Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Isaiah, Chapter 63,
verse 17
Why do you make us wander, LORD, from your
ways, and harden our hearts so that we do not FEAR you? Return for the
sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage.
This chapter in Isaiah is called the Divine Warrior and Isaiah in this chapter refers to Christ as a warrior. Isaiah laments that we in our weak human nature have turned our hearts away from God and that we have no fear of divine justice. Have we become so enamored with the world and our own lives that when we look into the heavens at night, we only see impressive specks of glittering rocks we call stars and not the love of the creator which made them?
There is an expression, “Attitude is
everything!” and so what should our attitude be and why is Isaiah lamenting
that Israel did not fear God? The
answer lies in our personal attitude toward life. Holy fear is born out of love and is a response to the God the creator;
it is a fear more closely related
to awe. It is the loving fear of
a child that does not want to disappoint a parent and goes to great lengths to
please them. So we should develop this sense of Holy fear doing what is right and good to please the Father. Remembering
that, “Whether you eat or drink, whatever you do,
do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Let us daily ask of our Lord to remove our hearts of stone and give us a heart of love thus making the winter brighter and our burdens lighter and bring cheer to the hearts of all we encounter. May we through love be brought to Holy fear enabling us to be careful in the practice of our faith and bring us to a spirit of penitence.
May we with the palmist say, “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved. (Psalm 80)
Prayers of Aspiration[1]
As Lent wears on and we begin to feel the pain of self-denial it may help us to have a battle cry to remember our zeal for real change. This is where having memorized inspiring verses can be like flaming arrows against temptations. Aspirations help us to make our lives into a life of prayer. If prayer is a fire, then prayers of aspiration are like logs we place in the flames during the day. Prayers of Aspiration can help us learn how not to remain prisoners of the past and to believe things can be different. Ideally when we are stopped at traffic lights, placed on hold on the phone or other lines waiting we can use these moments to go through our prayers and fill our mind with prayer rather than with anxieties, worries, temptations, resentments and unwelcome memories.
Start a list
of memorized Prayers of Aspiration today.
Thursday of the
Fourth Week of Lent[2]
Prayer.
GRANT, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who are chastised by the
fasts we have undertaken, may rejoice with holy devotion; that, our affections
being weakened, we may more easily apprehend heavenly things.
EPISTLE,
iv. Kings iv. 25-38.
In those days a Sunamite woman came to
the man of God to Mount Carmel: and when the man of God saw her coming towards,
he said to Giezi his servant: Behold that Sunamitess. Go therefore to meet her,
and say to her: Is all well with thee, and with thy husband, and with thy son?
And she answered: Well. And when she
came to the man of God to the mount, she caught hold on his feet: and Giezi
came to remove her. And the man of God said: Let her alone, for her soul is in
anguish, and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. And she said
to him: Did I ask a son of my lord? did I not say to thee: Do not deceive me?
Then he said to Giezi: Gird up thy
loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go. If any man meet thee, salute him
not: and if any man salute thee, answer him not: and lay my staff upon the face
of the child. But the mother of the child said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy
soul liveth, I will not leave thee. He arose, therefore, and followed her. But
Giezi was gone before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child, and
there was no voice nor sense: and he returned to meet him, and told him,
saying: The child is not risen. Eliseus therefore went into the house, and
behold the child lay dead on his bed; and going in he shut the door upon him,
and upon the child, and prayed to the Lord. And he went up, and lay upon the
child: and he put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his
hands upon his hands: and he bowed himself upon him, and the child’s flesh grew
warm. Then he returned and walked in the house, once to and fro: and he went
up, and lay upon him: and the child gaped seven times, and opened his eyes. And
he called Giezi, and said to him: Call this Sunamitess. And she being called
went in to him: and he said: Take up thy son. She came and fell at his feet,
and worshipped upon the ground: and took up her son, and went out. And Eliseus
returned to Galgal.
GOSPEL.
Luke vii. 11-16.
At that time Jesus went into a city that is called Nairn;
and there went with Him His disciples, and a great multitude. And when He came
nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son
of his mother; and she was a widow: and a great multitude of the city was with
her. Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with mercy towards her, He said
to her: Weep not. And He came near, and touched the brier. And they that
carried it, stood still. And He said: Young man, I say to thee, arise. And he
that was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And He gave him to his mother. And
there came a fear on them all: and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet
is risen up among us: and God hath visited His people.
Aids in Battle [3] The Devil and his cohorts as a siege force
Beloved brothers and sisters, we must strive with all our strength to
repel the enemy of our souls, with full attention and vigilance, as he rages
and aims his darts against every part of us that can be assaulted and wounded.
This is what the Apostle Peter, in his epistle, warns.
· “Be sober, be
watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking
someone to devour” (1 Pt 5: 8).
· He and his forces
circle around each of us and watches. When weaknesses are found, the siege
forces break through them and then penetrate to the inside.
