy name, O God, so also is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth; Thy right hand is full of justice. Great is the Lord and exceedingly to be praised, in the city of our God, in His holy mountain”. (Ps. xlvii. 11, 1). 

Prayer. 

Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, at all times, the spirit of thinking and doing what is right, that we, who cannot exist without Thee, may be able to live according to Thy will. 

EPISTLE. Rom. viii. 12-17. 

Brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die but if by the spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live. For whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry Abba (Father). For the Spirit Himself giveth testimony to our spirit, that we are the sons of God. And if sons, heirs also: heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ. 

“The works of the flesh are,” according to St. Paul, “fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects, envies, murders, drunkenness, reviling’s, and such like” (Gal. v. 19, 20). Those who practice such vices are not children of God, and will inherit, not heaven, but eternal death. Examine yourself, therefore, whether you are not living according to the flesh, and for the future resist sinful desires with God’s assistance, and you will gain a crown in heaven. 

Aspiration. 

Grant me, Lord, Thy spirit, that I may always remember the happiness of Thy kingdom, may mortify the lusts of the flesh, and may walk as Thy child in holy chastity. 

Luke xvi. 1-9. 

At that time Jesus spoke to His disciples this parable: There was a certain rich man who had a steward: and the same was accused unto him, that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said to him: How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship: for now, thou canst be steward no longer. And the steward said within himself: What shall I do, because my lord taketh away from me the stewardship? To dig I am not able, to beg I am ashamed. I know what I will do, that when I shall be removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. Therefore, calling together every one of his lord’s debtors, he said to the first: How much dost thou owe my lord? But he said: A hundred barrels of oil. And he said to him: Take thy bill and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then he said to another: And how much dost thou owe? Who said: An hundred quarters of wheat. He said to him: Take thy bill and write eighty. And the lord commended the unjust steward, forasmuch as he had done wisely: for the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light. And I say to you: Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity, that when you shall fail they may receive you into everlasting dwellings. 

Who are meant by the rich man and his steward? By the rich man is meant God, by the steward, man. The goods entrusted to the steward are the different goods and gifts of soul and body, of nature and of grace. 

Why did Christ use this parable? To teach us that God requires of every man a strict account of whatever has been given to him, to encourage us to be liberal to the poor, and to warn us against dissipation and injustice. 

How are we to understand the direction “to make unto us friends of the mammon of iniquity”? Riches are called the mammon of iniquity because they so easily lead us to injustice, avarice, excess, and dissipation. Jesus intended to say that we should, according to our ability, employ in doing good those worldly goods which so easily carry us into sin. But He is not to be understood as saying that we should steal, or cheat, or use goods otherwise unjustly obtained, to give alms. 

What friends are we thus to make? The friends are the good works which render us pleasing to God, and open to us heaven; the poor, the saints of God; the angels, who rejoice in our benevolence, and become our intercessors; and finally Christ, Who regards what is given to the poor as so much given to Himself (Matt. xxv. 40). “The hands of the poor” says St. Chrysostom, “are the hands of Christ” through them we send our goods to heaven beforehand, and through their intercession we obtain the grace of salvation. 

Aspiration. 

Grant me, O most just God and Judge, grace so to use the goods entrusted to me on earth, that with them I may make myself friends to receive me, at the end of my life, into everlasting habitations. 

INSTRUCTION ON CALUMNY 

Is calumny a grievous sin? When the occasion is important, and the slander is deliberately uttered, with evil intention, when one’s neighbor is thereby grievously injured, and his good name damaged, everyone may see how grievous and detestable, in such a case, this sin is. (Hmm…Fake News?) 

Is it sinful to disclose the faults of our neighbor? To make public the faults and sins of our neighbor uselessly, merely for the entertainment of idle persons, is always sinful. (Hmm…Twitter Mob?) But if, after trying in vain to correct his faults and sins by brotherly admonition, we make them known to his parents or superiors, for his punishment and amendment, so far from being a sin, it is rather a good work and a duty of Christian charity. 

