DAY 1 - HOLY MARY, HELP US TO STRIVE FOR PERFECTION!
GOD'S WORD
HEROES' WORDS
MEDITATION
PRAY A ROSARY
- Rosary of the Day: Glorious Mysteries
- Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Glorious Mysteries
FEAST
OF THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY
1 Maccabees, Chapter
3, Verse 30
This was the fear of a powerful
King; that he would run out of money for bribery. When you have no just cause
nor are loved by men this is the only power you can rely on; for such types
they have long abandoned the faith in He that Is. I wonder if this was the fear
of the Clinton’s leaving the White House dead broke before the establishment of
the Clinton Foundation or the baby killing Congress throwing money they don’t
have around.
The
Reaction of King Antiochus[1] sounds like actions of the
elite after our recent election
·
Angry
at defeat he seeks vengeance.
·
He
needs a great army.
·
He
needs a pile of cash.
·
He
however is short of cash because of mismanagement and foolish policies.
·
He
needs to squeeze the middle class in Persia for cash.
·
Going
to Persia himself to get the shekels he needs he leaves his second in charge
Lysias with orders to destroy Jerusalem.
·
Yet,
Judas Maccabee does not falter. His primary reliance is upon prayer to God.
Three Prayers of a Warrior[2]
1.
The
first prayer of a warrior is to the Holy Spirit. He responds directly to us. A
warrior knows to ask for His help for a warrior to be successful must be filled
not with the spirit of vengeance or anger but with peace and resolve to finish
the fight. In prayer we can find our way out of every situation that has no
exit. The Madonna of Medjugorje has said, “Satan cannot defeat you, not even a
little, because you are God’s children, and He is watching over you. Pray and
let the rosary always be in your hands as a sign to Satan that you belong to
me. She further instructs, “Open your hearts to the Holy Spirit. Especially
during these days...surrender your hearts and surrender your life to Jesus. The
most important thing is to ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit. The weapons and
shields, the equipment of battle, all lay in prayer, and prayer to the Holy
Spirit is the first prayer of the prayer-warrior. “Begin by calling on the Holy Spirit each day” says Mary of
Medjugorje.
2.
The
second prayer of the warrior is the prayer of deliverance.
Purge
us all, oh Holy Spirit. Lead us to the proper way of deliverance, in obedience
always to the Church. Guide us every inch of the way. Send us new battalions of
angels. Send us the great Archangel Michael, and Saint Francis of Assisi, and
the dragon slayer, Saint George. Deliver us from the energies that jump at us
from social evils too numerous to name. Come, oh Lord Jesus, and break all
bondage. Break the bondages of anger, sloth, addiction, pride, envy,
promiscuity, gluttony, lust, resentment, unforgiveness, hatred, false prophecy,
and the occult. Free us from ungodliness of all kinds. Purge us of any demons
we may have picked up. Let us not be deceived, oh Lord! Free us too, of any
demonic forces that have come through the family tree. Free us of oppression,
depression, discouragement, and every mental torment.
3.
The
third prayer of a warrior is the prayer for spiritual wisdom.
Lord
Jesus, as the strongest Man, please bind all spirits that come against us.
Please open our spiritual eyes. Please set us forth to understand what we should
understand. Please grant us proper spiritual wisdom. Teach us to be wise. Teach
us how sin attracts demons, or is inspired by evil to begin with. Grant that we
carry forth out Christian duty without undue curiosity. Teach us that the more
we sin, the harder and colder we get, the greater is our bondage.
ON KEEPING THE LORDS
DAY HOLY[3]
CHAPTER
III
DIES
ECCLESIAE
The
Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday
The
day of the Church
36. The Sunday assembly is the
privileged place of unity: it is the setting for the celebration of the
sacramentum unitatis which profoundly marks the Church as a people gathered
"by" and "in" the unity of the Father, of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit. For Christian families, the Sunday assembly is one of the most
outstanding expressions of their identity and their "ministry" as
"domestic churches", when parents share with their children at the
one Table of the word and of the Bread of Life. We do well to recall in this
regard that it is first of all the parents who must teach their children to
participate in Sunday Mass; they are assisted in this by catechists, who are to
see to it that initiation into the Mass is made a part of the formation
imparted to the children entrusted to their care, explaining the important
reasons behind the obligatory nature of the precept. When circumstances suggest
it, the celebration of Masses for Children, in keeping with the provisions of
the liturgical norms, can also help in this regard.
