Sunday, November 7, 2021

- November 06, 2021

Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

BITTER CHOCOLATE WITH ALMONDS DAY

Psalm 119, Verse 63

I am the friend of all who FEAR you, of all who observe your precepts.

Those that love the Lord's service, naturally associate with kindred spirits—with those that fear him and keep his precepts.

· These two features identify the same character: as cheerful obedience is always the fruit of filial fear. These then are the Lord's people; and union with Him is in fact union with them.

· Sometimes the society of the refined and the intelligent (Elitists) of this world may be more agreeable to our natural taste.

o But ought there not to be a restraint here?

o Ought not the Christian to say —"Surely the fear of God is not in this place"?

o "Should I love them that hate the Lord?"

· Let those of us, who must live in close, and to a certain degree necessary, contact with the world, subject their hearts to an evening scrutiny on this subject.

o Has the society of this day refreshed my soul, or raised my heart to spiritual things?

o Has it promoted a watchful temper?

o Or has it not rather "quenched the spirit" of prayer, and restrained my intercourse with God?

· To meet the Christian in ordinary courtesy, not in unity of heart, is a sign of an unspiritual walk with God. Fellowship with God is "walking in the light." "Fellowship one with another" is the natural flow. "The communion of saints" is the fruit and effect of communion with God.

· The calls of duty, or the leadings of Providence, may indeed unavoidably connect us with those, who "have no fear of God before their eyes."

· Nor should we repel them, by religiously affecting a sullen or uncourteous habit. But such men, whatever be their attractions, will not be the companions of our choice.

· Fellowship with them is to "remove the ancient landmark"; to forget the broad line of separation between us and them; and to venture into the most hazardous atmosphere. If indeed our hearts were ascending, like a flame of fire, with a natural motion heavenwards, and carrying with them all in their way, the choice of the companions of our pilgrimage would be a matter of little importance.

· But so deadening to our spirit is the conversation of the men of this world (however commanding their talents, or interesting their topics), that even if we have been just before enlivened by the high privilege of communion with God, the free and self-indulgent interchange of their society will benumb our spiritual powers, and quickly freeze them again. To underrate therefore the privileged association with them that fear God, is to incur—not only a most awful responsibility in the sight of God, but also a most serious hazard to our own souls.

· If then we are not ashamed to confess ourselves Christ-fans, let us not shrink from walking in fellowship with Christians.

· Even if they should exhibit some repulsive features of character, they bear the image of him, whom we profess to love inexpressibly and incomparably above all.

· They will be our companions in our eternal home; they ought therefore to be our brothers now. How sweet, and holy, and heavenly, is this near relation with them in our common Lord!

· Shall we not readily consent to his judgment, who pronounced "the righteous to be more excellent than his neighbor?" "Iron sharpeneth iron." If then "the iron be blunt," this will be one of the best means of "whetting the edge." The most established servants of God gladly acknowledge the sensible refreshment of this union of heart.

· It is marked in the word of God as the channel of the communication of heavenly wisdom—as a feature in the character of the citizens of Zion, and especially as that disposition, which is distinguished with manifest tokens of the Saviour's presence; and which the great day will crown with the special seal of his remembrance. "They that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it “and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels."[1]

ON KEEPING THE LORDS DAY HOLY[2]

CHAPTER III

DIES ECCLESIAE

The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday

The Sunday obligation

48. Today, as in the heroic times of the beginning, many who wish to live in accord with the demands of their faith are being faced with difficult situations in various parts of the world. They live in surroundings which are sometimes decidedly hostile and at other times — more frequently in fact — indifferent and unresponsive to the Gospel message. If believers are not to be overwhelmed, they must be able to count on the support of the Christian community. This is why they must be convinced that it is crucially important for the life of faith that they should come together with others on Sundays to celebrate the Passover of the Lord in the sacrament of the New Covenant. It is the special responsibility of the Bishops, therefore, "to ensure that Sunday is appreciated by all the faithful, kept holy and celebrated as truly ?the Lord's Day', on which the Church comes together to renew the remembrance of the Easter mystery in hearing the word of God, in offering the sacrifice of the Lord, in keeping the day holy by means of prayer, works of charity and abstention from work".

Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Prayer.

Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that, ever fixing our thoughts on reasonable things, we may perform, both in words and works, the things that are pleasing to Thee. Amen.

EPISTLE, i. Thess. i. 2-10.

Brethren: We give thanks to God always for you all: making a remembrance of you in our prayers without ceasing, being mindful of the work of your faith, and labor, and charity, and of the enduring of the hope of Our Lord Jesus Christ before God and our Father. Knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election: for our Gospel hath not been unto you in word only, but in power also, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much fulness, as you know what manner of men, we have been among you for your sakes. And you became followers of us, and of the Lord, receiving the word in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Ghost: so that you were made a pattern to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you was spread abroad the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but also in every place, your faith which is towards God, is gone forth, so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves relate of us, what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven (Whom He raised up from the dead), Jesus Who hath delivered us from the wrath to come. Explanation. St. Paul wishes grace and peace to the Thessalonians; gives them the assurance of his prayers without ceasing and declares his joy at their having received the faith in Christ; at their being zealous in good works and firm in tribulation, and at their persevering in the hope of reward, whereby they became a pattern to others, who were led to embrace the true religion, and were confirmed in it by their example. Oh, that we could say the same of Christians of the present day! Such a life is- the glory of Christianity. Let us, therefore, endeavor to have a living faith, shining forth in all good works, with a firm hope of our salvation, that we too may be an example to unbelievers.

GOSPEL. Matt. xiii. 31-35.

