WASHINGTONS
BIRTHDAY-BE HUMBLE-BILLY GRAHAM
Sirach, Chapter 50, Verse 28-29
28
Happy those who meditate upon these things; wise those who take them to heart! 29 If they put them
into practice, they can cope with anything, for the FEAR of the LORD is
their lamp.
The human heart is the seat of the human will. May He
illuminate our hearts to serve Him.
What is meant by serving God?
Doing the will of God in all things which He requires of us, in whatever
state of life we may be placed, and doing this with fidelity, with unwearied
zeal, and out of love for Him. (Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896)
When we are bored and familiar with routine work, let us generously offer ourselves to the Lord for He indeed knows our needs and will take care of our well-being.
Each one should judge his own conduct
without having to compare it with what someone else has done. (Gal. 6:4)
In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human successes, but on how well we have loved. (St. John of the Cross)[1]
Let us remember Christ’s words to us on service, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny
himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life
will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel
will save it.” (Mk. 8:34-35) Life seen as mere self-centered earthly
existence and lived in denial of Christ ends in destruction, but when lived in
loyalty to Christ, despite earthly death, it arrives at fullness of life. True
discipleship is total commitment to Christ through self-renunciation and
acceptance of the cross of suffering, even to the sacrifice of life itself.
Repent,
says the Lord; the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
(Mt.
4:17)
NOVENA TO
THE HOLY FACE
DAILY
PREPARATORY PRAYER
O Most Holy and
Blessed Trinity, through the intercession of Holy Mary, whose soul was pierced
through by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son, we
ask your help in making a perfect Novena of reparation with Jesus, united with
all His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We now implore all the
Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena to the Most
Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. Amen.
Third
Day
Psalm 51, 6b-7.
You are just when you pass sentence on me, blameless when you give judgment.
You know I was born guilty, a sinner from the moment of conception.
Prayer of Pope Pius IX
O Jesus! Cast upon us a
look of mercy; turn your Face towards each of us as you did to Veronica; not
that we may see it with our bodily eyes, for this we do not deserve, but turn
it towards our hearts, so that, remembering you, we may ever draw from this
fountain of strength the vigor necessary to sustain the combats of life. Amen.
Mary, Our Mother, and Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Through the merits of your
precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, Pardon and
Mercy.
Prayer of Saint Francis
All highest, glorious God,
cast your light into the darkness of our hearts, give us true faith, firm hope,
perfect charity and profound humility, so that with wisdom, courage and
perception, O Lord, we may do what is truly your holy will. Amen.
To the Angels and
Saints
We salute you, through the
Holy Face and Sacred Heart of Jesus, O all you Holy Angels and Saints of God.
We rejoice in your glory, and we give thanks to our Lord for all the benefits
which He has showered upon you; we praise Him and glorify Him and offer you for
an increase of your joy and honor, the most Holy Face and gentle Heart of
Jesus. Pray that we may become formed according to the heart of God. Amen.
Pray
(1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Mary’s, one (1) Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (Three times)
Washington’s Birthday[2]
In John McCain’s book Character is Destiny the 1st President of the United States is McCain’s example of a man who demonstrates for us the characteristic of SELF CONTROL. Self-control is the ability to control one's emotions, behavior, and desires in the face of external demands in order to function in society. (Matt DeLisi)
George Washington was a warrior and a mensch. Washington was a self-made man who learned to govern himself before he governed our great country. Washington was a passionate man by nature, yet he was famous for his reserve and graciousness to others. Washington worked on himself very hard to control his temper and to not be sensitive to criticism. It was a lifelong struggle and at times he was given to fits of anger. His passion was a two-edged sword that either cut for him or against him. His passion was also the source of his great courage. History records his fury in battle where he wore out two horses and stood in defiance of withering fire and having his coat tore by four musket balls. Washington did not just tell his men to stand fast and face the enemy but set the example; leaping headlong into battle and the men followed. Washington disciplined his passionate nature with iron will and self-control. Washington wrote, “Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect, to those that are present” and, “Labor to keep alive in your breast the little spark of celestial fire called conscience.”
He strove to be a man of unquestionable dignity and manners. He was modest and wore clothes that were fine and neat but never showy. He was consciously groomed and was seldom discourteous to anyone, of higher or lower station in life. He knew his strengths as well as his weaknesses; there was no hubris in him.
“He understood the nature of his countrymen as well as he understood his own. He knew we are all flawed, that we must always be alert to the danger of ungoverned appetites and must strive to control and improve our nature. He understood his country at its birth needed a leader of towering honor, wisdom, and selflessness, whose appearance must fit the role as well as his character, did. And through the constant application of his self-control, he inhabited that role as no one has again, and became, in fact, the father of our country. He imprinted his character on this nation, and in that sense, we are all his descendants, a people famous for our constant struggle to improve. We are never so removed from the failings of our nature that we cannot stand more improvement, but neither are we so removed from Washington’s magnificent example that we dare not dream we can achieve it.”