Is it a sin also to listen willingly to calumny? Yes, for thereby we furnish the calumniator an occasion for sin and give him encouragement. For which reason St. Bernard says: “Whether to calumniate be a greater sin than to listen to the calumniator I will not lightly decide.” (Do some news outlets give news or are they calumniators?) 

What ought to restrain us from calumny? 

The thought, 

1, of the enormity of this sin.

 

2, of the number of sins occasioned thereby of which the calumniator, as the occasion of them, becomes partaker.

 

3, of the difficulty of correcting the harm done, since we cannot know the full extent of the injury, nor stop the tongues of people. Finally, we must think on the eternal punishment which follows this sin. The holy Fathers say that of young persons who are condemned the greater part is for impurity, but of the old, for calumny.

 

Nelson Mandela International Day[6]


 

Nelson Mandela Day seeks to celebrate the political and social achievements of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Mandela, who spent three decades in prison for his political activism, became the first black president of the Republic of South Africa in 1994. His presidency ended the long-standing apartheid in which whites ruled over blacks and saw the birth of democracy and equality among all citizens. He was also active in combatting poverty, encouraging land reform, expanding health services, supporting education and setting an example of peace, anti-racism and human rights adherence for other nations.

Nelson Mandela International Day was designated by the
United Nations and the Nelson Mandela Foundation in 2009. It is celebrated on Mandela's birthday, July 18th, in an effort to recognize the impact of Mandela's values and his contribution to humanity.   Mandela passed away in December of 2013 at the age of 95.

 

Nelson Mandela International Day Facts & Quotes

 

·         Nelson Mandela has received several awards including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, the Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St. John and the Order of Merit from the Queen Elizabeth II and the Order of Canada.

·         When Nelson Mandela was born his name was Rolihlalala Mandela, which meant, to pull a branch off a tree and troublemaker. He was given the name Nelson in school when he was seven years old.

·         Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison and ended up spending over 27 years in prison. He was eventually released from prison due to secret talks he had with the president of South Africa at the time, F.W. de Klerk.

·         It is easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build. - Nelson Mandela

·         We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right. – Nelson Mandela 

Things to do 

·         Devote 67 minutes of your day to helping others (volunteering, helping mom, cleaning, etc.). For 67 years, Nelson Mandela fought for humanity and on every July 18th, Mandela's birthday, the UN and the NMF ask citizens of the world to devote 67 minutes of time to helping others.

·         Watch one of the movies detailing the life of Nelson Mandela or apartheid. Some suggestions are: Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), Invictus (2009), and Mandela and de Klerk (1997).

·         Nominate someone or an organization that you think serves every day.  If you think they make a positive change in your community, you can nominate those you think deserve acknowledgement as a Madiba Change Maker by sharing their stories on social media with the hashtag #Time2Serve.

·         Spread awareness by using the hashtags #NelsonMandelaInternationalDay, #MandelaDay and #mandela.

·         Research South African history to gain a better understanding of how the apartheid system came about, what it entailed and learn more about the segregation in the country. Books such as The History of South Africa and South African History shed light on the colonial periods and the beginning of state-run segregation. 

Novena of St. Ann[7]


 

Daily Prayer to Saint Ann

 

O glorious St. Ann, you are filled with compassion for those who invoke you and with love for those who suffer! Heavily burdened with the weight of my troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take the present intention which I recommend to you in your special care.

Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen.

 

Our Father, . . . Hail Mary . . .

 

O Jesus, Holy Mary, St. Ann, help me now and at the hour of my death. Good St. Ann, intercede for me.

 

SECOND DAY

 

From the depths of my heart, good St. Ann, I offer you my homage this day and ask you to shelter me under the mantle of your motherly care. You know, good mother, how much I love you, how gladly I serve you, how happy I am to praise you, how eager I am to call on you in time of distress.

 

Good St. Ann be pleased to extend your helping hand in all my wants. Listen to my prayers, for I place my trust in your gracious bounty. Make all my thoughts and desires worthy and righteous.

Jesus, I thank You for all the graces which in Your infinite goodness You have lavished upon St. Ann; for having chosen her, among all women, to be Your grandmother on earth and exalted her in heaven with such great and miraculous powers. In the name of her merits, I humbly recommend myself to Your infinite mercy.

