Monday, August 9, 2021
Let Freedom Ring: Freedom from Relativism
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
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
Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, etc.
From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred to others,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,
From the fear of being humiliated,
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
From the fear of being calumniated,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being suspected,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase
and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
__ 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)
St. Benedicta of the Cross-Islamic
New Year-Book Lovers Day
Ester, Chapter 8, Verse 17
So,
Ester saves the Jews and now it is cool to be a Jew. So cool that in Persia
there were Jewish posers. Interesting. Here we see God’s promise to those who
trust that after the trial, will come rejoicing; just as after the darkness of
night the sun does rise.
Brief
Lesson[1]
There
is no better consolation under crosses and afflictions than the thought that
all the troubles of this world are not to be compared with the glory to come,
and that which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation worketh for
us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory (n. Cor. iv. 17). And,
therefore, St. Bede says: If we had to bear for a while the pains of hell, it
would not appear so hard, if thereby we might merit to see Christ in His glory,
and to be added to His saints.
Trusting
in God[2]
Life is filled with many
difficulties and challenges that cause us to worry. Each day we are confronted
with many events that may cause us to become apprehensive. What is worry? The
dictionary says that when we worry, we torment ourselves with disturbing
thoughts. According to the National Institutes of Health, one in three
adults has occasional insomnia, and one in ten adults has chronic
sleeplessness. Experts are concerned about the ever-increasing
consumption of sleeping pills by many Americans. The remedy for worry is
for all of us to trust in God. St. Augustine once said that God is closer
to us than we are to ourselves. We experience God through our life of
prayer. Prayer is conversation with God. Prayer is a continual being in
love because God is real. God is personal. No matter what
might be going on in our lives, we must
always pray and pray daily. Prayer is the air that we breathe. One
of the greatest challenges that we encounter is our inability to see and to
listen to God. We can be caught up in the distractions of daily life that
prevent us from really encountering God. Our busy lives require refreshing
times of prayer throughout the day. God is moving us away from clinging to
things, people and institutions. He is calling us to detachment, to the
desert, to the journey into the night of naked faith. He is calling us to
cling to him and only him. This journey is difficult, frightening at
times and even risky. But those who embark upon the journey will be
transformed into living witnesses of the God of love. However, without a
serious spiritual life, anxiety and fear will overwhelm us. If we are a people
who live truly spiritual lives, we will be filled with peace and joy no matter what
may be going on around us. And this is so, because we will always be able to
trust God.
St. Teresa of Avila,
the famous Spanish mystic, once wrote: "Let nothing trouble you. Let nothing
frighten you. Everything passes. God never changes. Patience
obtains all. Whoever has God, wants for nothing. God alone is
enough."
St. Teresa provides us
profound words of wisdom for our present times. The staggering number of
prescription drugs available for the many forms of uneasiness and tension
illustrates that many of our contemporaries suffer deep inner turmoil. It
is true that we are experiencing profound challenges: wars, continual threats
of terrorism, problems within our Catholic Church, the rapidly accelerating
unraveling of moral decency in our society, an uncertain economy and the
terrible wounds caused by the dismantling of family life. Nevertheless,
challenges such as these should remind us that we must always trust in God who is always with us. Trust is rooted in
faith which is a gift. If your faith is weak, ask God to give you more
faith. To do this incorporate into your lives four practices that are so
basic for anyone who wants to be a serious Catholic: contemplative prayer,
daily Mass or a prolonged visit before the Blessed Sacrament, daily Rosary and
the frequent use of the Sacrament of Confession. These four things will
allow you to trust God and they will provide you with the interior peace that
all seek.
What are the practical
steps that we can take in order to incorporate into our busy lives a serious
spiritual life?
·
First of all, we need balance in our lives. When was the last time that we
enjoyed dinner with family and friends, or turned off our cell phone and
refrained from checking our email at every moment? Excessive work and travel,
excessive involvement in sports and entertainment are tearing us apart.
·
Secondly, a serious spiritual life
requires the capacity to be alone. It is difficult to be alone
in our contemporary society. Even when we are alone, the noise of our own
worries and fears drown out the silence of God's voice. Many people are
incapable of being alone and they immediately feel an obsession to talk with
someone on a cell phone or check their email. We all need moments of
solitude. Spending a quiet time before the Eucharist, reading the
Scriptures during a peaceful moment at home, taking tranquil walks through the
woods or along the beach all are necessary for our soul. In order to be
with God, we must develop the ability to be alone with ourselves.
·
Thirdly, we need order in our lives. Working out daily schedules for
the entire family by setting realistic priorities and minimizing
extra-curricular activities for the children are steps that we can take.
Early to bed and early to rise is a wise principle which is still valid today.
St. Teresa Benedicta of
the Cross[3]
A brilliant philosopher who stopped believing in God when she was fourteen, Edith Stein was so captivated by reading the autobiography of Teresa of Avila that she began a spiritual journey that led to her Baptism in 1922. Twelve years later she imitated Teresa by becoming a Carmelite, taking the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Born into a prominent Jewish family in Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland), Edith abandoned Judaism in her teens. As a student at the University of Gottingen, she became fascinated by phenomenology, an approach to philosophy. Excelling as a protege of Edmund Husserl, one of the leading phenomenologists, Edith earned a doctorate in philosophy in 1916. She continued as a university teacher until 1922 when she moved to a Dominican school in Speyer; her appointment as lecturer at the Educational Institute of Munich ended under pressure from the Nazis. After living in the Cologne Carmel (1934-1938), she moved to the Carmelite monastery in Echt, Netherlands. The Nazis occupied that country in 1940. In retaliation for being denounced by the Dutch bishops, the Nazis arrested all Dutch Jews who had become Christians. Teresa Benedicta and her sister Rosa, also a Catholic, died in a gas chamber in Auschwitz on August 9, 1942.