Son of the Republic[3]
In America, we have until now had no fear in worshiping our God in holiness and righteousness. In fact, the model in America since its founding has been one of “Many religions, but one covenant”.
We are certainly a blessed people because we
as a whole have not abandoned the covenant, nor shall we if the vision of
George Washington at Valley Forge is true. In it he saw that Americans would
remain true to our creator.
"Son
of the Republic…Three great perils will come upon the Republic. The most
fearful is the third, but in this greatest conflict the whole world united
shall not prevail against her. Let every child of the Republic learn to live
for his God, his land and the Union."
With
these words the vision vanished, and I (Washington) started from my seat and
felt that I had seen a vision wherein had been shown to me the birth, progress,
and destiny of the United States.
FEBRUARY 22 EVENTS
Be Humble Day[4]
Humility may be the most difficult of all the virtues to truly attain. There seems to be a paradox in that claiming to have humility may be an act of pride. Some people might be prideful in their humility… or something like that. Either way, Be Humble Day focuses on humbling yourself. There is no boasting allowed on Be Humble Day. Choosing not to brag about your successes and abilities can prove to be much more difficult than one might anticipate, as the culture surrounding us is often centered on self and the successes achieved by an individual. Throughout the age’s philosophers and the average Joe alike have pondered humility and what it means to be truly humble. It is a difficult question to answer and the final answer may never fully present itself. But perhaps the seeking of humility is more important than the achieving. In a fascinating twist of irony, the person responsible for the founding of Be Humble Day is unknown. Whoever it was clearly took humility seriously and didn’t bother to brag about starting a recognized day of celebration. Perhaps the person was so humble that they didn’t even stop to think they might have instigated something that would reach so far.
Observing Be Humble Day
The observance of Be Humble Day can be gone about in many
ways, but all the avenues of observance should maintain the quietness
associated with humility. There should be no loud proclamations of the fact
that you’re celebrating Be Humble Day, as that would ruin the point. The first
step is simply to bear in mind to be humble. If you keep that focus, then the
rest may follow along after quite simply. Remember: don’t focus on your own
greatness and the achievements you’ve made. Be Humble Day is also about
encouraging others and focusing on their achievements and giving a friend or
co-worker the props, they deserve is an excellent way to keep in the spirit of Be
Humble Day. If you’re looking for further inspiration and more ways to dig
deeper into humility on Be Humble Day then perhaps considering these quotes
from some great minds (a title foisted upon them by others, not one they
themselves took in keeping with humility) will assist you in your journey.
The Christian thinker C.S. Lewis, best known for his
beloved Chronicles of Narnia book series, said that “True humility is not
thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” A perfect quote
for Be Humble Day. Criss Jami, an American poet and philosopher observed that
“The biggest challenge after success is shutting up about it.” And if you think
you know something then stop for a minute and consider the words of Albert
Einstein: “A true genius admits that he/she knows nothing.” If Albert Einstein
can admit that he knows nothing, then perhaps there is hope for all of us to be
humbler in our everyday lives. Opportunities to humble ourselves pass us by
every day, and Be Humble Day is the perfect inspiration to sit up and notice
these chances to better ourselves and to make the world a more pleasant place
for the people around us.
Billy
Graham[5]
b.
11-07-1918—d. 02-22-2018
·
The
devil certainly wants you to give in to temptation and do what is wrong, because
his main goal is to turn us away from God. When we yield to temptation, you can
be sure we make the devil happy.
·
But
the devil isn’t directly responsible for every temptation we face, nor can we
blame him when we give in and do wrong. Temptations come to us in many ways—but
when we give in to them, we alone are responsible for what we’ve done. The
Bible says, “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged
away and enticed” (James 1:14).
·
Remember,
it isn’t a sin to be tempted; even Jesus was tempted by the devil to turn away
from God’s plan (see Matthew 4:1-11). But it is sin to give in to temptation
and go our own way instead of God’s way. Every sin is an act of rebellion on
our part, telling God we think our way is better than His way. But that is a lie, for God’s way
is always best.
·
Don’t
fight your temptations alone; if you do, you will fail. Instead, ask God to help you by giving you the
courage and inner strength to turn away. Begin by asking Christ to come into your life, forgiving
and cleansing your sins and coming to live within you by His Spirit.
·
Then
learn to walk with God every day, through prayer and fellowship with other
believers and reading the Bible. The Bible says, “God is faithful. … When you
are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it”
(1 Corinthians 10:13). `
Catechism
of the Catholic Church: cont.
II. Transmit the faith: catechesis
4 Very early on, catechesis was
called the set of efforts made in the Church to make disciples, to help men to
believe that Jesus is the Son of God so that, believing this, they may have
life in his name, and to educate and instruct them in this life and thus build
up the Body of Christ (cf. John Paul II, Catechesi
tradendae [CT] 1).
Daily Devotions
· On
February 22, 1931, Jesus appeared to Faustina as the King of Divine Mercy.
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 3 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
54 Day Rosary for
Priest’s and Religious Day 3
· Tuesday: Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 7
·
Manhood of
the Master-week 1 day 3
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
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