Sunday, October 10, 2021

Twentieth Sun. aft Pentecost (28^th S. Ord. Time)

Psalm 3, Verse 7

I do not FEAR, then, thousands of people arrayed against me on every side.

In the verse before this David is surrounded by those who deny God and yet he asks for God’s help; trusts and then sleeps. Do you have trouble sleeping? Trust.

[ON KEEPING THE LORDS DAY HOLY[1]

CHAPTER III

DIES ECCLESIAE

The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday

Easter banquet and fraternal gathering

44. The communal character of the Eucharist emerges in a special way when it is seen as the Easter banquet, in which Christ himself becomes our nourishment. In fact, "for this purpose Christ entrusted to the Church this sacrifice: so that the faithful might share in it, both spiritually, in faith and charity, and sacramentally, in the banquet of Holy Communion. Sharing in the Lord's Supper is always communion with Christ, who offers himself for us in sacrifice to the Father". This is why the Church recommends that the faithful receive communion when they take part in the Eucharist, provided that they are properly disposed and, if aware of grave sin, have received God's pardon in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, in the spirit of what Saint Paul writes to the community at Corinth (cf. 1 Cor 11:27-32). Obviously, the invitation to Eucharistic communion is more insistent in the case of Mass on Sundays and holy days.

It is also important to be ever mindful that communion with Christ is deeply tied to communion with our brothers and sisters. The Sunday Eucharistic gathering is an experience of brotherhood, which the celebration should demonstrate clearly, while ever respecting the nature of the liturgical action. All this will be helped by gestures of welcome and by the tone of prayer, alert to the needs of all in the community. The sign of peace — in the Roman Rite significantly placed before Eucharistic communion — is a particularly expressive gesture which the faithful are invited to make as a manifestation of the People of God's acceptance of all that has been accomplished in the celebration and of the commitment to mutual love which is made in sharing the one bread, with the demanding words of Christ in mind: "If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Mt 5:23-24).

20th Sunday after Pentecost[2]

Under the traditional calendar the Church focuses on making our hearts ready through faith as we "redeem the times".

THE Introit of the Mass is a humble prayer by which we confess that we are punished for our disobedience. “All that Thou hast done to us, O Lord, Thou hast done in true judgment, because we have sinned against Thee, and we have not obeyed Thy commandments; but give glory to Thy name, and deal with us according to the multitude of Thy mercy (Dan. iii.). “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.”

Prayer.

Be appeased, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and grant to Thy faithful pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their offences, and serve Thee with secure mind.

EPISTLE. Eph. v. 15-21.

See, brethren, how you walk circumspectly: not as unwise, but as wise: redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore become not unwise, but understanding what is the will of God. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is luxury, but be ye filled with the Holy Spirit. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord: giving thanks always for all things in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to God and the Father: being subject one to another in the fear of Christ.

GOSPEL. John vi. 46-53

At that time there was a certain ruler whose son was sick at Capharnaum. He having heard that Jesus was - come from Judea into Galilee, went to Him, and prayed Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him: Unless you see signs and wonders, you believe not. The ruler saith to him: Lord, come down before that my son dies. Jesus saith to him: Go thy way, thy son liveth. The man believed the word which Jesus said to him and went his way. And as he was going down, his servants met him: and they brought word, saying that his son lived. He asked therefore of them the hour wherein he grew better. And they said to him: Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. The father therefore knew that it was at the same hour that Jesus said to him, thy son liveth; and himself believed, and his whole house.

Consolation in Sickness

To console ourselves in sickness, let us bethink ourselves that God has sent us sickness for the good of our souls; that we may thereby attain a knowledge of our sins, and make satisfaction for them; or, if we suffer innocently, we may exercise ourselves in patience, charity, humility, and such like virtues, and so increase our merits. When ill let us employ a competent physician and use the remedies he may prescribe. But before all else, let us betake ourselves to God, give ourselves up unreservedly to His will, pray Him to enlighten the physician, and bless the means employed for our recovery, and subdue our inclinations if the prescription of the physician does violence to our former habits. For how otherwise should medicine have its proper effect?

O Lord, here burn, here wound, only spare me in eternity!

