Friday in the Octave of Easter
EARTH DAY
Jeremiah, Chapter 40, Verse 9
Israel
has been warned and finally they are captured by the Chaldeans and taken to Babylon.
God has promised to bring them back after they have been chastised for not
trusting God nor taking actions as He directed. God wants us to take action to
ensure the Kingdom is here and now. To do this we must have faith, but we must
also prepare for success.
John
Maxwell, noted author of The 21
Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Series states
that all Christian leaders need to learn the proper balance between faith and
preparation or planning.[1]
Law#4-The Law of Navigation: Anyone can
steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course. To make
it happen, you have to take action. You must do what you know needs doing. You
must do it when it needs to be done. Don’t wait. You can make it happen. Knowing how is not the key. Taking action
is.
Where
should you start?
1.
Follow
your conscience.
What do you feel you should do? What do you want to do?
2.
Consider
your passion. What
do you get excited about? What do you need to do?
3.
Consider
your natural talents.
What are you naturally good at without much effort? What hobbies do you have?
What interests do you have?
4.
Consider
what society needs and values.
What do you love to do so much you would do it for free, but people are willing
to pay others to do? What do you see others doing that you would like to do?
If you
want to find your purpose, you must get on the seldom traveled road to
significance filled with setbacks, roadblocks, obstacles, and detours. This
road leads to your purpose. You must develop the vision in order to see where
you want to be next. Then, you must take the steps to move from where you are
to where you want to be. You should always be grateful for where you are and
what you have, but you should never be satisfied.[2]
Blessed are those who hear the word
of God and observe it. (Lk. 11:28)
Friday In the Octave of Easter
Easter
Friday Meditation[3]
Easter reminds us of these
fundamental requirements of the Christian life: the practice of piety and
patience. Through piety we live detached from human frailties, in purity of
mind and body, in union with Christ. Through patience we succeed in
strengthening our character and controlling our temper so as to become more
pleasing to the Lord and an example and encouragement to others, in the various
contingencies of social life. The Resurrection of the Lord truly represents—and
for this reason it is celebrated every year—the renewed resurrection of every
one of us to the true Christian life, the perfect Christian life which we must
all try to live. "The Resurrection of Christ is the sacrament of new
life." My beloved brothers and children! First of all let us look closely
at our pattern, Jesus Christ. You see that everything in His life was in
preparation for His resurrection. St Augustine says: "In Christ everything
was working for His resurrection." Born as a man, He appeared as a man for
but a short time. Born of mortal flesh, He experienced all the vicissitudes of
mortality. We see Him in His infancy, His boyhood, and His vigorous maturity,
in which He died. He could not have risen again if He had not died; He could
not have died if He had not been born; He was born, and He died so that He might
rise again.
Easter Friday is a favorite day for
pilgrimages. [4]
Pilgrimage
was an essential part of Jesus’ religious life. As God was one, so he had only
one holy city, Jerusalem, to which he called his people to make pilgrimage:
“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God.”
These Tri-annual pilgrimages were required at the feast of unleavened bread
(Passover), at the feast of the weeks (commemoration of the Torah & the 10
commandments) and the feast of the booths (Sukkoth). Christ by his sacrifice
has created a heavenly Jerusalem which is not in a geographic location but is
Eucharistic and is located in the tabernacle of every Catholic Church.
Jerusalem has still retained an attractive power, because it contained the
monuments of the Lord’s passion and is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites.
A modern Catholic map of the world will offer many possible destinations for
pilgrimage. Jerusalem and Rome remain favorites as well as the Marian shrines
of Lourdes and Fatima. Also, since the middle ages travelers have also thronged
to Santiago de Compostela, the shrine of St. James in Spain. Yet, here is the
greatness of our God: we need not go to the far ends of the earth to go on
pilgrimage as God lives with us in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and we can
always find local shrines to make small pilgrimages. We could also make a
pilgrimage to visit with holy people we know, or travel to honor the graves of
our ancestors, friends and mentors. A pilgrimage is sacramental: an outward
sign of an inward grace. It reminds us that we are wayfarers on earth till we
are taken up into heaven.
Holy
Catholic pilgrimages for your “bucket list”[5]
Whether
you follow in the footsteps of Jesus or the saints, a holy pilgrimage is an
opportunity to enrich one's faith.
Click here to launch the slideshow
The holy pilgrimage has been a
Christian tradition since the first recorded spiritual journey, in which a
bishop named Mileto from Sardis in Asia Minor traveled to the Holy Land in
around 160 to visit “the
place where [things described in the Bible] were preached and done.
