DAY 23 - MARY, CAUSE OF OUR JOY, PRAY THAT WE RECEIVE THE FRUIT OF GENTLENESS!
GOD'S WORD
HEROES' WORDS
MEDITATION
PRAY A ROSARY
- Rosary of the Day: Joyful Mysteries
- Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Sorrowful Mysteries
LABOR DAY
NO PROCASTINATION- ROSH HASHANAH begins at sundown
His foster brother Philip brought the body home; but FEARING Antiochus’ son, he later withdrew into Egypt, to Ptolemy Philometor.
God punishes Antiochus IV and after a horrible demise he dies. Philip then skedaddles back to safe turf after dumping the body off. Can anyone really find peace without God?
Peace[1]
"Peace" is a biblical term. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for peace is shalôm. Literally, it means "to be complete or whole". Shalôm is used in many different ways in the Old Testament. It can mean general prosperity or well-being, safety or success, harmony among friends and family members, and harmony among nations. When used as a greeting or as a blessing it conveys the notion that one is wishing all good things to the person addressed. When the Hebrew of the Old Testament came in contact with the Greek world after Alexander the Great, the text was translated into a version of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint.
As with many biblical terms, the merging of Hebrew and Greek words and ideas provided a rich vocabulary for the sacred authors to express the word of God. Many Greek words were used in an attempt to capture the richness of the Hebrew concept of shalôm, but the most common was eirene. In classical Greek, this term denotes the state that is the opposite of war or civil disturbance. Eirene also was used to speak of an inner peace, in which a person had no conflicts or hostile feelings.
Under the influence of Jewish religion and Greek philosophy, the term evolved to refer to ethical goodness. So, Christians who were native speakers of Greek began to use eirene when speaking of the "the good that comes from God either in this age or the age of salvation". The richness of the word as we use it today can be traced back to this understanding. Because peace is so important for individuals and for society, we must know how to achieve and maintain peace. But to achieve each kind of peace requires that we understand the methods proper to each. Psychologists can help a person achieve inner harmony and may be able to offer advice on family dynamics and difficulties, but they are not usually the best source for spiritual guidance, and they certainly are not the frontline defenders of the civic order.
In the same way, we must not believe that friendly feelings towards the people of another country will suffice to keep us at peace with them. When it comes to achieving and maintaining peace, like in many things in life, it is vital to use the right "tool" for the right job. Two examples should help illustrate this point. The first has to do with maintaining peace with God. The second has to do with establishing peace among nations. Peace with God is God’s gift to us. God alone can place us in right relationship with him. This teaching is clear in both the Old and the New Testaments. God initiated the covenant with man, restored it when we fell, and fulfilled it in Jesus Christ. With Gideon we can say that "the Lord is our peace".
As Christians, we know that God dwells in us making us temples of the Holy Spirit. He promised us that he would provide for all our needs and that "all things would work together for good for those that love God and are called according to his purposes". We are told that without him we can do nothing, but that, in him, we are "more than conquerors".
Thus, for those who have accepted Christ, if we put these teachings together, we recognize that nothing ought to rob us of our peace.
This is the main point of Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart, a book written by Fr. Jacques Philippe, a French priest working in Rome. It is the type of essay one can return to again and again for solace and motivation. In it, Fr. Philippe boldly proclaims, "The reasons why we lose our peace are always bad reasons" because God gives his peace as a gift to those who entrust themselves to him. Jesus told his disciples: "Peace I leave with you, my own peace I give you; a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid".
This peace is no superficial freedom from conflicts or difficulties, but a deep, abiding inner peace that comes from union with and confidence in God.
Labor Day[2]
Labor Day is dedicated to honoring and remembering the achievements of the US worker. It is a national celebration which recognizes the contributions that American workers have made to the prosperity of their nation. Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September as a three-day weekend.
Labor Day Facts & Quotes
· The Central Labor Union observed the first Labor Day holiday in 1882 in New York City.
· Labor Day marks the end of the summer season, the beginning of school and the start of football season.
· According to the rules of fashion, Labor Day Weekend is the last official time where wearing white is appropriate.
· All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. - Martin Luther King Jr.
· Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital and deserves much the higher consideration. - Abraham Lincoln
Labor Day Top Events and Things to Do
· Go camping. Enjoy the last three-day weekend before the weather gets significantly colder.
Recovering Rest for Faith and Family[3]
When workers do not have adequate time to rest, families suffer. Also lost is the necessary time for spiritual growth and building a relationship with God. Pope Francis has said it is "inhuman" that parents must spend so much time working that they cannot play with their children. Surely many wish for more time, but their working conditions do not allow it.
As St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, "Even as God rests in Himself alone and is happy in the enjoyment of Himself, so our own sole happiness lies in the enjoyment of God. Thus, also, He makes us find rest in Himself, both from His works and our own. It is not, then, unreasonable to say that God rested in giving rest to us." A culture that obsesses less over endless activity and consumption may, over time, become a culture that values rest for the sake of God and family. Employers ought to consider the total well-being of their employees and prioritize conditions that help them to thrive as human persons. Wages and working hours should support the fundamental needs of people to form and nurture families. The spiritual needs of workers must also be taken into account, so that God may more easily draw them into deeper relationship toward their ultimate purpose.
