Twentieth Sun. aft Pentecost (28th 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
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Go to MASS
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