Things to Do:
·
In the month of August we celebrate two martyrs
of Auschwitz, St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Teresa Benedicta. We need to pray,
hard and often that our world does not return to the inhumanity to man. The
acceptance of euthanasia and abortion, embryonic stem cell research, IVF, are
the first steps to deciding who can live or who can die. Offer a Mass, say a
rosary, offer sacrifices, etc. to end abortion and other sins against mankind.
Read about Auschwitz and ponder the modern gas chambers in every state
of our Union and resolve to do all that you can to end the killing.
·
Read more about Edith Stein at this site.
·
To teach the children more about this saint,
discuss topics such as these at age-appropriate levels :
1.
Definition of a martyr.
2.
Discussion of the Jews as our older brothers and
sisters in the Faith. In the Eucharistic Prayer I (the Roman Canon) we refer to
"Abraham, our father in faith."
3.
Discussion of the call of Truth, its claim on us,
despite the cost.
4.
Edith Stein's reason for taking the name
"Teresa."
5.
Discussion of patron saints and what it means to our
daily lives.
6.
For younger children, discuss on simpler terms ideas
such as complete love of God; our daily crosses; meaning of sacrifice; and how
to make small but meaningful sacrifices for God.
·
Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta) was a
philosopher and prolific writer. Her writings are available from ICS
Publications. Of special note is her Essays on Woman.
·
Catholic Culture's library contains two writings
of Edith Stein:
The Vocation of the Soul to Eternal Life, and Verses For a Pentecost Novena
·
For more about Edith Stein, see Catholic
Culture's Search Engine and type "Edith Stein".
Moharram (Islamic New Year)[4]
· Muharram (1st first month of the Islamic calendar) is the holiest month after Ramadan. This month is most recommended by Muhammad to fast and worship in.
·
The
Islamic method of dating was invented by Umar ibn Al-Khattab, a close friend of
Muhammad. He was the second Islamic Caliph (rulers) and in the year 638
he standardized the many calendars of the Arabian Peninsula.
·
The
Islamic calendar is lunar cycle based and contains twelve months that make up a
total of 354.36 days together.
·
There
are parallels between this holiday and the day of Ashura. Ashura commemorates what
Muslims believe is Moses crossing the Red Sea to escape the oppressive Pharaoh
on Ashura. Similarly, the Islamic New Year marks Muhammad's crossing the
desert between Mecca and Medina to escape the oppressive Quraish nobles.
For both observances, Muhammad recommended Muslims to fast.
·
The
Islamic calendar is abbreviated A.H. or Anno Hegirae in Western languages.
The first date on the Islamic calendar, 1,1 Muharram A.H. corresponds to
July 16, year 622.
Top Events and Things to Do
·
Muslim
parents traditionally tell their children of Muhammad's escape from Mecca to
Medina on this night.
·
Read
more about Muhammad's journey from Mecca to Medina by reading his biography,
The Sealed Nectar.
Book
Lovers Day[5]
·
From the scent of a rare first edition book found in an old-time
book collection, to a crisp, fresh book at the local supermarket, the very
sight of a book can bring back memories. Reading as a child, enjoying the short
stories, the long books and the ability to lose yourself in a story so powerful
that at the end your asking yourself where to get the next book in the series.
This is for the reader in all of us, the celebration of Book Lovers Day!
While the day’s origins
may be shrouded in mystery and rumor, the books themselves are not. Started
from carving on stone tablets, the book was designed to make portable the
writings and drawings of those that could not carry around stone tablets.
Originally it was parchment or vellum (calf skin, in case you were wondering)
was bound tightly with a wooden cover. Often the wooden cover was tightly
wrapped in leather to prevent the wood from getting wet and had clasps or
straps to hold it shut. In the more modern age, printing capabilities made
books cheaper, and easier, to print. The printing press, the typewriter, and
the computer all had an effect on the market of books. But more so than most,
is the upsurge in electronic devices that can be used to read on. Computers,
tablets, and most cell phones now have the ability to read books, making it
that much easier to carry around a small library to enjoy not matter where you
are.
How to celebrate Book Lovers Day
In order to truly
appreciate Book Lovers Day, one must only find a story and read it. Maybe you
wish to dive into the unknown with a good mystery, or see magic in a high
fantasy setting, or be enthralled in a steamy romance. The individual genre of
your reading is not the big piece of this, just that you do read is. Maybe a
visit to your local library is in order? After all public libraries existed
even way back in the Middle Ages, but they didn’t really let many folks take
books home. The librarians in those days chained books to shelves or desks in
order to prevent theft of the carefully hand-written tomes. Many librarians
will gladly help you find a title to read, giving a brief explanation on what
it is about if they have read it, or giving it a little flip and reading about
it quickly in the synopsis. But no matter your preference, if you read it at
home with a cup of tea, share a book meeting with friends or go to the library
and make use of the wonderful pieces on those shelves, just enjoy your reading,
revel in the book and find a way to read during Book Lovers Day!
Daily Devotions
·
Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
·
Monday: Litany of
Humility
·
Rosary
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