One of my favorite memories of being stationed as a soldier in Germany was the mandatory closing of shops from Saturday afternoon until early Monday morning. As a result, I was able to spend time with my family walking with them through the beautiful German woodlands. Often, we Volksmarched together. There are Volksmarching Clubs in America take advantage of them with your family this holiday.
Why, Close Shops? Sunday is a Day to Synchronize Society[4]
"The Constitutional Court had to overthrow the Berlin law. ... The judgement was not 'out of touch with reality,' as the Berlin Chamber of Commerce claims, but is actually very closely in touch with real life. The great diversity of working lives brings with it the fact that members of a single family are forced into different and sometimes incompatible working hours.
If the state does not use some of its regulatory power to give a dependable rhythm to at least one free day -- and that is still Sunday -- then the family faces the threat of being pulled further apart."
"If they have no time with each other and for each other, then the formal notion of belonging together loses value. This danger faces many families in society. … The fact that in the face of growing commercialization and fewer jobs hardly any employee ever dares to ask for a free Saturday, led the labor unions to join the churches in their campaign -- with noticeable success."
Fight Procrastination Day[5]
“I never put off till tomorrow what I can possibly do — the day after.” ― Oscar Wilde
Procrastination can really be the bane of our existence, with another day coming around the corner, there’s no real reason that we can’t put it off till tomorrow is there? Of course not, and tomorrow has another tomorrow, so let’s do it again! It is by this way of thinking that absolutely nothing gets done, and we know good and well that procrastination is us out to get ourselves. But what can we do? Fight Procrastination Day reminds us that it’s up to us to beat this monster, and only we can decide to get up and get done today what was supposed to be done.
History of Fight Procrastination Day
Fight Procrastination Day tells us to get up in arms and start battling the age-old beast that is “putting things off”. There are a million techniques to battle it, but procrastination is decidedly an epic level raid monster, and sometimes it seems like a concerted effort of us and our most efficient friends is the only thing that will put it down. The fight against procrastination has been going on a long time, and there have been some really creative methods created to fight it, all to varying success. What kind of crazy techniques? How about Victor Hugo and James Riley choosing to write naked so it wasn’t a simple matter to head out to drink with the boys at the local pub? Not necessarily a universally practical method, but it definitely has its high points. Then there are modern versions that are truly remarkable, programs that you download onto your computer that act as a filter according to the rules you set up… Ya know, like if you work at home and want to use it to control your behavior during work hours?
How to celebrate Fight Procrastination Day
You celebrate Procrastination Day by getting ready to fight putting things off all day long. You can do this by starting with precommitment the night before, you set yourself an alarm, get rid of your distractions, set up your workspace, and be ready to hit the ground running when you get up. If you’re trying to make sure you’re ready for work, set your breakfast, coffee, and towels for the morning shower up the night before. Everything to streamline your way out the door and prevent you from dawdling.
Rosh Hashanah[6]
Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: ראש השנה) is the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah literally translates to the Head of the Year. It is a two-day festival. In the Bible, it is called Yom Ha-Zikkaron, the day of remembrance or Yom Teruah the day of the sounding of the shofar-(Leviticus 23:24-25). Jews start Rosh Hashanah festivals with lighting of the candles and synagogue prayers. On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, Jews eat an apple dipped in honey to signify a sweet new year to come. They also place a fish’s head at the table to commemorate 'being a head and not a tail'.
Rosh Hashanah Facts
· In synagogues it is common for 100 notes to be sounded with a Ram's horn as a call to repentance.
· Jews typically wear new clothes on Rosh Hashanah and eat new fruits that have not yet been tasted in the season. Customary foods include round hallah bread with raisins, pomegranates, pumpkins, carrots, and honey cake.
· For Rosh Hashana, many Jews 'cast off their sins' to a running water stream/sea containing fish (the Tashlich custom). This is to symbolically purge one's body of sin and cast the sins onto the fish.
· On Rosh Hashanah, it is believed that the fate of all Jews and Gentiles is defined by God for that year. Jews greet each other with many Happy New Year wishes. It is customary to therefore greet people with a wish for a happy New Year and to 'be inscribed for a good year' - meaning to be allocated by God a full year of healthy life.
· New Year prayers include many passages relating to the sovereignty and dominion of God over the entire world. One of these prayers is recited daily and is called Aleinu leshabei'ach (it is our duty to praise God). However, on Rosh Hashanah, during this prayer, Orthodox Jews bow down to accept the full Sovereignty of the Lord.
Rosh Hashanah Top Events and Things to Do
· Send New Year's Greeting Cards to your Jewish friends.
· Celebrate the Jewish New Year with a Rosh Hashana Concert. Popular concerts are held in major cities such as New York and London.
· Attend a local Rosh Hashanah service in a synagogue near you.
35 Promises of God[7] cont.
“Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed, your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
-Matt 6:31-33
Daily Devotions
· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Authentic Feminism
· Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
· Monday: Litany of Humility
· Rosary
[1]https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/a-primer-on-peace
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