 

National Ice Cream Day[8]



National Ice Cream Day is dedicated to appreciating ice cream.  In 1984, Senator Walter Dee Huddleston of Kentucky initiated a joint resolution to declare July as the National Ice Cream Month and July 15 as National Ice Cream Day.  On July 9, 1984, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July 1984 as the National Ice Cream Month and July 15, 1984 as the National Ice Cream Day. This holiday is now celebrated on the third Sunday of July.  


According to the International Dairy Foods Association, the origins of ice cream date back to the second century B.C., when several prominent historical figures such as Alexander the Great, King Soloman and Nero Claudius Caesar enjoyed consuming iced beverages and snow. As the centuries passed, the snow and ice were refined into cream ice and eventually, in 1777, ice cream was first advertised in New York. However, ice cream was a rare delicacy for the elite until 1800s when ice houses were built. Since then, it has become a staple dessert for the American people.

National Ice Cream Day Facts & Quotes

·         During the summer of 1790, President George Washington spent $200 on ice cream.  Meanwhile, according to Thomas Berry of Duke University, the price of 1 pound of coffee was $0.50 in 1788.

·         10% of milk in the US goes towards making ice cream.

·         During World War II, ice cream was served to troops to boost morale while sanctions and rationing was in effect for the general public.  When the war ended, rationing of ice cream was lifted and Americans celebrated victory with a cold, creamy treat. In fact, each American consumed more than 20 quarts of ice cream in 1946.

·         In 2014, 872 million gallons of ice cream were produced in the United States.  The average American annually consumes 22 pounds of ice cream.

·         Ice cream is a nutritious and wholesome food, enjoyed by over ninety percent of the people in the United States. It enjoys a reputation as the perfect dessert and snack food. Over eight hundred and eighty-seven million gallons of ice cream were consumed in the United States in 1983. - President Ronald Reagan, Proclamation 5219 - National Ice Cream Month and National Ice Cream Day, 1984

National Ice Cream Day Top Events and Things to Do

·         Enjoy ice cream with your family and friends.

·         Get free or discounted ice cream.  Most ice cream shops giveaway free ice cream or offer special discounts on National Ice Cream Day.

·         Make President Thomas Jefferson's favorite vanilla ice cream.  The recipe believed to have been handwritten by Jefferson is archived at the Library of Congress.

·         Liven up your ice cream by getting some healthy toppings.  Our favorites:
-Chopped Walnuts
-Fresh Berries
-Raw Cacao nibs
-Goji Berries
-Frozen chopped banana
-Granola
-Unsweetened shredded Coconut

·         Try a non-dairy alternative to milk-based ice cream products.  Whether it is for dietary choices or lactose-intolerance, there are a variety of non-dairy frozen desserts made from soymilk, coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk and rice milk.  Here are some non-dairy frozen desserts to try:
- Rice Dream Organic Vanilla
- Luna & Larry’s Organic Coconut Bliss Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey
- So Delicious Dairy Free Cashew Milk in Salted Caramel Cluster flavor
- Nada Moo Gotta Do Chocolate Ice Cream
- So Delicious Almond Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

HAJJ Begins today


Hajj[1]

 

The Hajj starts today. Hajj is a holy pilgrimage to Mecca that is obligatory for all Muslims who can afford to go. The 3rd chapter of the Quran, Surah Ale-Imran makes Hajj mandatory.  During this pilgrimage, Muslims try to get closer to God. The Hajj is performed in the last month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul-Hijjah.  All Muslims who can afford to go on the Hajj are required to do so at least once in their life. Muslims believe that the Prophet Abraham built the Ka'aba with his son Ismael. Kaaba is a sacred cube-shaped shrine at the centre Al-Masjid al-Haram mosque, in Mecca (Saudi Arabia).  Muslims walk around the Ka'bah seven times as part of the Hajj.  Muslims face to pray in the direction of the Ka'bah no matter where they are in the world.  It was the first house built solely for the purpose of worshipping God.  To be completed, the Hajj requires a minimum of five days, during which pilgrim’s travel across Arabia to complete various rituals, some of which are optional, but considered highly beneficial.