“In the 4th century,
pilgrimages following the footsteps of Jesus and the apostles became
popular after Constantine’s
mother, St. Helena, visited Jerusalem, discovered what is thought to have been
the True Cross, and built churches over holy sites related to Jesus’ life. To walk the same path as
Jesus and his followers, and to see with one’s own eyes the places mentioned in
Scripture, was more than just travel, it was meant to hasten an interior
journey as well. Rome became a major destination for European pilgrims in the
7th century after the Muslim conquest of the Holy Land limited the number of
Christians allowed to visit the holy sites there. The Crusades themselves were
considered a form of pilgrimage, and pilgrimages to the Holy land increased in
the late Middle Ages, partly due to the guidance of the Franciscan friars who
were entrusted with the guardianship of the holy sites.
Today, Christians continue to make
pilgrimages to enrich their spiritual lives. Taken in the spirit of prayer, a
pilgrimage can be as life-changing today as it was in the time of St. Jerome,
who in the 4th century wrote, “We
will have a clearer grasp of Scripture after we have gazed with our own eyes on
the sites where the events of our salvation unfolded.”
Read more: Here’s why a
pilgrimage is an important aspect of the spiritual life
Here’s a glimpse of a few sacred places
to complete any Catholic’s
“bucket
list,” where
modern pilgrims can travel to walk the same path as Jesus and his followers,
and visit the sites of the miracles and apparitions:
The
Holy Land
Pilgrims to the Holy Land and
Jerusalem follow in the footsteps of Jesus, from the Church of the Nativity in
Bethlehem where Jesus was born to the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher where he was laid to rest. For the last 800 years, the Order of St.
Francis has had guardianship over these holy sites and is today working to
ensure that Christians continue to exist in the birthplace of Christianity. By
offering pilgrimages in the Holy Land, they can help fulfill that
mission.
·
When
to visit: The busiest times in Holy Land are during the major Christian and
Jewish feasts in spring and fall.
Fatima
The shrine in Fatima, Portugal,
marks the spot where Our Lady of the Rosary appeared to three shepherd
children, Lucia dos Santos and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta, between May
and October of 1917. Pilgrims from all over the world gather for the torch-lit
processions held every day, but especially on pilgrimage days in May and
October.
·
When
to visit: Pilgrim’s travel to Fatima all year round, but the best-attended
processions are held on the 13th of May and October.
El
Camino de Santiago
The Way of St. James or El Camino
de Santiago became a major pilgrimage destination during the Middle Ages.
Tradition tells us that St. James’
remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where he was
buried. Medieval pilgrims traveled from their homes to what is now the city of
Santiago de Compostela, receiving penance for the expiation of sins by
undertaking the arduous journey.
Today, the pilgrimage has enjoyed a
resurgence in popularity, among believers as well as non-believers in search of
a retreat from modern life. Pilgrims’
hostels or albergues welcome
travelers along the way and can be found along the routes in Spain, France and
Portugal.
Read
more:
You want to walk the Camino de Santiago? Here are 10
things you should know
·
When
to visit: July and August are the busiest months on the Camino. Pilgrims
traveling during April, May, June and September enjoy warm weather without the
crowds.
Ireland
Ireland has a long tradition of holy pilgrimages, dating
back to St. Patrick’s
fast on what is now known as Croagh Patrick in 441. In the pasts few years, the
Pilgrim Paths foundation has been restoring the ancient penitential paths and
has so far created five guided walks. After pilgrims get their “passports” stamped after completing
each of the five routes, they receive an Irish Pilgrim Paths completion
certificate from Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo.
Read
more:
Walk along Ireland’s own “Camino” pilgrimage route
·
When
to visit: This
·
8-25
Pilgrim Paths is holding its second annual Irish Pilgrim Journey, offering local guides for the 5
pilgrim paths. Other pilgrimages can be found by tour groups in conjunction
with this year’s
World Meeting of Families in Dublin, which takes place between August 21 and
26.
Rome
European pilgrims headed to Rome along the Via Francigena to
follow the paths of the martyred saints and early Christians. Emperor
Constantine erected basilicas over the tombs of Peter and Paul, which attracted
the faithful from all over Europe.
Read more:
The Via Francigena: The other
great European pilgrimage
Today a modern pilgrim
would similarly visit St. Peter’s
Basilica, attend a papal audience with the successor to St. Peter, take a tour
of the Catacombs, the Vatican museums, and the ancient churches of the Eternal
City.
·
When
to visit: Winter
is the best time to visit Rome if you want to avoid the crowds. Spring and
fall, outside of Easter week, offer mild temperatures without the crowds of
summer.
