Plough Monday
Sirach, Chapter 7, Verse 29
With all your soul fear God and revere his priests.
Yes,
revere your priests but do not be a ninny, remember Christ was killed by the
priests of his time. Evil men and women do hide in sheep’s clothing. Be smart;
protect yourself and your children.
The FBI
estimates that there is a sex offender living in every square mile of the
United States. One in ten men has molested children. Most child molesters are
able to molest dozens of children before they are caught and have a three
percent (3%) chance of being apprehended for their crimes. Boys and girls are
at nearly equal risk to be abused and almost a quarter will be molested
sometime before their 18th birthday. Fewer than five percent (5%)
will tell anyone. The overwhelming majority of child victims are abused by
someone they know and trust, someone most parents would never suspect. No one
can protect your children but you. Educate yourself and your family about child
sexual abuse. Don’t let a child molester do it for you![1]
Talk to your children about this. Good information is available from the US Department of Justice.[2]
Catechism of the Catholic Church
II. THE
VOCATION TO CHASTITY cont.
Offenses against chastity
2351 Lust
is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally
disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive
purposes.
2352 By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the
genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. "Both the
Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral
sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that
masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action." "The
deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage
is essentially contrary to its purpose." For here sexual pleasure is
sought outside of "the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral
order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human
procreation in the context of true love is achieved." To form an equitable
judgment about the subjects' moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action,
one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit,
conditions of anxiety or other psychological or social factors that lessen, if
not even reduce to a minimum, moral culpability.
2353 Fornication is carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried
woman. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human
sexuality which is naturally ordered to the good of spouses and the generation
and education of children. Moreover, it is a grave scandal when there is corruption
of the young.
2354 Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the
intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third
parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act,
the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the
dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one
becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses
all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense.
Civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of
pornographic materials.
2355 Prostitution does injury to the dignity of the person who engages in
it, reducing the person to an instrument of sexual pleasure. The one who
pays sins gravely against himself: he violates the chastity to which his
Baptism pledged him and defiles his body, the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Prostitution is a social scourge. It usually involves women, but also men,
children, and adolescents (The latter two cases involve the added sin of
scandal.). While it is always gravely sinful to engage in prostitution, the
imputability of the offense can be attenuated by destitution, blackmail, or
social pressure.
2356 Rape is the forcible violation of the sexual intimacy of another
person. It does injury to justice and charity. Rape deeply wounds the
respect, freedom, and physical and moral integrity to which every person has a
right. It causes grave damage that can mark the victim for life. It is always
an intrinsically evil act. Graver still is the rape of children committed by
parents (incest) or those responsible for the education of the children
entrusted to them.
As we begin our working year let us remember that our primary work in the world as a follower of Christ is to do his will for us putting our hand on the plough and looking forward to the year; may all of our days and rows be straight.
No man, having put his hand ... -
To put one's hand to a plow is a proverbial expression to signify undertaking
any business. In order that a plowman may accomplish his work, it is necessary
to look onward - to be intent on his employment - not to be looking back with
regret that he undertook it. So, in religion; He that enters on it must do it
with his whole heart, He that comes still loving the world - still looking with
regret on its pleasures, its wealth, and its honors - that has not
"wholly" forsaken them as his portion, cannot be a Christian, and is
not fit for the kingdom of God. How searching is this test to those who profess
to be Christians! And how solemn the duty of all people to renounce all earthly
objects, and to be not only "almost," but "altogether,"
followers of the Son of God! It is perilous to tamper with the world - to look
at its pleasures or to seek its society. He that would enter heaven must come
with a heart full of love to God; giving "all" into his hands, and
prepared always to give up all his property, his health, his friends, his body,
his soul to God, when he demands them, or he cannot be a Christian. Religion is
everything or nothing. He that is not willing to sacrifice
"everything" for the cause of God, is really willing to sacrifice nothing.
Christmas
Weekday - Day Seventeen[4]
Every country in the world
has its own Christmas customs. Christmas in Australia is often very hot.
Whereas the northern hemisphere is in the middle of winter, Australians are
baking in summer heat. It is not unusual to have Christmas Day well into the
mid 30 degrees Celsius, or near 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A traditional meal
includes a turkey dinner, with ham, and pork. A flaming Christmas plum pudding
is added for dessert. In the Australian gold rushes, Christmas puddings often
contained a gold nugget. Today a small favor is baked inside. Whoever finds
this knows that they will enjoy good luck. Another treat is Mince Pies. It is
Father Christmas who brings the presents to the Australian children on
Christmas Eve. Homes and gardens are decorated with greenery, Christmas tree
and fairy lights. Seasonal plants are the Christmas bush and the Christmas
bell.
·
Day Seventeen activity (Candles by Candlelight)
·
Day Seventeen recipe (Australian Christmas Pudding)
Daily
Devotions
· Unite
in the work of the Porters of St.
Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Restoring the
Constitution.
· Monday: Litany of
Humility
·
Recipe-Coq
au Vin
· Rosary
[1][1]http://www.wcsap.org/sites/wcsap.huang.radicaldesigns.org/files/uploads/documents/ProtectingYourChildren.pdf
[3] Barnes' Notes on the Bible
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