 

Hajj Facts

 

·         According to Sahih Bukhari (one of the six main hadith writings of Sunni Islam), the Prophet Muhammad once said that those who finish the Hajj without committing any obscenity or transgression will have their sins completely wiped away.

·         It is believed that to teach Muslims to remain humble and unified, God mandated the Hajj.  During it, everyone wears the same clothes, prays together, and goes around the Ka'bah together.

·         According to the Saudi Arabian Embassy, the Hajj is the largest gathering of human beings on the Earth.

 

Hajj Events and Things to Do

 

·         Visit the mountains of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah in Mecca.  Pilgrims walk between two hills, Safa and Marwa, seven times during the Hajj because they believe that Hagar, the wife of Abraham, did the same when looking for water for her thirsty baby Ismael.  As soon as she finished her seventh run, the Zamzam well sprung out from under baby Ismael's foot.  To this day, pilgrims on the Hajj drink the Zamzam's water, and often take it home with them in large canisters.

·         Visit the tower at Jamrat-al-Aqabah (Saudi Arabia).  After sunset on the day of Arafah, as part of the Hajj, pilgrims throw small pebbles at Jamrat-al-Aqabah.  This is the place where it is believed the Devil stood as he tried to tempt Abraham from carrying out orders from God.  This is act commemorates and symbolizes Abraham's rejecting of the devil.

Understanding Islam: A Guide[2]

 

Today we are bombarded with conflicting versions of Muslims and Islamin the media. This guide is intended to help all people in the Roman Catholic Church to present Islam accurately and in ways that preserve and promote “together for the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom” (Nostra Aetate3). In spite of the many conflicts and hostilities that have arisen between Muslims and Christians over the centuries, as Christians we are called to reject violence and to live in fraternal love with all human beings. This document intends to identify some of those beliefs and values that Muslims and Christians have in common, as well as some differences, so as to assist those whom we are teaching to live harmoniously together with understanding and respect and to work for peace more effectively. Understanding Islam and Muslims the name Islam means “submission” and those who submit to God are Muslims. The terms have the same Arabic root as the word for peace, Salam. Muslims believe that peace comes through the submission to the one and only God. Although it is often associated with Muslims alone, the name of God in Arabic, Allah (al-Lah– “the God”), is the same name used by Christians and Jews. When saying the name of Allah, Muslims enerally say: “Subhanahu wa ta’aalaa”, which means “May He be glorified and exalted”. Muslims and Christians share many common beliefs in their worship of a single Creator God who loves creation and who commands that His most cherished creations, human beings, love Him, one another, and His creation. In some ways, however, Muslims and Christians have profoundly different beliefs. Muslims do not believe in the Trinitarian nature of God, nor do they accept that Jesus Christ is God incarnate. They believe, however, that Jesus is one of the five most distinguished Prophets of God sent to mankind. Christians, on the other hand, do not recognize Muhammad as a prophet, and do not accept many aspects of the message he preached, including dietary restrictions, polygamy, and other teachings. For Muslims, Muhammad is the recipient of God’s final revelation, the Qur’an, and the model for all human beings, in much the same way as the Virgin Mary is for many Christians. But Muhammad’s role as prophet, law giver and military leader is more similar to that of Moses in the Old Testament. Muhammad is not worshipped by Muslims –he is recognized by them as the final Prophet, the Seal of the prophets, sent by God and is the object of great reverence and devotion. Christians do not accord Muhammad the same status as the biblical prophets but may regard him as a prophetic figure on such issues as charity and the protection of the poor, widows and orphans.

 


Daily Devotions

·         Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Make reparations to the Holy Face

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Go to MASS

·         Rosary




[1]http://www.biblewise.com/bible_study/characters/tobit-and-tobias.php

[2] McCain, John; Salter, Mark (2005-10-25). Character Is Destiny.

[5] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.

[7]Blessed Sacrament Fathers, ST. ANN’S SHRINE, Cleveland, Ohio 

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