St. Augustine

ON THE CARE OF THE SICK

All who have charge of the sick should before all think of the soul, and to that end call upon Jesus to come in the Blessed Sacrament, before the sick person is past the point of receiving Him with devotion. Therefore, parents, children, relatives, and friends, if they truly love the sick, should seek to induce him to receive the Blessed Sacrament in time. At the beginning, and during the progress of the sickness, we should endeavor to encourage the patient to resignation and childlike confidence in God; should place before him the Savior, suffering and glorified, as a pattern and consolation, should pray with him, to strengthen him against desponding thoughts and the temptations of the devil; should sign him with the sign of the cross, sprinkle him with holy water, and, before all, pray for a happy death. But in caring for the soul the body is not to be neglected. We must call in time a skillful physician, give the sick person his medicines at the appointed times, keep everything clean, observe particularly the prescribed limit as to eating and drinking, and not permit the patient to have his own will, for he might often desire what would be hurtful to him. In general, we should do what, in like case, we would wish to have done for ourselves, for there is no greater work of charity than to attend a sick person, and particularly to assist him to a happy death.

World Mental Health Day[3]

World Mental Health Day seeks to raise awareness of mental health illnesses while educating the population and mobilizing efforts to support mental health. Mental health, which includes a person's emotional, psychological and social well-being, has become increasingly important in recent decades as an estimated 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression. In 1992, the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) established World Mental Health Day in an effort to promote education and advocate for mental health sufferers. The Foundation aims to provide further awareness and assistance for those suffering from a wide range of mental disorders in the hopes of saving lives and increasing quality of life for these individuals. World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually on October 10th.

World Mental Health Day Facts & Quotes

· Depression can lead to suicide. More than 800,000 people worldwide take their own lives every year. Compare this to the 200,000 from COVID to get an idea of the problem.

· Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the world for individuals 15 to 44. Suicide rates have increased by 60% over the past 45 years.

· 10-20% of children in the world experience a mental disorder. It is the leading cause of disability in youth.

· I used to think that the worst thing in like was to end up alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone. - Robin Williams, actor who committed suicide in 2014

World Mental Health Day Top Events and Things to Do

· Volunteer your time at an organization that works with child mental health. Depression is a growing concern among children and organizations such as Big Brothers and Sisters of America, Teen Mental Health, NAMI and Children's Mental Health can help you find a local area to help your youth.

· Watch a movie that touches on mental health issues or particular disorders. Some of our favorites are

1) Bipolar: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
2) Schizophrenia: A Beautiful Mind (2001)

3) OCD: As Good as It Gets (1997)
4) Suicide: The Virgin Suicides (1999)
5) Alzheimer's: Still Alice (2014)
6) Borderline Personality: Girl, Interrupted (1999)
7) Depression: Inside Out (2015)
8) Post Traumatic Stress: Jacob's Ladder (1990)

· Read a book about mental disorders. Some of our picks: The Bell Jar, Thirteen Reasons Why and All the Bright Places

· Evaluate your own mental well-being or that of someone you are close to.
- Are you always sad?
- Do you have suicidal thoughts?
- Do you feel that you have no reason to live?

· Visit a psychologist to discuss any problems that have overwhelmed you lately.

Keys to Healthier Mind Development[4]

Emotional intelligence (EI) is defined as the ability to monitor one’s own emotions, as well as those of other people, to discriminate between different emotions, and to label them appropriately. while applying EI, we are guiding our thinking and behavior with an educated focus on healthier mind development.

Emotional quotient (EQ) is a testing measurement of our ability to understand and apply our own minds emotionally. Although a comprehensive ambition, EQ testing is meant to reveal how well we have learned to manage the harmful and helpful effects of emotions for the purpose of facilitating healthful thoughts, communication, and behavior. Researchers now realize that emotional literacy helps to prevent and solve myriad problems that we experience in our personal and professional lives. The more we understand about our mind’s emotional component, the more valuable assets we possess as individuals-namely emotional stability, security, overall intelligence, and physical health, as well as our ability to treat other people and other things in healthier, more meaningful. Emotional intelligence is the secret to building healthier minds, getting the best out of life, and developing a behaviorally safer world. With the emotional state of the world today, emotional intelligence is our strongest hope for an optimistic future.