Lourdes
Millions of pilgrim’s flock to southwestern France each year
to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. It is there that the Blessed Virgin
Mary appeared 18 times in 1858 to a young peasant girl, St. Bernadette
Soubirous. In one of her appearances, she told St. Bernadette to drink from the
grotto’s spring. Many
of the sick and suffering claim to have been miraculously cured by the spring’s healing waters.
Read more:
Traveling to Lourdes? Go out of your way to visit
St. Bernadette’s incorrupt body
·
When
to visit: The
quiet season at Lourdes is between October and March. During peak season,
beginning at Easter, there are usually about 25,000 pilgrims a day visiting
Lourdes.
Poland
Even before Pope John Paul II’s canonization, a spiritual journey to his homeland in
Poland had become a popular pilgrimage among Catholics. An itinerary might
include a visit to Karol Wojtyla’s
childhood home in Wadowice, the shrine of the Black Madonna at Jasna Gora
Monastery in Częstochowa, and the beautiful Tatra Mountains where John
Paul II skied. Other must-visit sites: The Shrine of Divine Mercy and the
martyred St. Maximilian Kolbe’s
cell at Auschwitz.
Divine Mercy Novena[6]
Eighth Day - Today Bring Me the Souls Who Are
In the Prison Of Purgatory.
Most
Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so, I bring into
the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who
are very dear to You, and yet who must make retribution to Your justice. May
the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the
flames of purifying fire, that in that place, too, the power of Your mercy may
be praised.
Eternal
Father turn Your most merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who
are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the
sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His
most sacred Soul was flooded, manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under
Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way than through the Wounds of
Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to
Your goodness and compassion. Amen.
Earth
Day[7]
Earth Day seeks to highlight
and promote efforts dedicated to the protection of the environment. We
face many environmental crises, including global warming, deforestation, endangered wildlife, shortages of potable water
and widespread pollution, all which negatively affect our planet’s resources
and can have adverse effects on our long-term lifestyle and health.
In 1970, a US Senator named Gaylord Nelson was inspired to bring about mass
public awareness of environment problems. He heavily promoted the day across
the nation in an effort to gather the largest amount of public support possible
and ultimately, in the hopes of elevating environmental protection onto the
national political agenda. This day in 1970 marked the creation of United
States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean
Water and Endangered Species Acts. Today, Earth Day is celebrated by
billions of people around the world and is observed in over 190 countries.
Worldwide, Earth Day celebrations utilize educational programs to inform people
of ways that can help protect the environment and its natural resources. It is
observed annually on April 22nd and is celebrated as International Earth Day.
Earth Day Facts & Quotes
·
Energy
Star rated LED light bulbs use at least 75% less energy, and last 25 times
longer, than incandescent lighting. Switching entirely to LED lights over
the next two decades could save the U.S. $250 billion in energy costs, reduce
electricity consumption for lighting by nearly 50 percent and avoid 1,800
million metric tons of carbon emissions.
·
In
the past 50 years, humans have consumed more resources than in all previous
history. - U.S. EPA, 2009. Sustainable Materials Management: The Road Ahead.
·
We
do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. -
Native American Proverb
Earth Day Top Events and Things to
Do
·
Organize
a group of volunteers to help clean up and restore a green space. Some
suggestions include planting trees and adding waste receptacles.
·
Try
to go the whole day without creating any garbage, • Try not to use your car for
the entire day. Instead, use public transit, walk or ride your bicycle.
·
Change
your traditional incandescent light bulbs to energy saving LED or CFL light
bulbs.
·
Watch
a documentary or movie that touches on an ecological issue. Our favorites are:
An Inconvenient Truth (2006), the Burning Season (1993, 2008), Elemental (2012)
and The Day after Tomorrow (2004).
·
Read
one of many books that relate to environmental issues such as, The World
Without Us (Alan Weisman), Hell and High Water (Joseph Romm) and Natural
Capitalism (Hawken, Lovins and Lovins)
Encyclical Letter
Laudato Si’[8]of
The Holy Father Francis on Care for Our Common Home
·
“Laudato Si’, mi’ Signore” –“Praise be to you, my Lord”. In the words of
this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common
home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who
opens her arms to embrace us. “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother
Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with colored
flowers and herbs”.
·
This sister now cries out to us because of the
harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods
with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and
masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts,
wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the
soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth
herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of
our poor; she “groans in travail” (Rom 8:22). We have forgotten that we
ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of
her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her
waters.
“Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth”[9]
These
are strong words in a world that from the beginning has been a place of conflict,
disputes and enmity on all sides, where we constantly pigeonhole others on the
basis of their ideas, their customs and even their way of speaking or dressing.
Ultimately, it is the reign of pride and vanity, where each person thinks he or
she has the right to dominate others. Nonetheless, impossible as it may seem,
Jesus proposes a different way of doing things: the way of meekness. This is
what we see him doing with his disciples. It is what we contemplate on his
entrance to Jerusalem: “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted
on a donkey”. Christ says: “Learn from me; for I am gentle and humble of heart,
and you will find rest for your souls”. If we are constantly upset and
impatient with others, we will end up drained and weary. But if we regard the
faults and limitations of others with tenderness and meekness, without an air
of superiority, we can actually help them and stop wasting our energy on
useless complaining. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux tells us that “perfect charity
consists in putting up with others’ mistakes, and not being scandalized by
their faults”. Paul speaks of meekness as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
He suggests that, if a wrongful action of one of our brothers or sisters
troubles us, we should try to correct them, but “with a spirit of meekness”,
since “you too could be tempted”. Even when we defend our faith and
convictions, we are to do so “with meekness”. Our enemies too are to be treated
“with meekness”. In the Church we have often erred by not embracing this demand
of God’s word. Meekness is yet another expression of the interior poverty of
those who put their trust in God alone. Indeed, in the Bible the same word – anawim
– usually refers both to the poor and to the meek. Someone might object:
“If I am that meek, they will think that I am an idiot, a fool or a weakling”.
At times they may, but so be it. It is always better to be meek, for then our
deepest desires will be fulfilled. The meek “shall inherit the earth”, for they
will see God’s promises accomplished in their lives. In every situation, the
meek put their hope in the Lord, and those who hope for him shall possess the
land… and enjoy the fullness of peace. For his part, the Lord trusts in them:
“This is the one to whom I will look, to the humble and contrite in spirit, who
trembles at my word”.
·
Reacting with meekness and
humility: that is holiness.
Meditation: The Power that Regenerates the World
Earthly history and the workings of the cosmos undoubtedly continue their course and are not identified with the rate at which the Kingdom of Christ develops. In fact, pain, evil, sin, death, yet claim their victims, in spite of the resurrection of Christ.
The cycle of one thing succeeding another, the cycle of becoming, is not at a standstill. If it were, history would be at an end! And so facts and events are continually being repeated and give rise to thoughts of an irremediable conflict here on earth between the two kingdoms, or, as St. Augustine said, between the two cities. Think, for example, of the contrast which is to be found in this Holy Year between celebration of the Redemption on the one hand and on the other hand the offenses against God, the misdeeds committed against man and, at bottom, the challenges to Christ which are continually being launched.
This is the most impressive aspect, the most mysterious dimension of the historic dialectic between the forces of good and the forces of evil: the fact that obstacles are raised or indifference is shown to the forces of Redemption let into the world by Christ through his Resurrection as the principle which resolves the conflict between death and life.
The world is in need, today as yesterday, for the "new people" to remain in its midst, among the vicissitudes, the conflicts, the variations which not seldom lead to situations which are so difficult, sometimes even dramatic. The world has need of this people which will dedicate itself with humility, courage and perseverance to service of the Redemption and give concrete form, in good Christian conduct, to the regenerating power of Christ's resurrection.
This is the function which Christians have as evangelizers and witnesses to the Resurrection in history.
—Excerpted from Prayers and Devotions from Pope John Paul II, edited by Bishop Peter Canisius, 1984.
Fitness Friday-Start the
Universal Man Plan
Recognizing that God the Father created man on Friday the 6th day
I propose in this blog to have an entry that shares on how to recreate and
renew yourself in strength, mind, soul and heart.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
SECTION
ONE "I BELIEVE" - "WE BELIEVE"
CHAPTER
THREE MAN'S RESPONSE TO GOD
Article
2 WE BELIEVE
The Credo
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary
Under Pontius Pilate He was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the
Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered died and was
buried.
On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Increase
of Vocations to the Holy Priesthood.
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Manhood of the
Master-week 9 day 6
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Make reparations to the Holy Face
[1]
John Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible.
[2] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141120221705-25477363-the-law-of-navigation-it-s-all-about-knowing-where-you-re-going
[4] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40
Catholic Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 31. Pilgrimage.
[5]https://aleteia.org/2018/05/21/holy-catholic-pilgrimages-for-your-bucket-list/
[6]https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/holy-week/prayers-for-easter-sunday/nine-day-divine-mercy-novena
[9]http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20180319_gaudete-et-exsultate.html
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