At Sunday Masses in parishes,
insofar as parishes are "Eucharistic communities", it is normal to
find different groups, movements, associations and even the smaller religious
communities present in the parish. This allows everyone to experience in common
what they share most deeply, beyond the particular spiritual paths which, by
discernment of Church authority, legitimately distinguish them. This is why on
Sunday, the day of gathering, small group Masses are not to be encouraged: it
is not only a question of ensuring that parish assemblies are not without the
necessary ministry of priests, but also of ensuring that the life and unity of
the Church community are fully safeguarded and promoted. Authorization of
possible and clearly restricted exceptions to this general guideline will
depend upon the wise discernment of the Pastors of the particular Churches, in
view of special needs in the area of formation and pastoral care, and keeping
in mind the good of individuals or groups — especially the benefits which such
exceptions may bring to the entire Christian community.
Sunday Feast
of the Assumption of Mary[4]
AUGUST 15.
This feast is so called because on
this day, according to a very old and pious belief, the Blessed Virgin was, in
body and soul, taken up into heaven. This feast is of very great antiquity; it
was fixed on the 15th of August at the request of the Emperor Maurice, and
afterwards, by Pope Leo IV, was extended to the whole Church.
In the Introit of the Mass the
Church invites us to universal joy by singing, “Let us all rejoice in the Lord,
celebrating this festival in honor of the most blessed Virgin Mary, on whose assumption
into heaven the angels rejoice and give praise to the Son of God. My heart hath
uttered a good word; I speak my works to the King.
Pardon,
we beseech Thee, O Lord, the sins of Thy servants, that we, who are not able to
please Thee by our deeds, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of Thy
Son. Amen
EPISTLE. Ecclus. xxiv. 11-20.
In all things I sought rest, and I
shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord. Then the Creator of all things
commanded, and said to me: and He that made me rested in my tabernacle. And He
said to me: Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy in heritance in Israel, and
take root in My elect. From the beginning, and before the world, was I created,
and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy
dwelling-place I have ministered before Him. And so was I established in Sion, and
in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem. And I took
root in an honorable people, and in the portion of my God His inheritance, and
my abode is in the full assembly of saints. I was exalted like a cedar in
Libanus, and as a cypress-tree on Mount Sion. I was exalted like a palm tree in
Cades, and as a rose-plant in Jericho: as a fair olive-tree in the plains, and
as a plane-tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted. I gave a sweet
smell like cinnamon, and aromatical balm: I yielded a sweet odor like the best
myrrh.
GOSPEL. Luke x. 38-42.
At
that time Jesus entered into a certain town: and a certain woman named Martha
received Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sitting also
at the Lord’s feet, heard His word. But Martha was busy about much serving. Who
stood and said: Lord, hast Thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to
serve? speak to her therefore, that she help me. And the Lord answering, said
to her: Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things. But
one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be
taken away from her.
Why
does the Church read this gospel to-day?
Because it readily admits of being
applied to Mary, the Mother of God, since she, far more worthily and lovingly
than Martha, chose the best part, and thereby obtained the most glorious
reward, which no one shall ever take from her.
What
is the one thing necessary?
The glory of God and the salvation
of the soul. Let a man, therefore, fulfil the duties which are binding upon him;
but in so doing let him look only to God, avoid all uneasiness and dis
traction, all extravagance and excess, all that is unjust, and sooner sacrifice
everything than suffer injury to his soul.
Assumption of Mary[5]
The day that the mother of God was assumed body and soul into heaven and
crowned Queen
Traditionally
Roman Catholics believe Mary, the Virgin mother of Jesus, never physically died
and instead ascended into heaven. Mary, as the mother of God, is believed by
some Christian faiths to have lived a life without sin. Some early-church
theologians believed that since she and Christ were both without sin that Mary
must have raised bodily to heaven just as Christ was. This belief began
the feast of the Assumption of Mary.
Assumption
of Mary Facts
·
The
Assumption of Mary isn't in the Bible. The theology it is based upon is
from several early church documents and sermons. The Orthodox Church
continued the tradition, but it didn't become doctrine in the Roman Catholic
Church until 1950 when Pope Pius XII declared the belief infallible.
·
Thomas
was the only disciple who purportedly saw Mary's ascension into heaven.
In a reversal of his story in scripture, the other disciples didn't
believe him at first. Mary dropped her girdle when she reached heaven,
and Thomas caught it.
·
The
Feast of the Assumption of Mary is a high feast Day in the Roman Catholic
Church and the Orthodox Church. The day venerates the assumption into
heaven of Mary, the mother of Jesus. It is held on August 15. In
the Orthodox tradition, the feast, called the Dormition of the Theotokos, is
held the same date, although the day may be later for churches that follow the
Gregorian calendar.
Assumption
of Mary Top Events and Things to Do
·
Attend
an Orthodox Church during the Feast of the Assumption to see the blessing of
flowers.
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Start
an herb garden or plant some bulbs to bloom in spring in honor of Mary.