· The enemy presents
to the eye’s seductive images and easy pleasures, so he can destroy chastity
through the sense of sight.
· He tempts the ears
with seductive music, so that by hearing these sweet sounds, the soul relaxes
its guard and loses strength.
· He provokes the
tongue by rebukes.
·
He instigates the hand to do evil through exasperating
wrong.
· He presents the
lure of dishonest gains.
· He promises earthly
honors so that he can deprive us of heavenly ones.
· He makes a show of
false things, so that he can steal away the true ones. And when he can’t
deceive through stealth, he threatens explicitly and openly, holding out the fear of violent persecution to vanquish
God’s servants.
·
For these reasons, beloved brothers and sisters, the
mind ought to stand arrayed and armed against all the Devil’s deceiving snares
and open threats, as ever ready to repel as the foe is ever ready to attack.
Rene
Descartes[4]
born March 31,
1596
Rene Descartes (1596-1650), founder
of Analytical Geometry and Modern Philosophy
In the beginning of his Meditations (1641) Descartes wrote:
“I have
always been of the opinion that the two questions respecting God and the Soul
were the chief of those that ought to be determined by help of Philosophy
rather than of Theology; for although to us, the faithful, it be sufficient to
hold as matters of faith, that the human soul does not perish with the body,
and that God exists, it yet assuredly seems impossible ever to persuade
infidels of the reality of any religion, or almost even any moral virtue,
unless, first of all, those two things be proved to them by natural reason. And
since in this life there are frequently greater rewards held out to vice than
to virtue, few would prefer the right to the useful, if they were restrained
neither by the fear of God nor the expectation of another life.” (Descartes
1901).
“It is
absolutely true that we must believe in God, because it is also taught by the
Holy Scriptures. On the other hand, we must believe in the Sacred Scriptures
because they come from God.” (Descartes 1950, Letter of Dedication).
“And thus, I
very clearly see that the certitude and truth of all science depends on the
knowledge alone of the true God, insomuch that, before I knew him, I could have
no perfect knowledge of any other thing. And now that I know him, I possess the
means of acquiring a perfect knowledge respecting innumerable matters, as well
relative to God himself and other intellectual objects as to corporeal nature.”
(Descartes 1901, Meditation V).
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART ONE:
THE PROFESSION OF
FAITH
SECTION
ONE
"I
BELIEVE" - "WE BELIEVE"
CHAPTER TWO
GOD COMES TO MEET MAN
IN BRIEF
68 By love, God has
revealed himself and given himself to man. He has thus provided the definitive,
superabundant answer to the questions that man asks himself about the meaning
and purpose of his life.
69 God has revealed
himself to man by gradually communicating his own mystery in deeds and in
words.
70 Beyond the witness
to himself that God gives in created things, he manifested himself to our first
parents, spoke to them and, after the fall, promised them salvation (cf Gen
3:15) and offered them his covenant.
71 God made an
everlasting covenant with Noah and with all living beings (cf Gen 9:16). It
will remain in force as long as the world lasts.
72 God chose Abraham
and made a covenant with him and his descendants. By the covenant God formed
his people and revealed his law to them through Moses. Through the prophets, he
prepared them to accept the salvation destined for all humanity.
73 God has revealed
himself fully by sending his own Son, in whom he has established his covenant forever.
the Son is his Father's definitive Word; so there will be no further Revelation
after him.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: An End to Addictions
·
54 Day Rosary
for Priest’s and Religious Day 39
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Manhood of
the Master-week 6 day 5
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Make reparations to the Holy Face
·
30
Days with St. Joseph Day 12
APRIL
Lush and
blooming vistas beckon us to take to the road and to explore. As we itch to go
out and travel more in springtime, let us reflect on the mixed blessings.
Interconnected communities and beautiful scenery are often coupled with air
pollution, consumption of scarce petroleum, congestion, excessive mobility, and
noise.
Overview
of April[5]
The first fifteen days of the month
fall during the season of Lent
which is represented by the liturgical color violet or purple — a symbol of
penance, mortification and the sorrow of a contrite heart. The remainder of
April falls during the Easter
season which is represented by the liturgical color white — the color of light,
a symbol of joy, purity and innocence (absolute or restored). The month of
April is dedicated to The
Holy Spirit. The first three days of the month fall during the season
of Lent which is represented by the liturgical color
purple — a symbol of penance, mortification and the sorrow of a contrite heart.
The remainder of April falls during the Easter season which is represented by the liturgical
color white — the color of light, a symbol of joy, purity and innocence
(absolute or restored).