Epigenetics[5]

Epigenetics is a relatively new branch of genetics that has been heralded as the most important biological discovery since DNA. Until recently, it was believed you were stuck with the genes you were born with. But now it’s known that your genes get turned on and off and are expressed to greater or lesser degrees depending on lifestyle factors. Let’s take a look at what epigenetics is, how it works, and what you can do to improve your chances in the health lottery.

What Is Epigenetics?

The “epi” in epigenetics is derived from the Greek word meaning “above” or “over.” Epigenetics is defined as the study of any process that alters gene activity without changing the DNA sequence. More simply, it is the study of gene expression — how external factors turn genes on and off, and up and down. The Human Genome Project has identified 25,000 genes in human DNA. DNA is widely regarded as the code the body uses to build and rebuild itself. But genes themselves need instructions for what to do, and where and when to do it. Epigenetic modifications, also called “tags,” provide the instructions. Several of these tags have been discovered, but the two main ones involve methyl groups (made of carbon and hydrogen) and histones (a type of protein). To imagine how tags work, think of a gene as a lamp. Methyl groups act as an on-off switch that turn a gene on or off. Histones, on the other hand, act like a dimmer switch, regulating gene activity up or down. It’s thought that we have four million of these switches that are triggered by lifestyle and environmental factors.

Lifestyle Factors Affect Your Genes

Dr. Rudolph Tanzi is a professor of neurology at Harvard University Medical School and he states “You are not simply the sum total of the genes you were born with. You are the user and controller of your genes, the author of your biological story. No prospect in self-care is more exciting.” It means that you’re not at the mercy of your genetic makeup at birth. You actually have a great deal of control over your health and your future no matter what genetic hand you have been dealt. The field of epigenetics is in its infancy and there is still much to learn, but so far, the evidence shows that there are many fundamental lifestyle factors that can alter gene expression.

Not surprisingly, diet can affect the health of your DNA. A diet high in refined carbohydrates that promotes high blood glucose attacks your DNA. On the other hand, compounds like sulforaphane (found in broccoli), curcumin (turmeric), epigallocatechin gallate (green tea), and resveratrol (wine) can slow or potentially reverse DNA damage. Inadequate sleep also disrupts genetic activity. A team of researchers that included sleep science and genetics experts examined the influence of sleep on gene function and discovered that just a single week of insufficient sleep altered the activity of over 700 genes. It’s well accepted that physical exercise is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and mental well-being. Now there’s evidence that physical exercise can positively affect gene expression. A recent study of the brains of elderly mice found 117 genes that were expressed differently in the brains of animals that ran regularly, compared to those that were sedentary. If you are interested in starting a program of fitness try the Iceman’s Universal Man Plan.

Stress, Relationships, And Thoughts

Not only do tangible factors like diet, sleep, and exercise affect your genes, so do intangibles like stress, your relationships with others, and your thoughts. One of the most powerful stress reduction techniques, mindfulness meditation, turns down the expression of pro-inflammatory genes thus reducing inflammation. Chronic inflammation is an underlying cause of seven of the top ten leading causes of death including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. You might expect that you’d have to meditate for years to change gene expression sufficiently, but measurable changes have been observed in as little as eight hours of meditation. However, these effects were stronger in experienced meditators than in those new to the practice. Dr. Dawson Church is an award-winning author whose bestselling book, Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention, has been hailed as a breakthrough in the field of epigenetics. In his book, Church cites over 400 scientific studies that show how intangibles like the expression of gratitude, acts of kindness, optimism, and mind-body healing techniques like the Emotional Freedom Technique positively affect the expression of genes. And just as in the meditation study, these epigenetic benefits were often experienced immediately. It’s not only positive habits that affect your genes though. So do the bad ones. Substance abuse, addictions, inactivity, malnutrition, and exposure to toxins negatively affect the way your genes express themselves. Researchers have found that emotional factors such as trauma and stress can activate harmful epigenetic changes.

There are numerous diseases thought to have an epigenetic component including asthma, Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, immune disorders, kidney disease, glaucoma, muscular dystrophy, and pediatric syndromes as well as many psychiatric disorders including autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. In 2008, the U.S. National Institutes of Health committed to investing $190 million into epigenetics research to hopefully find new and better ways to treat these diseases.

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.

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Restoring the Constitution

· Iceman’s Total Consecration to Mary-Day 30

· Total Consecration to St. Joseph Day 12