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The
Assumption of Mary is a popular subject in Christian art. One of the most
famous is The Assumption of the Virgin, by El Greco and available for viewing
in the Art Institute of Chicago. See if your local art museum has
paintings of the Assumption.
·
Sing
or Listen to a rendition of "Ave Maria". One of the more
popular renditions is by Luciano Pavarotti.
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Many
faithful in the Orthodox Church will also be breaking a two-week fast after the
service honoring the Assumption of Mary. If you are fasting attend a
community meal offered by many Orthodox Churches.
·
The Directory on
Popular Piety talks about the deep significance
of this feast day. It also refers to the custom of blessing herbs:
o In the Germanic countries, the
custom of blessing herbs is associated with 15 August. This custom, received
into the Rituale Romanum, represents a clear example of the genuine
evangelization of pre-Christian rites and beliefs: one must turn to God,
through whose word "the earth produced vegetation: plants bearing seeds in
their several kinds, and trees bearing fruit with their seed inside in their
several kinds" (Gen 1, 12) in order to obtain what was formerly obtained
by magic rites; to stem the damages deriving from poisonous herbs, and benefit
from the efficacy of curative herbs.
o This ancient use came to be
associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary, in part because of the biblical images
applied to her such as vine, lavender, cypress and lily, partly from seeing her
in terms of a sweet-smelling flower because of her virtue, and most of all
because of Isaiah 11, 1, and his reference to the "shoot springing from
the side of Jesse", which would bear the blessed fruit of Jesus.
·
In
an age of sensuality and materialism the Assumption points out the dignity and
destiny of our human body, extols the dignity of womanhood, and turns our eyes
to the true life beyond the grave. At Mass today ask Mary for the grace to keep
your mind fixed on things above and to aspire continually to be united with her
and to be brought to the glory of the Resurrection.
Processions[6]
Most likely the oldest and certainly the highest annual feast day of Mary, the Feast of the Assumption is held in both east and west as a day of great solemnity. Processions would wind their way either through cities and towns in order to publicly honor Mary or through fields in order to pray for God's blessing upon the harvest. Marian hymns would be sung, and statues of the Blessed Virgin carried. In some places there would even be a dramatic representation of the mystery of the assumption. The statue of Mary would be carried through town to an elaborate arch of flowers symbolizing the gate of Heaven. From here another statue, a statue of Christ, would greet "her" and conduct her to the church as a symbol of her entrance into eternal glory. The procession would then conclude with Benediction.
Our Lady’s 30 Days[7]
In pre-Christian times the season from the middle of August to the middle of September was observed as a period of rejoicing and thanksgiving for the successful harvest of grains. Many symbolic rites were aimed toward assuring man of prosperous weather for the reaping of the fall fruits and for winter planting. Some elements of these ancient cults are now connected with the feast and season of the Assumption. All through the Middle Ages the days from August 15 to September 15 were called "Our Lady's Thirty Days" (Frauendreissiger) in the German-speaking sections of Europe. Many Assumption shrines even today show Mary clothed in a robe covered with ears of grain. These images (Maria im Gerteidekleid, Our Lady of Grains) are favored goals of pilgrimages during August. Popular legends ascribe a character of blessing and goodness to Our Lady's Thirty Days. Both animals and plants are said to lose their harmful traits. Poisonous snakes do not strike, poison plants are harmless, wild animals refrain from attacking humans. All food produced during this period is especially wholesome and good and will remain fresh much longer than at other times of the year. The fact that herbs picked in August were considered of great power in healing occasioned the medieval practice of the "Blessing of Herbs" on Assumption Day. The Church thus elevated a popular belief of pre-Christian times into an observance of religious import and gave it the character of a Christian rite of deep and appropriate meaning. In central Europe the feast itself was called "Our Lady's Herb Day" (Kräutertag in German, Matka Boska Zielna in Polish). In the Alpine provinces the blessing of herbs is still bestowed before the solemn service of the Assumption. The city of Wurzburg in Bavaria used to be a favored center of these blessings, and from this fact it seems to have received its very name in the twelfth century (Würz: spice herb). The Roman Ritual still provides an official blessing of herbs on Assumption Day which, among other prayers, contains the petition that God may bless the medicinal powers of these herbs and make them mercifully efficient against diseases and poisons in humans and domestic animals. The Eastern Rites have similar blessings. In fact, the Syrians celebrate a special feast of "Our Lady of Herbs" on May 15. Among the Armenians, the faithful bring the first grapes from their vineyards to church on Assumption Day to have them solemnly blessed by the priest. Before breakfast the father distributes them to his family. No one would dream of tasting the new harvest before consuming the first blessed grapes on Our Lady's Day.
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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.
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Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
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Make
reparations to the Holy Face
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Go to MASS
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Rosary
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