As our Lenten journey comes to a close,
we prepare to follow Christ all the way to the cross and to witness His
glorious Resurrection. Hopefully we have sacrificed and prayed so that we are
now able to more fully reap the fruits of a well spent Lent. After our solemn
commemoration of the last days and death of Our Lord we will spend the
remainder of the month of April celebrating. As Spring breaks forth even nature
will join us as buds and blooms begin to surface and we spend this month
basking in the joy of the Resurrection. We continue throughout the entire month
our cry, "Christ is risen, Christ is truly risen."
The Feast of Divine Mercy offers us
the opportunity to begin again as though we were newly baptized. The
unfathomable mercy of God is made manifest today if we but accept His most
gracious offer. Easter is the feast of feasts, the unalloyed joy and gladness
of all Christians. This truly is "the day that the Lord has made."
From Sunday to Sunday, from year to year, the Easters of this earth will lead
us to that blessed day on which Christ has promised that He will come again
with glory to take us with Him into the kingdom of His Father.
The saints that we will focus on this
month — those who have already shared in the rewards of the Resurrection are: St.
Katharine Drexel (March 3), St. Casimir (March 4), Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
(March 7), St. John of God (March 8), St. Frances of Rome (March 9), St.
Patrick (March 17), St. Cyril of Jerusalem (March 18), St. Joseph (March 19)
and St. Toribio de Mogrovejo (March 23).
A Time of New Life
April boasts the most solemn and
sublime events of human history: the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus
Christ – the Paschal mystery. Though the way to the Resurrection was the Via
Crucis, the Sacrificial Lamb of God is now and forever Christ our Light,
the Eternal high priest of the New Covenant. And his sorrowful mother, the Stabat
Mater of Good Friday, is now the jubilant Mother of the Regina Caeli.
We the members of Christ’s Mystical
Body exalt in the mystery by which we were redeemed. If in Baptism we were
buried with Christ, so also will we share in his resurrection. By his death we
were reborn; “by his stripes we were healed.” (Is 53:5) Easter, the epicenter
of time, is the event that links time and eternity. It is indeed “the day the
Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.” (Ps 118:24)
April
is also:[6]
·
Jazz
Appreciation Month
·
Month
of the Military Child
APRIL TIMETABLE
April Travel?[7]
·
Masters Golf Tournament--April 7-10--Tee up for the granddaddy of all
golf tournaments. The 86th Masters Tournament kicks
off the first of 4 major championships, with plenty of betting odds. Will Tiger
Woods beat out Rory McIlroy for the green jacket? Head to Augusta, GA the first
week in April to find out!
·
Scarborough Renaissance
Festival--April 9-May 1st--Travel back to the
16th century at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival. This annual fest in
Waxahachie, TX, kicks off the first weekend in April, drawing crowds upwards of
200,000 to view some 200 performances, like this round of jousting and
horsemanship.
·
Boston Marathon--April 18--Show your Boston pride and find
something for everyone to enjoy. The annual Boston Marathon kicks
off with a fitness expo featuring more than 200 exhibitors, followed by a 5K
set to draw an estimated 10,000 participants as well as a relay challenge --
all topped by the grand celebration of city spirit on Patriot’s Day.
·
Earth
Day at Yosemite--April 22--Celebrate Earth Day in one of
America’s most treasured national parks. Timed in conjunction with National Park Week, Yosemite celebrates
the planet’s big day with bike rides, junior ranger day walks, and even an
Earth Day cake and lemonade, yum!
·
King’s
Day in Amsterdam--April
27--Enjoy a ride
along Amsterdam’s canals, and don your brightest orange, for the
Netherlands’ annual King’s Day. The national holiday celebrates the Dutch royal
house (and current King Willem-Alexander) with plenty of “orange madness,” in
keeping with the Dutch national colors.
·
Coachella--April 15-24--Get your music fill at the annual Coachella Valley Music and
Arts Festival. The annual 2-weekend, 3-day fest kicks off in Indio,
CA, with more than 150 performances set for 2014. OutKast, Muse and Arcade Fire
headline this year’s show.
·
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival--April 29-May 8--Love jazz? Join
fellow music lovers at the New Orleans Jazz and
Heritage Festival. Held every year since 1970, the annual Jazz Fest,
as it’s called, showcases nearly every music genre, from blues to R&B, and
everything else in between. It’s all performed across 12 stages during the last
weekend in April.
Iceman’s Calendar
·
Apr. 1st-MASS First
Friday
·
Apr. 2nd-MASS
First Saturday
·
Apr. 6th MASS
First Wednesday
·
Apr. 8th MASS Friday
of Sorrows
·
Apr 10th MASS Palm
Sunday Holy
Week begins
·
Apr 11th Monday
of Holy Week
·
Apr 13th Spy
Wednesday
·
Apr 14th Maundy
Thursday
·
Apr 15th Good
Friday
·
Apr 16th Easter
Vigil
·
Apr 17th Easter
Sunday Easter
Octave
·
Apr 18th Easter
Monday
·
Apr 24th Divine
Mercy Sunday
·
Apr 25th Feast
of St. Mark
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