At that time Jesus spoke to the multitudes this parable: The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took and sowed in his field: which is the least indeed of all seeds: but when it is grown up, it is greater than all herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and dwell in the branches thereof. Another parable He spoke to them: The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened. All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes: and without parables He did not speak to them. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: I will open My mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.

"Why are the Church and the doctrines of Christ compared to a grain of mustard-seed?

Because they are very similar: the mustard-seed, though small, in Palestine grows to be very high, spreads wide, and is very prolific. In like manner the Church and doctrine of Christ, though at the beginning very small, increased so fast, and in time reached such a large growth, as to surpass all other religions, so that the princes and wise men of the world sheltered themselves under the protection of Christianity, as the bird? dwell under the branches of the tree.

Why are the Church and the doctrines of Christ compared to leaven?

Because as leaven in a short time penetrates and makes palatable a large measure of meal, so the Church and the doc trines of Christ penetrated most rapidly three quarters of the globe, corrected the foolish opinions of the heathen, and gave them a taste lor divine things and heavenly wisdom.

Prayer.

Most amiable Jesus, we thank Thee for having called us to Thy Church, and for having communicated to us Thy doctrine. Give us grace to become by it each day better and more pleasing to Thee, and finally to attain eternal happiness. Enlighten also the nations living in heresy and darkness, that they may know Thee, and be delivered from the wrath to come. Amen.

Orphan Sunday[3]

True religion is taking care of widows and orphans.

Orphan Sunday is a time to stand up for the orphans of the world. In truth, there are likely no more vulnerable human beings in the entire world than those thousands upon thousands of children in this world who have no mother or father, due to all sorts of tragedies that have occurred in their lives, ranging from accidents, to sicknesses, to war. Whatever the reason, orphaned children need our help in any way we can offer it.

Over the years, many different churches and organizations have hosted events they called, “Orphan Sundays” in an effort to raise awareness of the orphans in our areas, their problems and needs. The Christian Alliance started their own version of Orphan Sunday back in, when a American visitor to Africa Gary Schneider attending a church service in Zambia was moved by the pastor’s call to care for the numerous orphans in a local community plagued by hunger bordering on starvation, poverty and AIDS. At that time especially, children who were orphans were in a particularly terrible situations, as they were often left to fend for themselves, a thing that no child is prepared to do. Because of this, many children’s entire lives became jeopardized, as they had no way to make enough money to get to school in hopes of getting an education and a decent job in the future. Even though the locals attending the service were mostly extremely poor themselves, at the end of the service, many of them stepped forward to offer their support, some even giving away their own clothes or shoes to help the children. Moved by this display of generosity, Schneider decided to help Zambian leaders take care of the Zambian orphans by getting the word out about this new practice, and it spread like wildfire. By 2003 these efforts had spread to the United States. The Christian Alliance honors the Zambian church Schneider had visited for the gift of Orphan Sunday and the inspiration they gave people all over the world to care about the orphan; in fact, Orphan Sunday is often called, “Zambia’s gift to the world”. Nowadays, the Christian Alliance includes more 150 respected ministries, and Orphan Sunday is celebrated in thousands of churches across the globe in over 50 nations.

How to Celebrate Orphan Sunday

The best way to celebrate Orphan Sunday is find something you can do for the sadly fatherless and motherless children the Zambians have been doing their best to look after for all these years. And it doesn’t stop there! Though Zambia is where the whole event started, it is definitely not the only place in the world where we can find orphaned children—there are children who have lost their parents in every community that could use your help. Orphan Sunday is your opportunity to rouse church, community and friends to God’s call to care for the orphan. Each Orphan Sunday event is different, depending on who it’s led by—the believer in any local church, along with their priest or pastor, get together to decide what actions they could take stand to benefit their local orphans as well as orphans worldwide. Events range from sermons on God’s heart for the orphan, whose plight Christians believe is especially important to, to fundraisers, live concerts, and even to foster family recruiting.

Bitter Chocolate with Almonds Day[4]

This intriguingly specific Day celebrates a particular combination of flavors – dark, bitter chocolate and toasted almonds. This is one of the oldest recipes involving chocolate known in the English-speaking world, featuring as the only chocolate dish in an 18th-century cookbook. This festivity exists mainly as an idea circulated on the internet. It is sponsored by the National Confections Association, and celebrated and encouraged by organizations such as food.com, a site which aims to encourage cooking and the appreciation of food by holding various different food days. Both the tannins in dark chocolate and the various fatty acids in almonds have many health benefits, various studies have shown. Bitter Chocolate with Almonds Day encourages a delicious and nourishing dessert, which contributes to health and long life. Celebrate by dipping blanched almonds in the best dark chocolate you can find and serving to your friends with a glass of red wine!

Daylight Saving Time Ends[5]

The first Sunday in November marks the end of Daylight Savings Time in the US. On this day, clocks are set back 1 hour, except for Hawaii and parts of Arizona which do not observe DST.

Daylight Saving Time Ends Facts

The dates for DST to begin and end were set forth by the US Congress in the Energy Act of 2005. Arizona, Hawaii, and four US territories (Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) do not observe Daylight Savings Time. Research suggest that daylight savings time is related to a rise in heart attacks, while the end of daylight savings time saw a slight decrease the first three days after the time change.

Daylight Saving Time Ends Top Events and Things to Do

· Replace the batteries on smoke and carbon dioxide detectors.

· Put the emergency winter kit back in the vehicle.

· Begin preparing for the coming holidays.

· Make sure outdoor lights are in working order.

· Put reflectors on bikes so that vehicles can more easily see you as it gets dark earlier.

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: Holy Bishops and Cardinals